Buyers are especially conscious of any renovation costs in the bathroom since it can be one of the more expensive areas to change, so ease their concerns by neutralizing everything as much as possible. Here are some suggestions to help you in staging your bathroom.
CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN
Your first goal is to clean the bathroom from top to bottom. With all the water and humidity in a bathroom, it can face a lot of wear and tear over time such as peeling caulk, hard water stains, and mildew.
It’s time to de-grime. Scrub and sanitize and remove any stains you find on the walls, floor, and shower door — virtually every surface that comes in contact with steam. Almost every bathroom contains some form of mold, especially in corners.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE TILE GROUT AND CAULKING
Spend extra time scrubbing that tile grout. Then, freshen up any caulking (such as around the sink and shower) that has come undone or is stained beyond a simple cleaning. Caulk is inexpensive to purchase at your local hardware store and very easy to apply yourself. Figure out if your yucky shower door just needs cleaning or replacing.
Remove hard water stains from faucets and shower heads. Clean the clutter from the countertop, tub, and top of toilet. Clean those surfaces until they gleam. Take a daring sniff of the sink and tub drains. Odorous? Clean them out. Clean the floors and air vents.
FIX OR REPLACE WHAT’S NOT WORKING OR IS OUTDATED
Your next goal is to repair what’s not working. Are your faucets or shower heads dripping? Fix or replace them. Fix leaky or running toilets and replace toilet seats. Remove the covers from light fixtures and the exhaust fan. Wash, dry and replace them. If your light fixtures are rated for 100-watt, replace the bulbs with 100-watt. If your light fixtures are outdated, think about replacing them.
NEUTRALIZE AND UPDATE THE COLORS
Your next goal is to neutralize and update the colors. Any bright colors on the walls or cabinets? Does the paint on the walls look dingy? A fresh coat of paint in white or another pleasant neutral will do wonders. If you have wallpaper, and it is peeling, have it removed and paint then paint them. Want to know the latest colors for your walls and cabinets?
Bathroom cabinets play an important role in the look of a bathroom. If they look outdated or weathered, they can bring down the appeal of the whole space. The good news is that you don’t need to invest in an entire remodel if they are in good shape. You can also switch out the hardware when staging your bathroom to something more updated to make them look even better. Check here for updated colors for cabinets.
If your countertops are outdated, they can be easily changed out for new ones (even on a small budget) when staging your bathroom. Fixing these is a lot more budget-friendly when you don’t have to change out the cabinets. However, if your cabinet isn’t salvageable, replacing it with a pedestal sink could be a big hit with buyers. Pedestal sinks show off square footage in small bathrooms beautifully.
Bathrooms sell houses, but dated tile in a bathroom doesn’t. Switch out brightly colored tile and other architectural elements with more neutral options if possible. If you have dated tile in your bathroom, you can paint it or have someone paint it as a lower-cost alternative.
DECLUTTER AND PUT AWAY ALL PERSONAL ITEMS
Like any other space in the home, it’s important to declutter as much as possible when staging your bathroom. In the bathroom, this means:
- Keep dirty clothes in a laundry hamper and hiding all toiletries (such as perfume, toothbrushes, toothpaste, makeup, etc) from view.
- Remove prescriptions from the medicine cabinet, and any other personal items potential buyers don’t need to see.
- Throw out worn, frayed, or outdated rugs and towels.
- Keep your personal towels hidden and keep only unused towels on display while the home is being shown.
Since the bathroom is a very personal space, it can be off-putting to buyers to see any signs of someone else using it. Keep it as clean and clutter-free as possible.
CREATE A SPA-LIKE ATMOSPHERE
Once you’ve cleaned, fixed, replaced what’s broken, decluttered, and neutralized the bathroom, add in the touches that will make it feel like a home. Create a luxury spa feel during staging your bathroom with things like:
- fancy soap dispenser
- fluffy white towels
- decorative baskets
- candles
- plants
- white shower curtain
- new bath mat.
- rolled up hand towels in a basket on the counter
- add a pretty flower
- nicely packaged soaps and scrubs
- white robe
- apothecary jars full of toiletries such as cotton balls and loofahs
These are all inexpensive touches that instantly make any bathroom feel more inviting.
Once you’ve done all the cleaning and updating, stay on top of any new stains that arise while you’re living there and use a squeegee on glass shower doors after every shower. It should sparkle and radiate cleanliness.
David Miller is a licensed Associate Broker who loves to provide high-level service. Please let him know how he can serve you!
Cathi Castro is a licensed Realtor who loves to provide high-level service. Please let her know how she can serve you!