If you are thinking about adding built-in bookshelves to your home, you should consider them for your personal convenience, but don't expect to recoup the cost when it comes time to sell your home. They can be an attractive feature that helps to sell your home, if they are built properly, but not everybody likes the same interior features or confinement that built-in bookshelves can represent.
They are quite attractive on each side of a fireplace that seems lonely on a wall that doesn't leave much room for any other furniture and they can help anchor the room. When it comes time to re-sell your home, it can add additional storage, if the bookshelves contain lower drawers or cabinets for storage space. On the other hand, it is important that they aren't just a bunch of shelves that attract clutter or they can detract from your home's attractiveness, when it comes time to sell.
Toy Storage Drawers
Built-in bookshelves have to be considered closely, because many people don't have books in the traditional sense, like they used to. Now you can get eBooks that don't require storage, so bookshelves are more of a decorating feature, when done correctly. If you decide to devote an entire wall to built-in bookshelves because you need places to store the children's toys, you have to keep in mind that some people might not like the look or have other plans for the room, when you are ready to sell the home.
Any money you put into built-in bookshelves might not be recouped, since you can't take them with you to your new home. Consider a resale possibility when you are making any home improvements or you might find that they might not add any value, but could be viewed as something that will need to be removed. Make sure that they are attractively designed with trim that is appropriate to the rest of the room or home and serve function instead of additional shelving to be dusted, de-cluttered or just wasted space.
The best rule of thumb on built-in bookshelves is that they belong on walls that contain a fireplace or an end wall that will contain an entertainment center. They should be part of a focal part of the room and contain an opening large enough for today's larger big screen televisions, if they are going to be an entertainment center wall. Usually the furthest, smaller wall is a good place for built-in bookshelves, although some people will put them in bedrooms, along with built in chest of drawers to make more space in the room.
While they might not add that much value, they will be a feature that competitive homes for sale won't have. They should be professionally built and trimmed, so you will need to hire a professional carpenter, unless you are one yourself. Just keep in mind that you might not recoup the money spent on them when it comes time to sell your home and you can't take them with you, so make sure they add the storage and comfort you need, without detracting from the value of your home, when building built-in bookshelves.