The two rooms that can make or break a sale in a home are usually the kitchen and the bathroom.
You are generally safe to assume that if either of these rooms looks old, outdated and uncared for your home may take a bit longer to sell.
The sad part is that people often associate "updating" these two rooms with having to spend a ton of money; when the fact of the matter is that you can find some pretty inexpensive ways to perk up both rooms without breaking the bank.
You want to be cautious of staying away from "plumbing" projects if at all possible because this is where the money pit can be. You replace one pipe only to find you end up re-plumbing the entire room; that's where the high costs come into play! However, generally replacing sink faucets are a fairly easy swap-out in most cases. So you ask, "Do I really have to spend a lot of money to get an 'updated' and fresh look for my bathroom?" If you're going to start tearing out walls and pipes and replacing plumbing the answer is going to probably be yes. If you want to go the smart and less expensive route, with low end updates that give you high-end results then the answer is no!
Let's talk updating your bathroom to entice buyers
What's one of the biggest complaints buyers have when they view bathrooms? Believe it or not it's not that it's too small as much as it's basically "kind of... icky"; which is basically nothing more than saying it has normal wear and tear that causes mold and dirty looking surroundings. You would be surprised how you can take the same exact bathroom and, after a few hours of down and dirty scrubbing with a scrub brush, you can turn it into a sparkling room. Usually things as simple as replacing the caulking around the tub and tile area and scrubbing the floors in areas that we often tend to let slip by a little bit when "cleaning", such as behind the toilet, around the seal area of the base of the toilet and the base of a sink and in the corners, can make a world of difference. Scrub floors, corners, ceilings that may have small patches of mold or mildew from shower steam, etc. and rid the entire bathroom of any mold, mildew or dirt.Of course, as with any room when you're selling your home, a fresh coat of paint freshens up the entire room. The best part of this is if you happen to have "dated" fixtures (like a pink tub, toilet and sink) you can underplay them with accenting paints that blend the room together. If you don't have dated fixtures then you can put a fresh coat of neutral paint on the walls and decorate very sparingly.
Declutter
Be sure to remove "clutter" such as old magazines, bottles of lotions, creams and beauty products. Take your toiletries and keep them in one area or invest in some simple, inexpensive shelving to hold your shampoos and soaps in the shower. Remove your toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. from the counter and either place inside your medicine cabinet or neatly on a shelf off of the sink area. This helps the sink area and counter look less messy. Keep out only what you must and place those items in an attractive basket or container that accents the bathroom without cluttering it. While this is a common "fix" for most any room when you are selling a home, de-cluttering a bathroom can make it look much more spacious and clean. When it comes to bathrooms, clean is a big deal. Utilizing over the back of the toilet shelving can help give you room for things but be careful not to fill the shelves too much. Don't keep knick knacks lying around to collect dust; they tend to make the bathroom look cluttered and unclean. Those decorative soaps you've had for 5 years in a basket are now looking pretty dusty and unused. Toss them out and give your bathroom some countertop(s) space. Adding basket shelves, if you have the room, can help declutter the area quickly.Replace Shower Curtains and Accessories
Spending as little $10 to $30 depending upon your choice of materials and style, you can replace your old shower curtain. Cloth curtains that are waterproofed so you don't need a liner with them tend to be viewed as cleaner and more up to date than plain plastic shower curtains; however any update to the curtain will be a plus. It immediately freshens up the room, giving it a clean fresh look. Find a matching bath mat to set it all off. A set of matching curtain hooks can be the icing on the cake.Add a new shower curtain rod, especially the slightly more expensive curved rods which are especially popular because they make it seem like the shower area is more spacious. Be sure to match the curtain rod with the faucet styles (chrome, brushed chrome, brass, etc.). A new shower curtain and rod can give your tub and shower area the feeling of a completely updated and remodeled bathroom for under $100.
Of course a fresh coat of paint always helps present any room as fresh and clean. If you have "dated" fixtures (pink sink, toilet, etc) you don't necessarily have to replace them if you can paint your walls to downplay them or accent them. If you have typical white or light colored fixtures a subtle, neutral color will work best to accommodate most everyone's tastes and won't overwhelm buyers.
If you already have shelving units make sure they are updated and looking their best. Cheap metal shelving can become rusted and worn looking. Replace them with new shelving units if this is the case or repaint them with Rustoleum® spray paints. If you have wooden shelving units paint them to match your new paint job on the walls.
Generally speaking, if you can present your bathroom as sparkling clean and fresh it will be a big selling point. Sure, everyone would love a huge bathroom but as long as the bathroom is inviting and clean looking most buyers can overlook size for the most part. However, if you do have an exceptionally small bathroom you may want to make a few changes to create a roomier atmosphere. If the door opens into the bathroom you can sometimes switch the hinges and a few minor changes to have the door open outwards and not into the bathroom. This can add as little as a few inches of room to the actual space itself but gives the feeling of a large amount of extra room. Changing the way a door opens is not always an easy or quick DIY job so you may need to hire a handyman for the job; but anyone with some carpentry experience can generally handle the job fairly easily and for a minimal cost.
Update Faucets and Shower Heads
Updating the faucets in your bathroom sink, making sure to stick with a basic style and color that will match the tub/shower area, can make it look like your bathroom has recently been updated. This project is a definite D.I.Y. project that literally requires little more than a couple screw drivers, a wrench or pliers, and the knowledge to shut off the water coming to the sink. Most faucet sets are interchangeable and most don't even need caulking as they have rubber gaskets now that seal them to the sink area. When you remove your old faucet be sure to scrub the area with a good hard scrub brush to remove any soap scum or mold. Drop the new faucet in and reconnect and you are ready to go! It really is that easy. Again, cleaning around where the old faucet was helps give the room a fresh and clean look.Replacing a shower head is also an easy D.I.Y. project that can be done for well under $100. You can find decent massaging shower head for $20 or under. High end shower heads offer eco-friendly versions of shower heads for buyers interested in seeing "green" items in the houses they buy. Large or double shower heads are just as desirable and often can be installed for a limited amount of money also. Most of these projects do not need anything special to install them, come with directions and even the plumbing tape you'll need to finish off the seal as you're screwing in the new shower head. The end result is an "updated" looking shower with nothing more than a quick and easy install of an inexpensive fixture. Again, be sure it matches the faucets you have in your bathroom sink.
Create More Space and Spa-Like Atmosphere for Very Little Money
Along with installing the shelving we discussed earlier you may want to create the effect of having plenty of room for your towels and linens. You want to give the idea that there's space to store things when needed but not that it's so tight and tiny that you have tons of stuff in one area. If you don't have a single hand towel rack near the sink it may be a good idea to place one on the wall. This will open any counter space you may be using to have folded towels available.
If you have hooks on the back of the door make sure they're not always filled with bathrobes, bath towels and such. To create a touch of "luxury" in your bathroom you can purchase an over the door towel warmer/dryer for about $100 and it sends an instant feeling of a luxurious spa like atmosphere.If you have the room to add a small rock water fountain in an area that creates a spa like surrounding without adding too much clutter it's always a plus. Adding a small bamboo plant will bring the room together with a spa-like feeling also.
People often associate their bathrooms with feeling like their "get away" place and creating a spa like atmosphere with relaxing, neutral colors and special spa like items like towel warming racks and a $20 stone fountain can make a huge difference in the feel of the room; taking it from a plain bathroom to a spa like getaway.
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