How to make your bathroom a selling point

Bathrooms are one of the most frequented rooms in any home, and yet many home sellers go no further than giving them a bit of a clean when putting their house on the market.

These small but important rooms can in fact be the make-or-break point of a sale, so it pays to spend a little time and money making sure they’re in top shape before opening your doors to inspections.

Here are a few tips on how to make your bathroom look its best.

Along with the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the most frequented rooms in any home.

While many of us might not give our bathrooms a second thought (other than giving them a good clean), a lot of buyers could actually be swayed either for or against buying a property based on their condition.

This is why you need to make sure that your bathroom isn’t letting your home down. Here’s how to do it without spending an arm and a leg.

Don’t just clean. Tidy and restore!

Being on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t achieve results. For the price of just a few off-the-shelf products from your local hardware store, you could make your bathroom look almost new.

Firstly, clean your bathrooms and toilets like you’ve never cleaned them before. This has two effects: it means subsequent cleans will be easier, and it’ll also make damage easier to see.

If you spot areas of mould, cracked tiles or grout, corroded fittings or other damage, act on them. Re-grout the tiles (this isn’t too hard to DIY), repaint the walls or replace fittings first, then see if you need to go further.

Redecorate.

If some new taps and towel rails aren’t going to cut it, you may need to redecorate to some extent.

Start with the paint. If it’s peeling or mouldy, scrape it away, make sure it’s dry, and then repaint with a waterproof (or at least cleanable) paint.

If the toilet or shower is covered in stubborn stains, it may be time for a replacement. We’re talking a few hundred dollars apiece, not including labour. This is still less than the cost of retiling, and it can make some difference. Go with a modern glass cubicle, and make sure you’re choosing water-efficient fittings.

While you’re at it, think about installing or rearranging your storage, and consider other things like long mirrors or lighting to create a feeling or more space.

Bathtubs are in.

If you’ve got an old bathtub, it’s not always a good idea to rip it out.

While a modern shower might look more appealing, if you’re selling to a family then a bathtub is a strong selling point.

Removing the bathtub in order to “update” your bathroom could also be removing you from a huge section of the market. Instead, think about replacing the bathtub with a stylish free-standing one. This will allow you to choose where to put it, and it’ll look super modern.

Tiling: Dos and Don’ts.

If you’ve decided to get serious, retiling is going to be a big part of your bathroom reno.

Tiling (along with custom plumbing) is often where budgets start to balloon, so it’s important to do your research and product selection before bringing the tiler in.

This will save you on consultation cost, and you may even be able to perform some of the demolition work yourself (i.e. removing the old tiles).

When choosing new tiles, go for lighter colours in larger tile sizes – this is the style at the moment and creates more of a sense of space. Plus, the bigger the tiles, the less grout there is to keep clean.

Don’t retile unless you absolutely have to – it can add thousands to the price of your reno. But if it needs to be done, please hire a professional. DIY tiling never turns out well.

Little touches make all the difference.

If you’re going to deal with the big things like tiling and replacing fittings, don’t make the mistake of forgetting the little things.

A clean, modern bathroom is one thing, but a well-presented one is another. Little touches, like hanging luxurious towels on the rails, changing the light bulbs to a more complementary tone, and removing cleaning and hygiene products, can make all the difference during an open home.

Looking to sell but are worried about what impression your bathrooms could be making? Ask the team at Hicks Real Estate for our pointers on making your home look its best for potential buyers! Call us today on 07 3355 6845!