Home Improvements: How Bathroom Renovations Increase the Value of Your Home
We like to think of our home as an investment that will increase in value from year to year. Given the unstable economy we have experienced these past few years, we cannot always count on that appreciation. But there are small renovations we can make to our homes that will pay for themselves several times over. One of the wisest and most profitable improvements we can do to our house is to renovate or even add a bathroom.
If a house is dated (out of style), it will become apparent the instant a potential buyer walks through the front door. It is obvious in the outdated color scheme, flooring that is clearly from another decade, counter-tops and cupboards that have not been featured in home decorating magazines for years. Wallpaper is another dead giveaway that the home is stuck in the past.
A buyer knows much of this can be easily corrected. But when it comes to an outdated bathroom, or one in poor repair, the buyer will see dollar signs and lose interest.
The cost of renovating an outdated bathroom, if done right, can pay for itself several times over. A bathtub area with beige, green, or turquoise ceramic tiles screams '60s, as do linoleum floors and formica counter-tops. But replacing these with a rich looking granite counter-top on a pretty vanity, an up-to-date bathtub (go for a whirlpool tub for that "WOW Factor"), and new floors can actually add $3,000-$4,000 to the value of your house!
Adding a brand new bathroom is guaranteed to increase that value even more! It's all about bathrooms and kitchens these days when it comes to renovating - that and open spaces. So, if you are planning to put your house on the market, you might want to consider doing a bathroom renovation to get the most out of that sale.
If a house is dated (out of style), it will become apparent the instant a potential buyer walks through the front door. It is obvious in the outdated color scheme, flooring that is clearly from another decade, counter-tops and cupboards that have not been featured in home decorating magazines for years. Wallpaper is another dead giveaway that the home is stuck in the past.
A buyer knows much of this can be easily corrected. But when it comes to an outdated bathroom, or one in poor repair, the buyer will see dollar signs and lose interest.
The cost of renovating an outdated bathroom, if done right, can pay for itself several times over. A bathtub area with beige, green, or turquoise ceramic tiles screams '60s, as do linoleum floors and formica counter-tops. But replacing these with a rich looking granite counter-top on a pretty vanity, an up-to-date bathtub (go for a whirlpool tub for that "WOW Factor"), and new floors can actually add $3,000-$4,000 to the value of your house!
Adding a brand new bathroom is guaranteed to increase that value even more! It's all about bathrooms and kitchens these days when it comes to renovating - that and open spaces. So, if you are planning to put your house on the market, you might want to consider doing a bathroom renovation to get the most out of that sale.