Should I Invest in a Bathroom Renovation?

Lots of clients contact us asking whether redoing their outdated bathroom is worth the investment. The answer is fundamentally yes. However, how you do up your bathroom depends on what your housing situation is. An investment can either be a financial investment or personal. If you are planning on selling your home in the near future, you should think differently about how you re-do your bathroom to someone who is in their forever home.

Photo: C. P. Hart Bathrooms

Bathrooms are practical rooms. They are there to fill a function – cleaning, washing, getting ready et cetera. If moving home and wanting to renovate for selling purposes, you should distance yourself from adding personal touches to the bathroom. Keep it simple and neutral in colour. You want it to be easy for any type of buyer to live in regardless of their personal taste.

Photo: Pinterest

Classic contemporary is always a good style to go for as it won’t turn off the modern or traditional buyer covering a wide variation of styles. It is clean in appliances and unfussy in detail, neutral greys, whites and earthy tones are always safe bets. Neutral colours stand the test of time whereas the colour of the season will always fall out of style.

Most rooms around a property can be freshened up with a single lick of paint or new furniture. Bathrooms need a lot more money invested in them to make a difference to a home.

It is always worth investing in making your bathroom, and full house for that matter, structurally sound. Construction costs that look too good to be true, usually are. Making your home structurally sound will increase property value indefinitely.

Photo: 1stdibs

Cheap fittings in bathrooms always look tacky and feel cheap and plasticky in the hand. I would always suggest investing that little extra in shower handles, taps and appliances. Cabinetry can be bought on a low budget from even places like IKEA. Adding little hints of luxuriousness through appliances can really give a room that wow factor. Match all the fixtures with the same finishes – towel rack, mirror rims, taps, handles. Having a cohesive look looks really smart.

Lighting is a huge aspect to consider. If natural light is lacking in a bathroom it can make the room feel cold and small. Use mirrors to reflect light around the room and place warm light fittings, and not blue, harsh lighting into the room. We have all had those situations when you walk into a bathroom, look at yourself in the mirror and gasp. It is all down to the colour of the bulb used. Cold white lights are a lot more unflattering than warm lights so consider using these instead in a bathroom.

Photo: houseandgarden

Bathroom renovations can cost anything between £1,000 and £10,000 and the return value can be up to around £15,000 so it definitely a room to consider renovating.

If moving home is not on your main agenda, it is still worth investing in your bathroom. A lot of activity happens in the bathroom and so it holds a lot of importance. If it is your forever home then design your bathroom exactly how you would like it.

Photo: ArchitecturalDigest

Is there anything you don’t like about the room? Is the toilet in the wrong location? Do you find the shower too small? Change it, why stick with something you find annoying?

Add an en-suite to your master bedroom if you have the ability to spend a little more. It is always nice for the parents to have a space of serenity that can be locked away from the kids and guests to enjoy a bath and ten minutes of me-time.

Maybe think about having his and her sinks with your own vanity unit drawers to place all your own products and cosmetics. Recently I did a project where the husband and wife wanted separate en-suites and dressing rooms off of their bedroom. I thought this was a brilliant idea as it kept their personals separate and retracted fights about taking up the bathroom for too long!

Photo: Instagram

In terms of appliances and colour, you can pick exactly what you would like as you aren’t looking to sell your home. Gold and nickel are always good finishes as they don’t really date. Fashionable choices include copper and rose gold, which are the ‘in’ colours of the moment however, slightly losing velocity. Black is being pre-empted as the colour of the year, which looks incredibly chic and modern.

Another thought to have if it is your forever home is thinking about mobility in the future. Having a shower room downstairs might be beneficial for some individuals and their housing layouts as a downstairs shower room can be easy access for some elders.

Bathrooms are worth the investment whether selling or not. Bathrooms are practical rooms but they should not be forgotten about as a lot of time is spent in a bathroom, and taking a bubble bath should be a relaxing, therapeutic experience to enjoy!

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