Updating your bathroom before selling

We’ve all heard that kitchens and baths are what sell homes. It’s true. These rooms are usually the hardest and most expensive rooms to renovate, so a lot of the time, buyers are looking for homes with updated kitchens and bathrooms.

As a custom home builder and remodeler, I wanted to talk exclusively about bathrooms today, because we get this question a lot: “How much it costs to update a bathroom.”
The short answer is, “It depends.”

The cost for a bathroom remodel can vary significantly depending on the bath and the house itself. You can spend as little as $1,500 on a repair/remodel on a full bath, or as much as $45,000. When you’re trying to sell your home, sometimes it is better just to give the bath a face lift, rather than spend a lot of time and money on a complete remodel.

Listed below are nine helpful tips to give your bathroom an updated look on a budget:

1. Thoroughly clean and remove any discolored caulk and grout around the tub, shower, and the floor around the base of the commode.
2. Replace grout with a tub and tile caulk that is available at your local hardware and or home improvement store.
3. Remove any discoloration in the commode bowl. There are many products you can use to help with this process, again they are available at your local hardware or home improvement store.
4. A fresh coat of paint always makes the bath look newer.
5. Make sure all the towel bars are secure and in good shape. Replace these if they are worn and outdated.
6. If you have a window in the bath, change the window treatments, giving the bath an updated look.
7. Install new light bulbs in the light fixtures and clean the fixtures to lighten and brighten the room.
8. Clean the faucets and shower parts and restore to a shiny, newer look.
9. And finally, CLEAN the bath thoroughly so it will show well.

If there are other problems that need professional attention, call a local remodeler or builder. They can make necessary repairs without always doing a complete remodel. Share with them your budget so they can best advise you as to how much they can do to help spruce up your bath to help sell your house.