Seven Ways to Give the Bathroom in Your Home an Inexpensive Facelift

Most buyers consider bathrooms to be one of the most important aspects of a home. If you’re thinking of selling any time soon, give your bathroom a facelift to increase its value and help your home sell faster.

Here are seven ways to fluff up your bathroom without breaking the bank:

1. Spring for a new toilet seat. Buy a well-known brand name, and spend the extra money for a quality seat material. Polypropylene—basically a hard plastic material—is a very good choice.
2. Remove old wallpaper. Rent a steamer or use the scrape method to remove old wallpaper. Paint the walls a neutral color.
3. Lighten it up. Install updated lighting fixtures to make the bathroom instantly brighter.
4. Refinish your bathtub. If your bathtub is still in good condition, it’ll only take you a few hours to refinish it. If it’s not in very good shape, you may want to have it professionally refinished. For a more complete overhaul, have a prefabricated tub and shower surround installed by a professional.
5. Clean the tile and grout. If you have tiles with white grout that are showing their age, spray the tiles with cleaner and scrub them down with a pad that won't scratch the surface. For the grout use a cleanser with bleach to return it to its original white color.
6. Install matching fixtures. By simply installing matching towel bars, toilet paper hangers, drawer pulls/knobs and hinges, you’ll create a unified, designer look.
7. Descale showerheads and faucets. When hot water evaporates, lime scale and mineral deposits accumulate because of high mineral levels in the water. These deposits are ugly and can reduce the water flow from your shower head by blocking the holes. To descale the shower head, soak it in white vinegar overnight. In the morning, scrub the shower head with a stiff brush to remove the deposits.

Liz Boucher is the Branch Manager of the Coldwell Banker Larchmont office which specializes in both residential and commercial real estate. Liz has been in real estate sales since 1998. She is an associate broker and has been managing the Coldwell Banker office since 2006. You can contact her at 914-834-7100 or at  liz.boucher@cbmoves.com