Time for a bathroom that sells
We’ve decluttered and worked on the yard and garden. Now, especially since it won’t be disrupting as much home schooling and remote work as 2020 saw, households are doing more ambitious kitchen and bathroom remodeling, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA).
Drawn by rising home sale prices, homeowners are increasingly saying it’s a good time to sell, according to the monthly Fannie Mae Home Purchase Index.
For all those owners with both selling and bathroom remodeling ambitions, two recent surveys offer insights into what bathroom features entice buyers:
Pale blue translates into more green: When Zillow had 1,300 recent or prospective buyers view home photos, they were most likely to say they wanted to tour a home if the bathroom shown was painted a light blue. They also indicated they were willing to pay about 1.6 percent more for the home.
A tub is worth keeping: Although a well-appointed walk-in shower is trendy, 36 percent of consumers say it’s essential that any home they purchase has at least one tub, according to the National Association of Home Buyers’ (NAHB) annual What Home Buyers Really Want survey.
Preferably, the “primary” bathroom should hold the tub, the survey finds. Usually, the master bathroom is considered the primary, but in a small home, especially when the tub would be used only for bathing small children, “then it can be placed in any bath,” says
Shea Pumarejo, principal designer at Younique Designs in San Antonio.
Double up on sinks: Thirty-two percent of buyers prioritize double sinks in the master bathroom — or better yet all bathrooms. Despite the popularity, if the area is small, “I would caution against sacrificing counter space for two sinks,” Pumarejo says.
Closet ambitions come in third: A bathroom linen closet was a fairly standard feature of preWorld War II homes, says Pumarejo, and is still the third-rated “essential” for today’s buyers.
Consider a small corner cabinet or shelves for bathrooms that don’t have a closet, Pumarejo suggests. Even when a bathroom does have a built-in closet, she finds freestanding cabinets provide more airy space.