Should You Renovate the Bathroom Before Selling?

When you sell your home, you’ll want to get the best price possible for your property. So, you’ll have to decide what improvements to make to boost the property value. The bathroom is often regarded as one of the key rooms for potential buyers, and the condition of a bathroom can make or break a sale. But is renovating your bathroom before you sell worth it?

In this blog, we investigate the pros and cons of renovating your bathroom before selling, looking at how you can decide whether you should renovate your bathroom and the budget-friendly improvements you can make to save time and money.

How do you know if your bathroom needs renovating?

Firstly, you’ll need to assess the current condition of your bathroom to determine whether you need to renovate the room before selling. If you’ve lived in your home for a long time without redecorating the bathroom, it will undoubtedly have some degree of wear and tear. You’ll need to evaluate whether this wear and tear is severe enough that it might put-off potential buyers. In some cases, the condition of your bathroom might not warrant a full remodel, but it could be beneficial to undertake some minor cosmetic upgrades to put some new life into the room.

Assessing wear and tear

Take a look at your tiles, countertops, internal doors, and cupboard doors and identify if there are any chips, cracks, scratches or stains. In many cases, small imperfections can be easily and quickly fixed. If there is a lot of damage, you may need to consider a renovation or replacement.

You should also inspect the grouting between tiles and the caulking around the sink, bath, and shower. Grout and caulking can be come discoloured and even grow mould, which can be very off-putting for potential buyers. You may be able to regrout the tiles and recaulk without having to renovate the entire bathroom. However, mould can indicate that there is a problem with moisture and maybe ventilation, which may require more complex work to rectify.

Make sure to also check for leaks, dripping taps, or issues with the plumbing of the toilet. To get the best price for your property, all fixtures should be functioning correctly. Savvy buyers will make sure to check fixtures, so you’re unlikely to be able to get issues like this under the radar.

Other potential issues

In some cases, you might find that your bathroom is functioning well and in good condition. However, it may be that your bathroom design is outdated. It may be the suite itself of the colour scheme which dates your bathroom, but these can both deter potential buyers if they think they will have to renovate the bathroom themselves.

Another potential issue in bathrooms is that there is a lack of storage. Evaluate the current storage in your bathroom and decide whether it may benefit from additional cupboards or even shelving to make it more functional.

Pros of renovating your bathroom before selling

There are a number of benefits to renovating your bathroom before you sell your home.

Increased property value

One of the main benefits of renovating your bathroom is that it will increase the value of your property. Experts say that updating your bathroom could potentially add between 4-5% to the value of your home. Depending on how much work you do on your bathroom, you could find that the costs of renovation greatly outweigh the potential extra value a well-designed bathroom will add to your property.  

Enhanced appeal to buyers

The bathroom can be a key selling point for many buyers. A modern, thoughtfully designed and practical bathroom can set your property apart from others on the market. Many buyers will be keen to move into a home that is ready to live in, and where they won’t need to spend extra money and time on to get the bathroom in good condition. If you can provide that for them straight away, many people would be willing to pay for it.

Potential for a quick sale

Renovating your bathroom can potentially lead to quicker sales. Not only could your property get more attention via online adverts if the bathroom looks modern and fresh, meaning your property can reach a wider audience, but it can also lead people to move quickly on the sale. A new bathroom will suggest to potential buyers that the rest of the property has also been well-maintained and looked after. As we mentioned previously, many buyers will be keen to purchase a home that’s in a move-in-ready condition, so they will be eager to make a good offer and complete the sale as soon as possible.

Cons of renovating your bathroom before selling

There can also be some possible downsides to renovating your bathroom before you sell your home.

Potential to spend too much

Bathroom renovations can be costly, especially if there is a lot of work to do. How much you spend can depend on the work done but also on the materials and finishes used, so you will have to find the balance between a quality bathroom and ensuring you have a return on investment (ROI). It can, unfortunately, be easy to spend a lot on your bathroom renovation and find that it doesn’t add enough value to your property to make up the costs.

Time constraints

Depending on the scope of the project, bathroom remodelling can take a long time, often weeks and sometimes even months. If you want to sell your home quickly, this can cause a problem, as you’ll be unlikely to sell before the renovation is completed. You’ll also need to consider the fluctuations in the property market, so you can sell your home in the best time. You’ll want to avoid starting a bathroom renovation that then goes on for too long and you miss the peak selling window.

Risk of over-improving

Everyone has different interior tastes and preferred styles. If you choose to renovate your bathroom, it can be in your favour to stick to a neutral scheme. Tailoring the bathroom design to one niche style or opting for overly unique or luxurious features could result in potential buyers being discouraged.

Renovating your bathroom also runs the risk of ending up with a bathroom that looks out of place with the rest of the home. If other rooms in your house have one interior style and your bathroom is now more modern or high-end, it can cause an imbalance and make the property unappealing.

Budget-friendly renovation tips for your bathroom

We’ve already mentioned how there are some quick upgrades you can do if your bathroom needs a refresh but not a full renovation. Recaulking, regrouting and adding more storage are all easy ways to bring new life into your bathroom. Below are some more options to improve the appearance and functionality of your bathroom without overspending.

Painting

Often a fresh lick of paint can make any room feel new again. Of course, your bathroom may have tiled walls, which won’t be as simple to upgrade. However, if your bathroom has painted walls or sections of walls, you can repaint them to dramatically change the look of the space. It’s generally advised to stick with light, neutral colours, as this can make the room look bigger and more inviting. However, if the rest of your home has a particular style that incorporates colour, you can add this to your bathroom too.

Replacing fixtures and hardware

If you don’t want to fully replace the bathroom suite, look for smaller fixtures and hardware that you can swap out to give your bathroom a new look. Replacing taps, showerheads, cabinet handles, and even toilet roll holders with more modern styles can all have a big impact on the overall look of the room without costing the earth.

You can also consider changing the light fixtures to a different style to bring your bathroom up to date. You can opt for a more chic design and even aim for something more energy-efficient for added appeal. You could also consider adding more light around the mirror, to create a vanity area.

Refreshing cupboards and doors

You don’t have to replace the entire unit to refresh your storage. You can either varnish and paint your current cupboards or just replace the doors and handles for a simple way to bring a new, updated look to your bathroom.

Replacing the interior door of your bathroom is another easy way of making your bathroom more appealing. Think about the overall style of your home and the bathroom specifically and choose an updated door that matches the design, whether that be traditional oak doors, urban industrial style doors, or contemporary white internal doors.  

JB Kind has a huge range of interior doors for your bathroom renovation. Download our brochure or contact us to find out more.