Tore out the paneling and installed drywall with insulation; all cosmetics updated; installed window in a room that had none to make it officially a 6 bedroom dwelling (duplex with 2 units of 3b/1ba;) installed new-ish appliances in kitchen; installed permanent shelves in the oversized laundry rooms for much-needed storage; and added sheds to backyards.

Tore out the paneling and installed drywall with insulation; all cosmetics updated; installed window in a room that had none to make it officially a 6 bedroom dwelling (duplex with 2 units of 3b/1ba;) installed new-ish appliances in kitchen; installed permanent shelves in the oversized laundry rooms for much-needed storage; and added sheds to backyards.

Tore out the paneling and installed drywall with insulation; all cosmetics updated; installed window in a room that had none to make it officially a 6 bedroom dwelling (duplex with 2 units of 3b/1ba;) installed new-ish appliances in kitchen; installed permanent shelves in the oversized laundry rooms for much-needed storage; and added sheds to backyards.

Does "houses are no longer flying off shelves like hotcakes" mean lower demand for contractor services?

Instead of closets everything should be on wall mounted shelving that is height adjustable. 

There was a time about two years ago where homes in this area were just flying off the shelves, so to speak, but now... it just doesn't seem quite the same.

A week later we had some additional showers in the afternoon, and the leak continues.As I got estimates for repairs and reroofs, I noticed termite droppings inside along some baseboards, and one tenant told me about occasionally spraying of "coffee ground" looking pellets in the closet shelves, so I started to get estimates from termite control companies for fumigation, while one company looked around inside and outside for evidence of drywood termites by observing kickout holes and pellets, he noticed one interior door was totally hollowed out...Poking a hole into it, a a few live moving subterrainean worker termites fell out, inside are some mud tubes. 

You might try some industrial equipment rental companies like united rental if all the small retail pumps have flown off the shelves at hardware stores.

open shelving is a great idea but not very practical.

You could make display shelving there so you can still see through, it will add a decorative element & I believe it would cost less than installing a bar area.