When you are looking online at photos of homes for sale, usually the first photos that pop up are of the living spaces followed by pictures of the kitchen and bedrooms. Bathrooms are usually given a less prominent spot in the line-up, but that does not mean they aren’t important. While it is easy to pay attention to staging living and bedroom areas, staging bathrooms is just as important, if not integral, in adding to the visual appeal of a home. But how do you make a bathroom look picture perfect? Read on for our insights on the steps you need to take to make sure your bathroom is staged to kill:
Clean, clean, clean
Cleaning your bathrooms from top to bottom will not only help them shine in their best light, but it will also help you see minor imperfections that need repair or fixing. Such flaws may have been hiding from your eyes but they will glare like a lighthouse beacon to prospective buyers. Cleaning thoroughly is the absolute first step you must take when you list a house and you will probably want to spend extra time cleaning the bathrooms. Here is our checklist for spots to be sure not to miss:
- Get into the corners with a cotton swab
- Scrub off soap scum from shower doors and walls
- Remove mildew
- Scrub toilet inside and outside
- Clean off counters
- Clean bathroom fans
- Replace fixtures that are overly scaly or out of date
- Replace light bulbs
- Clean out under the sinks
- If you have a linen closet, clean and organize
- Shine fixtures
- Polish mirrors
- Scrub fingerprints off of cabinets and doors and door jams
Touch up caulking and paint
Running fresh caulk around counters, sinks, bathtubs and windows can make a huge difference. New caulk is cleaner and will give a fresh line to your cabinetry. Check out this article for expert tips on caulking yourself, or call your favorite handy-person to do it for you.
Additionally, if there are dirty spots that cannot be cleaned, consider touching up your bathroom walls with matching paint. Of course, if you no longer have that can of matching paint, you might need to paint the whole room. Luckily, most bathrooms are small, and can easily be tackled in a weekend.
Accessorize
Adding a few shiny new accessories will help brighten up your bathrooms and make them look more updated even if you haven’t done a complete makeover. Coordinated accessories will catch people’s eyes and help your bathroom look its best.
- Towels
- New shower curtain
- Throw Rugs
- Sink containers
- Soap dishes/dispensers
- Toothbrush holders
- Nice Candle
Additionally, make sure that you have moved all of the extra bathroom supplies to a hidden location while your home is on the market. No one wants to see the extra large package of toilet paper just sitting in the middle of the floor or the family sized package of soap sitting on the counters. Keep the space tidy and clean!
Also, remember that during the listing period, you will want to empty your bathroom trash EVERYDAY and also wipe down toilets, sinks and counters daily.
In Conclusion…
Is your bathroom in need of an update but you don’t have the time or the budget? Check out these quick fixes for adding a bit more oomph:
- paint cabinets
- replace handles
- get new plumbing fixtures
- get new light fixtures
- install new towel bars
- re-caulk/regrout
- do everything from the list above: new shower curtain and other accessories
Don’t let your bathroom situation get in the way of selling your home. If you have any questions about how the state of your bathroom might affect a home’s sales price or if you need an extra set of eyes to make sure your bathroom is effectively staged to attract offers, call your F.C. Tucker Emge agent today and they will be delighted to help you.
