Remodelling Your Bathroom

Many clients of mine have recently been considering doing some renovations in their home. It seems to be a common question as to where their dollars are best spent. Well its no secret that the most important rooms of your home in buyers eyes tends to be the Kitchen and the Bathrooms.

The bathroom is a great place to spend your dollars and actually get the money back when you resale. It usually is the first place to start because of outdated features, different decorating taste from the previous owners or simply normal wear and tear on a very functional room of your home. Well if you have been thinking of remodelling, here are a few things for you to consider:

Resale Value – Resale is something that I ALWAYS discuss with my clients. You may have heard before that bath remodels add value to your home. These days you can recoup about 64% of the costs of a minor bathroom remodel, according to Remodeling magazine’s “2010-11 Cost vs. Value Report.” If your bathroom is especially in need of updates, you may recapture more.

Costs—Good News – Contractors are always eager for work, and prices are lower for their materials and labor, so now may be an ideal time to make your bathroom more livable.

Timely or Timeless Style – This is a huge problem that I see when people are redoing their bathrooms. Before you remodel, think of what it will look like in a couple years when you sell your home. Will you and possible buyers still like the look and style? Hopefully they will, otherwise they’ll factor in the cost of their own remodel when making an offer. Then all your hard work will be for nothing.

Too Much Cost? Think Small – If you’re not ready for a full remodel, then a fresh coat of paint, new towels and a pretty framed print can do wonders to update your bathroom—and give you a new look for 2011. If you have those old fixtures that are a stunning shade of pink, blue, yellow or even green, there are ways around completely replacing them. There are several companies out there that will refinish those fixtures in more neutral colours. Keep in mind though that those old toilets use up a LOT of water and if you choose to replace it, you will eventually get your money back through savings on your water bill.

Remember, it’s you and your family that have to live there now, so ensure that whatever you do, you can handle brushing your teeth in there day after day. Balance that with how perspective buyers will like it, and you have yourself a winning recipe.

If you need any contact info for contractors, designers, or for people to refinish those old fixtures please don’t hesitate to ask.