Most Americans consider their homes to be their most valuable asset and if you live in the Bay Area, your home is likely an asset that is also appreciating the fastest. When estimating the value of a property, one of the considerations is when the home was last updated. So in this article, we’ll cover 4 things to remodel in your bathroom and 4 things to avoid when remodeling a bathroom with the goal of raising your property’s value.
4 things to remodel in your bathroom
- Update or replace your bathroom vanity. Most bathrooms are laid out so that the vanity and sink are the first things visible when walking into the bathroom so you’ll want to start with this highly visible item when remodeling your bathroom for value. Your local Home Depot will likely have bathroom vanity sets for sale, go there to start shopping around.
- Replace your tile or flooring. Before we go any further, if your bathroom still has carpet or hardwood floors, replace that with tile or tile veneer laminates. You might be nose blind to it now but carpets and wood are porous materials which hold in moisture and odors. The last thing you want is a funky smelling bathroom. As a cheaper alternative to replacing the tile, have your bathroom re-caulked. A minute details but it makes a difference in the grand scheme of things.
- Refinish or replace your tub/shower. This is another one of those highly visible items in the bathroom so you’ll want to either have your tub/shower refinished or replaced with a model that has identical dimensions. If you’re thinking of refinishing, you’ll need to look for a local shop specializing in bathroom or shower refinishing. If you’re thinking of replacing it then the Home Depot is again your best bet. Tubs and showers are measured by length, depth, and height so measure what you have before you go shopping.
- Replace your toilet. This is a super quick and easy fix that will surely make your bathroom feel brand new again. I’m not going to get into too much detail but think of it this way, would you want to reuse someone else’s toilet? No, not unless you really have to.
4 things to avoid when remodeling your bathroom
- Adding or removing plumbing fixtures. As a caveat from the first tip above, if you have a single sink vanity, stick with it. Converting that single sink into a double sink vanity will require a more extensive permitting and inspection process. When remodeling the goal is to avoid these permitting and inspections as much as possible. Not that they’re expensive or difficult, they just take way too long.
- Converting your tub into a shower or vice versa. For the same reason listed above, a tub to shower conversion requires a more complex inspection process where the city inspector will have to inspect the waterproofing around the shower area. Best to veer away from more complex projects if you’re looking for a quick ROI before you sell your home.
- Adding a window or skylight. I get it, who doesn’t want a light and airy bathroom but if your bathroom isn’t already like that and you’re on a time-crunch, stay away from adding windows or skylights. These projects require structural alterations which will need involvement from a structural engineer then subsequent city inspections. This is definitely a great thing to do on your ‘forever home’ but not if you’re going to sell soon.
- Adding square footage or reconfiguring walls. In addition to the same reasons listed above, adding square footage can get really expensive. If you’re expanding onto an area of your property that doesn’t already have a foundation underneath it, your builder will need to lay a foundation. Sure, this will raise your property’s value but not enough to cover the expenses you would’ve paid.
Bonus tip
- Paint your walls. A fresh coat of paint does wonders to any room, especially the bathroom. Also, if you have wallpaper then you’ll want to get that removed. Paper is also a porous material that holds in odors.
If you’re ready to start remodeling your bathroom and need an estimate for how much it will all cost you, you can book a free estimate with us. Just visit our contact page to book a time.
