Improve your Home’s Value by Renovating the Bathroom

One of the smartest ways to boost a home’s value – either if you’re selling a home, or if you’re buying and want to find a bargain that you can spruce up once you take ownership – is by renovating the bathrooms.





By renovating the bathrooms (or just one bathroom if that’s all the house needs), you can -- in a matter of weeks! -- transform both the look and the value of a home. And you can also give yourself a huge pat on the back for being so wise and shrewd with your budget.





But of course, as inspiring as this may be, there’s one challenge to face: HOW do you do it? What should you pay attention to when renovating a bathroom? What should you steer clear of? Is there a basic "Bathroom Renovating 101" resource that will give you the high level tips you need, but without drilling into the details that, really, only a contractor would care to read?





Yes! That’s exactly what Marc Atiyolil has done in his wonderful "How to Renovate a Bathroom" piece featured in the Edmonton Home Journal. Here are Atiyolil’s salient points and tips:





• Start by seeing how much space you have. An adjoining bedroom or closet can turn a cramped bathroom into a spacious oasis.





• Work with an expert. Yes, unclogging the toilet or fixing that ding in the wall that Aunt Betty’s picture used to cover may be tasks that you or your spouse can tackle with ease. But you don’t want to "mess with your bathroom." Not only can you end up spending WAY more than you wanted to, but hey, it’s your bathroom. You kind of want it to be out of service for as little time as possible, right?





• Have a clear action plan. Your bathroom renovation should never "take on a life of its own." Sure, you can’t have a plan that details everything down to the last nail or the exact second. But you should have a clear plan that helps you (or, really, the expert who you hire) move through the process in a structured way.





• Use a floor plan. This isn’t the same as your action plan. Your floor plan gives you a bird’s eye view of your bathroom, and enables you to visualize and communicate your desired changed. It also helps you get a realistic understanding of what can, and can’t, be done based on the space and design limitations (e.g. length of a wall, height of a ceiling, etc.) that you have to work with.





• Think in terms of neutral colors. Atiyolil says (and I agree with him) that neutral colors are best when it comes to selling a home, because you don’t have to worry about someone looking at your bathroom and saying "wow, I love your bathroom, but hate the color!" Neutral colors don’t have that effect on buyers. And besides, they can always paint the bathroom to a color they like once they move in, right?





• Harmonize your space. After you pick your paint color, accentuate your bathroom using the same color scheme. Everything from towel hangers to fixtures to the little thingy you put your toothbrush in should all harmonize and work together.





Indeed, as Atiyolil notes with the wisdom of an experienced Real Estate professional: "Bathrooms and kitchens sell homes!" But to this I’d add that they also make homes more liveable and loveable. And since those are two essential goals, renovating your bathroom is a great idea, any time of year.





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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:





My name is Chris Proctor, and I am a Realtor with Realty Executives - Devonshire Realty in Edmonton. I specialize in helping Edmonton home buyers find a great home that meets their needs, budget and goals. Search Edmonton MLS homes and condos here.