What else can I do to improve bathrooms?

My bathrooms have tile floors, walls (halfway) and shower. I put in new sinks and toilets.  What else can I do that doesn't cost a lot?

In the bathroom, it's all about giving the buyers an impression of luxury .. a place that the buyers can envision themselves relaxing at the end of the day!   You didn't mention the color of your walls.  It's important that they are painted a soft, relaxing color such as a beige, light green or warm white to coordinate with your tile floor and walls.  If your lighting fixture is outdated (like the Hollywood lights from the 70's) please... please... replace them with an updated style.  Once neutralized, the fun begins....  adding the luxury items in the bathroom.  You should have some luxurious towels (artfully displayed).  I always like to hang a neutral colored robe on the door to give the buyer the "spa-like" feeling.  I would also recommend adding some glass containers on the sink or near the tub area and fill them with little soaps or cotton balls or soaking beads.  Placing a silk orchard or small arrangement on the toilet softens the white, hardness of the toilet.  Candles are another item that exudes relaxation.   With just a small investment, your bathroom will look gorgeous!

I LOVE transforming bathrooms! You get a lot of “bang for your buck” with these simple, inexpensive rooms.

First, it looks like Deb Waters provided you with some great advice.

The most inexpensive changes include creating interest with various sizes of towels (they do not need to be expensive, just color coordinated, new and fresh), small basket or dish of soaps or candles, small vase with simple sticks and rocks. A little more costly but worth while would be to update the light fixture by looking at your local home improvement stores for clearance fixtures. Update the mirror! If possible, spring for two mid-size mirrors instead of one large unframed one or simply FRAME the one large mirror to coordinate with the rest of the room. Don’t forget to use the shower curtain (if you don’t have an enclosure) as a piece of art. Typically, it’s the largest thing in the room so make it color coordinating (not necessarily the SAME color) and texture rich. If you have a tub enclosure, put something of interest (shower or tub spa supplies?) in the tub/shower area. Oh yes, Deb is right, paint that room in soothing, spa like colors!

There is so much fun to have staging those bathrooms. Enjoy!

All the advice given so far is great! I wanted to elaborate on the framed mirrors. You might want to look at www.MirrorMate.com  This is something we offer our clients. It is a great solution for the standard builders mirrors most homes come with. It makes a dramatic difference.

Best of luck!

Smart move in updating your bathroom! Buyers love that!

Here are a few afters for you for simple inexpensive ideas on decor.  Best of luck on the sale of you home!

Wow.  Good information everyone.  Way to make the investment in your bathrooms Rory.  Let us know how it goes, please.

Hi,

I am an interior designer and contractor who does a lot of home staging.  I recommend rejuvenating the grout and the caulking in your bathrooms.  For the grout you can either remove the existing and re-grout or you can purchase special grout paint to freshen up the look.  Likewise remov and replace loose or stained caulk.  Both these tasks, while tedious will make a huge difference in the look of your bathrooms.

Kathy Tufts, Business of Design, VA

Agreed, nasty grout is definitly a deal breaker to a buyer.

Here is my Bathroom Checklist I give to my clients.

Bathroom Checklist

􀂉 Remove any wallpaper and paint the bathroom walls a soothing, neutral color. Avoid pastels and primary colors.

If possible, update the bathroom by:

􀂉  Adding new hardware and faucets

􀂉  Painting worn or dated cabinets

􀂉  Replacing dated countertops and light fixtures

􀂉 Replacing older light switch plates

􀂉  Replacing builder grade mirrors (MirrorMate is an option)

􀂉 Purchase a new soap dispenser that matches the new hardware.

􀂉 Purchase luxurious fluffy white towels for display purposes only.

􀂉 Purchase a new cotton shower curtain in a neutral, solid color. Replace the curtain rings and curtain rod if needed. Add a white cotton shower curtain liner.

􀂉 Open up the space by removing excess non-permanent furniture, items and equipment. The exception would be a nice vanity seat if one is present in the room.

􀂉 Remove and replace wall-to-wall carpet with appropriate flooring.

Before the Showing

􀂉 Clean, clean and then clean some more. Make sure everything sparkles from the baseboards to the light fixtures. Don’t forget to clean dusty light bulbs.

􀂉 Remove all daily necessities, including toothbrushes, from the countertops and store neatly in the cabinets.

􀂉 Put toilet lid DOWN, and put a new roll of white toilet paper on the holder.

􀂉 Wipe up any excess water from the shower, glass doors, sinks and bathtub. Remove used towels and bath mats.

􀂉 Use fresh, tall flowers in a clear vase, simple ferns and bamboo to invoke a spa-like feel. Add candles on the bathtub and a pretty jar of bath salts if space permits. Buyers want to envision themselves bathing in the bathtub.

􀂉 Turn on the lights.

A lot of great information in these posts!