It’s a well-known fact that bathrooms and kitchens offer some of the biggest opportunities to add value to your home or investment property. They are certainly the main focal points for potential buyers or tenants.
But if you had to choose between upgrading one or the other, which would you go for? The expert answer may surprise you.
Most people would say the kitchen but that’s not necessarily the case.
Expert Advice
When real estate commentator Michael Matusik discusses housing demographics, he often refers to upgraders. These are home owners aged from 45 to 59 years.
Why is this relevant to renovating your bathroom? Statistics prove that we are having children later in life, which means that many people in their late 40s or even well into their 50s, still have teenage children at home. With teenagers you want space, which has lead to a demand for houses with extra bedrooms and – you’ve guessed it – extra bathrooms.
So renovating – or adding an extra bathroom – can make your home very desirable in today’s property market.
It Pays To Shop Around
But bathrooms can be expensive – especially big ticket items like baths and showers. So it pays to shop around. By all means take your ideas from glossy magazines full of exquisite Italian tapware. And if your budget can cover it, absolutely go there!
But if you’re on a limited budget, clever planning and buying can still give you ‘the look’.
For example, buy a cheaper vanity by all means but choose better quality tapware. Kept clean and tidy, a plain vanity will look just fine. But install cheap tapware and it won’t be long before the ‘metal’ is peeling away or tarnishing – especially if you live along the coast.
Maybe you’ve always wanted a stylish freestanding bath? You still can, just shop around. And that means scouring websites like Gumtree, too. You might score a lovely old clawfoot bath which you can re-enamel.
Innovation Makes A Difference
There are a zillion clever products on the market these days to completely change the look of cupboards, benchtops, baths, tiles and more. And that’s a lot cheaper than ripping it all out and starting again!
A fresh new bathroom is so much more appealing to potential buyers than a tired, grubby, dated one. And if you’re clever, you can get that glossy magazine look for a fraction of the price.