When it comes to home staging, sellers often put a significant effort into rooms like the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. You can understand why — the decision of homebuyers often hinges on these rooms. Not to mention that the living room and bedroom spaces are usually flexible and require staging to show off their function and potential. However, don’t forget about your home’s bathrooms. While a bathroom’s function should speak for itself, how you present your bathrooms can undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on potential buyers. It’s why bathroom staging is crucial to the success of your home staging efforts.
Why Is Bathroom Staging Critical To Selling Your Home?
Although the bathroom space may not be at the top of your list of home staging priorities, it definitely should not be at the bottom and should still be a priority. Yes, a bathroom doesn’t need a whole lot of work as far as furnishing is concerned (most bathrooms already have toilets, bathtubs/showers, and sinks installed). But the following are a few reasons why your home’s bathrooms still require your attention when staging your house for sale in Denver:
The Bathroom Is One Of The Most Used Spaces In The Home
People often forget about the amount of time they spend in the bathroom. The more the room is used daily, the more important it is. Prospective buyers will pay attention to the bathrooms, especially the master bathroom, because they understand how important it will be to them on a day-to-day basis. You will need to showcase how the bathroom will meet all of the buyer’s needs. Spending time staging your bathroom will not go unnoticed.
Bathrooms Should Feel Comfortable And Private
Not only should the bathroom meet all functional requirements of the buyer, but it also needs to provide a comfortable and private environment. An utterly bare bathroom may still show off its function, but it won’t offer a sense of privacy and comfort.
A Dirty Bathroom Leaves A Poor Overall Impression
Staging isn’t limited to just furnishing and decorating. Cleaning is a critical part of the staging process — and this can’t be understated when it comes to bathroom staging. At the very least, the bathroom should be spotless. Buyers can’t unsee dirty bathrooms — even if they can easily be cleaned once the house is bought. A dirty bathroom is downright gross. It will leave a bad impression of the bathroom and hurt the overall image of your home.
1. Improve Bathroom Lighting
If the bathroom is outfitted with dead or dying bulbs or a problem with the electrical wiring, you will need to address these issues. On top of that, make sure that the bathroom is well lit. If the only light source is an overhead light, then that’s not enough. It would help if you had lighting over the mirror as well. Buyers will want to see themselves when they put on makeup, shave, or even wash their faces. Low lighting makes it difficult to do any of these things. You may need to install light fixtures over the bathroom mirror or flank the mirror with a pair of lights.
2. Update Bathroom Fixtures
An easy way to improve the bathroom’s visual appeal is by updating fixtures, such as the sink faucet, the bathtub faucet, or the showerhead. Older fixtures can look very dated. Buyers aren’t looking for old charm when they’re inspecting the bathrooms in your home. They want a bathroom that’s as up-to-date as possible as this helps reassure them that there’s less of a risk of something going wrong (such as leaks).
3. Make Repairs
Make all repairs that are needed, no matter how minor they appear. Even a cracked tile can leave a poor impression, especially in a smaller bathroom, where it will be even more noticeable. Repair any leaks, loose fixtures, and loose hardware as well. If the caulking in your tiles is on the older side and is starting to chip off (or is missing in places), you may need to replace it as well.
4. Organize The Bathroom
Organizing the bathroom is an essential step in cleaning it and will showcase to buyers how easy it is to manage the bathroom space and keep it so. An unorganized bathroom will indicate to buyers that the bathroom doesn’t have the necessary space to keep things neat and tidy. Follow these steps to organize your bathrooms:
Declutter Space
First, remove all clutter. Clutter includes personal items (such as toothbrushes and shaving devices) that may be lying out around the sink or covering the shelves. Keep surfaces clear to give them the appearance of being tidy. If you don’t put these bathroom items away, it will make your bathroom look like there’s no space to keep things organized.
Hide Unmentionables
Even though it’s not uncommon for people to have their unmentionables out in the open in their personal bathroom space, you should make sure they’re hidden from view if you’re going to be showing your bathroom. Nobody wants to see a stranger’s unmentionables in plain sight as this will make them uncomfortable.
Remove Personal Items
All personal items should be removed for the simple fact that you don’t want buyers to feel like they’re intruding on the personal space of a stranger.
Add Hooks
If there aren’t any hooks in the bathroom, then you should add them. Hooks on the back of the bathroom door or the wall are handy for organization and function. They provide another place to hang towels or to hang clothes, helping to keep the floor clear.
Add Trays To Organize Small Items
If the bathroom is smaller and you don’t have a lot of cabinet space, organize smaller items into trays. A tray helps keep smaller items from looking like clutter. You can then set these trays on your bathroom shelves or the counter without the risk of making the bathroom look messy.
5. Add Elements Typically Found In A Bathroom
You want the bathroom to look like it’s being used without it appearing dirty. Finding this balance isn’t too difficult to do; simply add elements that are commonly found in bathrooms, such as the following:
New White Towels
Every buyer will understand that towels go on the towel racks, so why do you need to add towels to showcase this? Because towels add a soft texture to the bathroom. Bathrooms are full of hard surfaces, such as porcelain. The velvety texture of bath towels and hand towels helps make the bathroom feel less harsh. It would help if you considered adding brand new white towels to help make the space feel as clean as possible.
Add A New Shower Curtain
Don’t leave the current shower curtain up if it’s been used. Shower curtains tend to get a little dirty even after just a few days of use. Putting up brand new shower curtains will say “fresh and clean.”
Add A New Bath Mat
Add a new bath mat to the floor in front of your tub or shower. Not only will the soft texture help with the interior design, but it also makes the bathroom feel more inviting.
6. Repaint The Bathroom Walls
There are two main reasons why you should consider repainting the walls in your bathroom. If it’s been a while since the walls have had a fresh coat of paint, then there may be some visible wear and tear. And if the color isn’t neutral, you might think about changing it to one. Bright yellow might suit your taste, but it may not be to the liking of some of the potential buyers that view your home. Neutral colors tend to be inoffensive to the personal tastes of most. Also, because most bathrooms are on the smaller side, a fresh coat of paint shouldn’t take that long to apply — or cost that much.
7. Introduce Some Color
Most bathrooms have a lot of white. The walls are usually white, the tub is often white, and the toilet and sink are typically white. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can make the bathroom feel a little boring. Sprucing up its interior design is a good idea, especially if you don’t have any tiles, which tend to be useful for adding a bit of color. You could consider replacing white tiles with another color, or you could add color in different ways. For instance, you could place a plant on the floor (if there’s room) or on a shelf. A colorful photograph on the wall can also add some visual interest.
8. Add Small Furniture In Bigger Bathroom Spaces
For smaller bathrooms, adding furniture is generally not possible. Most bathrooms won’t have enough square feet available to furnish. However, if you happen to have a large master bathroom, consider adding a chair or a small side table, which could be situated next to a tub. You could even place a propped up book on the table to show the buyer how they could read while taking a bath!
9. Introduce A Few Plants
As previously mentioned, a plant can help add some much-needed color to the bathroom. But it’s not the only reason to consider adding plants. Plants are said to have a positive effect on a person’s mental health and overall energy levels. Having a plant near you as you start and end your day can only be a good thing. And plants also contribute to creating a tranquil atmosphere, exactly what you want in a bathroom. Plants such as the Pothos or Staghorn Fern are good choices as they don’t need a substantial amount of light and thrive in humid conditions.
10. Hang A Picture On The Wall
Hanging a photograph or piece of art on your bathroom wall (as long as it will survive the humidity) helps add some character that will set your bathroom apart from others. Just make sure it’s not a family portrait — you don’t want buyers to feel like they’re exploring a stranger’s bathroom. Also, you should keep it simple. Don’t cover the walls in pictures. The walls should be kept mostly bare — especially if the bathroom is on the smaller side. Otherwise, it will feel cluttered and overwhelming.
11. Make Sure There Are No Foul Odors
Ensuring that your bathroom doesn’t smell bad is essential. If there are foul odors, it will make your bathroom feel dirty, even if you cleaned it from top to bottom. Buyers will automatically associate those smells with that bathroom and assume that it always smells like that, which isn’t a great selling point. Clean the bathroom thoroughly and air it out. Adding those previously mentioned plants can also help as they naturally filter air. Finally, lighting a scented candle before a showing could be a good idea as well.
Leave A Good Impression On Homebuyers In Denver By Staging Your Bathroom
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to stage the bathrooms in your home, especially if there are no repair needs and all fixtures are relatively new. Considering how much of an impact such a small space can have on a buyer’s impression of your house, it’s well worth the time and effort it takes to stage the bathrooms throughout your home. A knowledgeable real estate agent can help connect you with a professional home stager in Denver to help you stage your bathrooms.
