Bathroom Staging

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

www.TheNewsyNeighbour.com

May Issue 115

Article Provided By: The REPs

Last time I wrote an article about staging details, the theme was "making a bed". Today, the topic is bathrooms! Bathrooms and kitchens sell houses, so the preparation here is very important! 

A bathroom remodel should work within your budget and can be super luxurious, but also does not have to be expensive. The room is typically small and the impact is dramatic. We want you to consider investigating the cost. A new toilet, a new floor option (if needed), a new vanity and sink, paint, a light and you have completely transforms the room.

Let's start with everyone's friend, the toilet. If you don't have a low flow toilet, buy one and get it installed. There are great local plumbers out there who can help. Your Real Estate Agent should know a few contactors that they could recommend to you. If you are a very handy person, there are definitely options for the "do it yourselfer," but this is your toilet, so be sure you know what you're doing. 

If you have a tub in good condition, leave it. If it's not white, then contact a professional tub refinisher – don’t attempt to do it yourself!

If you did decide to remodel the bathroom and it is now complete, woohoo!! This will make a great selling feature!

And if you didn't remodel because it's not in your budget, that's no problem. We do recommend that you do paint the room, though. A fresh coat of paint will brighten up the room!

Next, CLEAN! I mean strip everything off the walls, the floor and the counters. Scrub the shower, re-caulk if there’s mildew, and clean the mirror. You can clean the entire bathroom yourself or get a professional cleaner. Your goal is to have the floor so clean that you could eat off it. And don't forget behind the toilet, too. All your personal products (tooth brush, comb, perfumes, etc.) can be placed in a caddy and put in the cupboard under the sink. Make sure all of your personal products are hidden from viewers.

If you aren't remodeling the bath, repair any fixtures that are dripping or possibly broken.

Buyers love a spa experience, so invest in a few NEW white towels. Go to your favourite discount big box store and buy the best priced towels you can find (I paid $3 recently!). These are only for display, so you don't need fancy towels.

Roll a towel up onto the counter, and hang 1 or 2 on the towel rack. Your uncluttered counters will make the bathroom seem larger. A stager will suggest that buyers want to imagine that they are the first people to have ever used the bathroom... just like in a hotel room. 

Artwork is important in a bathroom, but stick with the theme of a spa and use something very tranquil. One larger print of a black and white beach scene or a message board is very popular right now.

Stand back and admire your work... You did it!