Top Ten Bathroom Staging Tips
Bathrooms are equal with kitchens in terms of selling a home. They’ve become more than just places to bathe, they’re seen as a retreat for relaxation similar to ones at luxurious hotels or spas.
Bathrooms are often viewed by a prospective home buyer as being expensive rooms to renovate. If they don’t see a appealing bathroom then they will automatically see dollar signs to update it that will come off their offer price or else it can stop them from putting in an offer! For these reasons it is very important to pay attention to your bathroom when your home is up for sale.
Here are my tips on staging your bathroom for the market
1. Clean from top to bottom!
No one likes the idea of bathing in someone Else’s dirt. The bathroom is a high moisture area where germs thrive if not cleaned regularly. When staging your bathroom get out the cleaning gloves and clean every surface from top to bottom. Scrub down those bathroom tiles, wash or change out shower curtains. Once you’ve finished cleaning, keep it clean.
2. Carpets, Toilet Mats :
Carpets may be soft under foot but they hold onto moisture and odors and simply do not belong in a bathroom . Replace carpet with tiles or vinyl flooring. Remove those fuzzy toilet seat covers, tank covers and contoured mats in front of the toilet as they are considered germ traps and old-fashioned.
3. FLOOD THE BATHROOM WITH LIGHT:
If you have a window to your bathroom, clean it thoroughly, pull back the curtains or raise the blind too allow maximum light in .If you have a window over your bathtub area consider having beautiful-baths install a beautiful easy to clean bathroom vinyl shutter.
4. Clear Clutter and DE-personalize :
Remove all personal care items .No one wants to see your razor and soap. Leaving stuff on show distracts buyers as they start to see your lifestyle and not the bathroom.
5. Bathroom Tile & Grout
If the tiles are in good condition and the color works then give them a thorough scrub,. If not contact a company like beautiful-baths to refinish them in a nice glossy white glaze. If the grout is in good condition but discolored then use good old bleach & a tooth brush to bring the whiteness back (wear protective goggles & gloves) .If the grout has cracked and fallen out, pay a company like beautiful-baths to re-tile or re-grout, it will make the tiles look good as new.
6. Mold, Mildew & Mustiness
There is nothing worse than walking into a bathroom that has a musty smell to greet you and small patches of ceiling mold , a mildew bathmat or shower curtain .. If you’ve got mold, investigate by – checking that your ceiling fan is working properly. If you do not have one call a company like beautiful-baths to install one for you and to investigate band leaks and repair them then repaint (use a mold inhibiting paint). Mildew items like bathmats, old flannels, stained shower curtains & face cloths or damp mops and cleaning items should be tossed in the garbage and replaced.
7. Faucets , tub spouts and Shower Heads:
These are prone to scale ,rust and soap scum build up that looks unattractive. Use a quality De-scaler like CLR and bring the shine back to those chrome or metal finishes. Shower heads collect grime over the years so remove them from their fittings and clean them. Use an old toothbrush to really get into the nooks & crannies. If fittings are beyond cleaning, perhaps the metal has worn away, then consider calling a bathroom company like beautiful-baths to install new Moen pressure balanced faucets.
8.Misc fixtures:
As always finish off any maintenance that you have left such as refitting the broken shower curtain, bathroom light fixtures, bathroom towel bars , shelves etc. touch up baseboards. Buyers will see unfinished touches and knock hundreds off the asking price as a result.
9. Attractive Accessories & Smells:
After you have depersonalized your bathroom invest in some attractive bath oils, colorful scented soaps, and candles that will infuse the air with a clean smell. Purchase a fluffy set of towels that work with your color scheme. Add some bathroom loving plants that are appropriate to the space you have. In larger bathrooms palms can work well, in smaller bathrooms a small plant will work better..
10. Keep It Clean & Tidy:
My advice is to purchase a few wicker baskets, one for every member of the household to keep their everyday toiletries in and keep them stowed out of sight . Only take them into the bathroom when needed.. As with every room when selling your home, once it’s staged nicely then you need to maintain it that way. This can be challenging when as a family you are living in the constantly using the bathroom.