remodeling

You know the old saying, kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. If you walk into your bathroom and you are underwhelmed with how it looks, buyers certainly will be too. That means it’s time to do some remodeling. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but making your bathroom a welcoming retreat will sell your home.

Update without breaking the bank

Did you know that the average bathroom is between 400 and 800 square feet? So while it isn’t the biggest room in your house, it certainly is one of the more expensive to update. In fact, an average bathroom remodel is $10,000 or more. Obviously the more high end you go the more expensive it will be. There are ways, however, that you can make your bathroom look fabulous without breaking the bank.

A stand up shower

One way to update without going super high end is to install a stand up shower. These days bathtubs aren’t always a necessity, especially if there is more than one full bath in the home. When installing a shower, think about things like shower heads with adjustable settings and temperature controls. Remember that putting them up higher isn’t a bad thing, but if you can’t consider choosing a shower head that you can hold as it can help taller people.

Update the tub

Bathtubs are still a big deal. If you only have one full bath, don’t remove the tub. Choose a new one that has things like in-line heaters, adjustable jet speeds, foot massage jets and foot rests. You don’t have to get an oversized tub, even a standard sized tub with jets are a luxurious upgrade.

Change out the faucets

Remember to update all the faucets. Make sure that your tub faucets are at least similar metals as the sink. Don’t mismatch! If you have noticed mineral deposits on faucets and shower heads, think about adding a filtration system, water softening or neutralization (depending on your water type) to your home.

Flooring and quick bathroom remodeling tips

Also look at the flooring and consider an update. If you have old vinyl on the floor, think about putting down bamboo or tile. Bamboo will appeal to the environmentally conscious crowd.
Some quick bathroom remodeling tips and fixes for the bath that is in good shape but just looks in need of some TLC, try regrouting tile walls and floors and recaulking existing tubs and showers, updating light fixtures and maybe a new medicine cabinet or mirror.

If you are addicted to those home shows on HGTV and are thinking about selling your home, you can get some great ideas on what to do (and not to do) to make your home a winner!

Flip Or Flop

Tarek and Christina are real estate investors who are always buying some property sight-unseen and then “flipping” it to make a profit. If you watch them for any time, you will notice that there is always some major “gotcha” that catches them off guard and makes their remodeling a nightmare. That is what your buyer is afraid of! They worry that all those little “problems” in your home will add up to big money down the line.

Tip: Have a pre-home inspection done if your home is in great condition. This will mean that your buyer won’t do their own inspection, but it will take away many of the scary thoughts swirling throughout their heads when considering making an offer.

Tip: The only time they really have a hard time selling their home is when they price it too high for the market. Don’t “try” to get a higher price than the market will bear for your home. Consider the actual price and condition of your home and then price it right.

Fixer Upper

Chip and Joanna are also house flippers, but their hook is that they make amazingly beautiful HOMES for their clients by decorating and staging them before they move in. The “afters” on this show are overwhelmingly beautiful and completely done.

Tip: Take some time to stage your home for selling. Get out the china and set your table, have high end linens and great bedding. The nice thing is that you can take any staging materials you use to your new home and having a cohesive look will WOW your potential buyers.

Love It Or List It

Hillary and David battle to find out whether a couple’s home can be “saved” with remodeling or whether they need to move by “listing” it. Many buyers worry that the home they are buying now will not meet their needs down the road.

Tip: If you are trying to appeal to first time buyers, make sure you have areas that are staged to look like kids live there. High end buyers will want high end fixtures like granite countertops and gourmet kitchens. KNOW who your potential buyers are and take the time to show them that your house will be perfect now and in the future!

House Hunters

If you watch house hunters for any length of time you will notice that they are VERY picky about all kinds of things that we think are silly. The other thing you will notice is that they generally have a smaller budget than their “dream home” features allow.

Tip: Anything you can do to make sure that you house is the shining star of your price range is a good thing. Check out the competition and figure out if there is anything that you can do to set your home apart!

Rehab Addict

Nicole is huge about keeping the charm of old houses. She makes sure that instead of just tearing out everything that you maintain the features that make it special.

Tip: If you can keep the travertine floors and 1950’s tiles. Now, we are aren’t saying to maintain ugly features, but not to just throw out every feature that makes your home special.

If you are considering selling your home, call us today! We are happy to take a peek and see what you need to do to make your home a superstar! 727-410-0336