Ways to Upgrade Your Bathroom

 When it comes to bathrooms, they are one of the most popular spaces to update in your home. A bathroom can be renovated within all budgets. They say renovating a bathroom is one of the most cost-effective ways to update your home. Here are some remodeling ideas for most any budget.

Maximize Natural Light

An open and bright space is always in style. Letting in the natural light will not only give you free lightning, it will also lower your electric bill. How do you do this in a bathroom without compromising privacy? A perfect way is to install a skylight or use tempered or stained glass in place of regular window panes.

Improve Bathroom Ventilation

Bathroom ventilation is very important as it will help reduce water vapor in the space. Proper ventilation will ensure the water goes away quickly after a hot shower. If water stays in the space for too long, it will cause water damage and mold issues. If your bathroom does not have one, install a bathroom exhaust fan. A bathroom exhaust fan will take care of excess moisture and import indoor air quality.

Swap Out Old Flooring

Depending on your budget great flooring for a bathroom can be marble in a high-end remodel or mosaic bathroom tiles in a more budget-friendly remodel. If you are redoing your floors, maybe add heated floors as a good way to stay warm on cold winter days. Be mindful that installing heated floors is not for DIY but should be installed by a professional.

Freshen Up Your Bathroom Walls

This is a simple yet dramatic way to give your bathroom a new look. A current way to create a striking look is by using geometric wall tiles, adding an oversized painted mural or using patterned wallpaper. Changing the bathroom wall color simply by repainting is another good option.

Incorporate Built-In Shelves

Including built-in storage in a bathroom is a no-brainer! Add things like a recessed medicine cabinet or built-in shower shelves. These will give a great option for storage in this small space.

Update Shower Walls & Floors

Tile has always been a popular choice for flooring and shower walls. To make a bathroom more modern, many are choosing to remove fiberglass shower enclosures. If you have a shower with a shower curtain, changing to a nice glass door is also a way to spruce up the space.

Include a Shower Bench

A custom built-in shower bench can give your walk-in shower an awesome focal point. This is a great way to make sure your bathroom has that luxury touch.

Put in Low-Flow Fixtures

These are a great way to make sure your bathroom is environmentally friendly. Installing a low-flow faucet, shower head, and toilet means you will use a lot less water than you would with traditional fixtures.

Repurpose a Dresser Into A Vanity

This is a good way to save money but looks like you spent a lot on a renovation. There are many DIY remodeling ideas online such as upcycling an old dresser to make a nice bathroom vanity. You can personalize the item with a certain color and your choice of hardware. For a bonus, create a double vanity for extra space.

All these tips are perfect to make your bathroom look and run efficiently. If you are worried about any effect it will have on the resale of your home, contact a local Realtor who can help you determine the best ways to create your dream bathroom.

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The Four Separate Parts of A Full Bath

The Four Separate Parts of A Full Bath 

 There are several types of bathrooms that can be found in a home which include full, half, and three-quarters. What do these dimensions refer to when it comes to a bathroom? Here is what the professionals say when it comes to how determining the size of a bathroom.

Bathroom Components

When it comes to a full bathroom, there are four main parts, which include a shower, a bathtub and a toilet. If all four of these components are not there, then it cannot be officially called a full bath. When it comes to the description of the size of a bathroom it is not the square footage but the components that are included in the bathroom. Each component is a utility found in the bathroom and if a utility is not included, you would then deduct one-quarter for each utility missing.

If a bathroom has just a sink and toilet it is considered a half bath because it only has two of the four components. A bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower is considered a three-quarter bath because it only has three of the four components. Also, think twice about upgrades vs utility when it comes to the count. A nice rain shower head will not boost the bathroom in the count.

Importance of a Tub

Remember the utility count is what constitutes the description. Some master bathrooms today only have a shower and not a tub so does this mean it is only a three-quarter bath? According to Ginny Ollis, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker, it will not especially be if there is a tub in another bathroom in the home. “Many homebuilders put only a shower in the master now,” she says.

Other Realtors tend to disagree. “There must be a tub in the house,” says Kathryn Bishop of Keller Williams Realty. ” I’ve seen buyers walk away because only showers are available. Where do you wash your kids?”

A Home’s Bathroom Count

“Bathroom count and bathroom size-full, three-quarters or half-are extremely important to all my buyers. More family quarrels occur when the bathroom accommodations don’t fit the family’s needs, and my buyers are very aware of that,” Bishop says.

Sharing a bathroom with someone else, especially teenagers is not the ideal situation. The number of bathrooms in a home is very important to most buyers. In fact, the number of bathrooms are almost as important as the number of bedrooms in a home.

Whether you are planning to remodel or planning to sell your home, the amount and size of your bathroom does matter. If you are in the market to purchase or sell a home, contact your local real estate agent who can help you with the process.

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Upscale Kitchens and Bathrooms Need Extraordinary Materials

 House of Rohl, specializes in exquisite handcrafted plumbing fixtures and materials for the bathroom and kitchen. Based out of California, the company is family-owned and operated and is the perfect company to refer to when creating a one-of-a-kind bathroom or kitchen. Here are some products to consider when designing a kitchen or bathroom.

Victoria + Albert Volcanic Limestone Baths and Sinks

Volcanic limestone is a beautiful material to use in a luxurious bathroom. The white rock is formed when immense heat and pressure from liquid magma transforms surrounding limestone.  This volcanic limestone is the primary material for Victoria + Albert bathtubs.

Each of these bathtubs is hand-finished and cast from one piece of stone. The bathtubs are chip and crack-resistant. The bathtub is naturally white but can be customized in any color in a gloss or matte finish.

Shaws Fireclay Sinks

A great option for a chef's kitchen is the Shaw fireclay sinks. Each sink is handcrafted by the Shaw family in England. The process of creating the piece has been passed down for over 100 years.

The sinks are created by pouring liquid clay into porous molds and then drying for 40 hours. Once dried they are then smoothed by hand and glazed. A specialty kiln is used to fire the sink for two days. The method is called slip casting and creates a sink with clean lines and natural shapes.

Perrin & Rowe Brass Taps and Fixtures

Another company that is located in England is Perrin & Rowe which specializes in water fixtures. There is no mass production each piece is handcrafted. They hand-forge brassware taps and sanitaryware from the best quality brass. Each piece is hand-molded and hand-polished and plated with a protective coating.

‘Brassware is also assembled by hand and each piece is individually water-tested,’ say the company founders. ‘Our casting plant in Wolverhampton is one of the last of its kind, carrying on a tradition that’s over a hundred years old. But what distinguishes us most is our high standard for performance and beauty. Because precision isn’t our method. It’s our mission.’

What you choose to use in your kitchen and bathrooms can make or break the design. An upscale bathroom and/or kitchen is a great selling factor when it comes to listing your home.

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Buyers’ Must-Haves When It Comes to Kitchen and Bath Features

The National Association of Home Builders' publication What Home Buyers Really Want, 2021 Edition, gave us the top features buyers want in a kitchen and a bathroom. In the kitchen, four out of every ten buyers feel that a double sink is essential and expressed they would probably not purchase a home without this feature. For bathrooms, most buyers said it was essential for a separate shower and tub in the primary bathroom.

The kitchen top 10 kitchen features that rated essential or desirable were a double sink (side-by-side) 81%, walk-in pantry 81%, table space for eating 78%, a central island 77%, drinking water filtration 76%, granite/natural stone countertops 73%, recessed lighting 69%, customized backsplash 69%, pull-out shelves 68% and a breakfast bar 64%.

Broken out by buyers who say it is essential and buyers who say a feature is desirable were surprising. For the top 10 features that were essential 42% of buyers said a double sink, 35% table space for eating, 34% chose a walk-in pantry, 32% said a central island, 32% drinking water filtration, 26% granite/natural stone countertops, 26% recessed lighting, 23% customized backsplash, 22% pull-out shelves and 19% breakfast bar.

Bathrooms are deemed very important to today's buyers, especially the primary bathroom. The top ten on the list for the home's primary bathroom were a linen closet 76%, both shower stall & tub 74%, double vanity 69%, private toilet compartment 67%, toilet, tub & sink-white 65%, granite vanity 65%, ceramic tile walls, multiple shower heads 59%, whirlpool tub 56% and body spray panel 56%.

Buyers who said that the bath shower stall & tub were essential ranked the highest at 36% while the linen closet ranked the highest in desirable at 49%. The lowest-ranked feature for both essential and desirable were dual toilets.

If you are in the market for a new home, now is the time to purchase one due to historically low interest rates. Remember to use a Realtor who can help you with the process from choosing a home to closing.

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Seven Improvements To Make in Your Bathroom Before Selling Your Home

Two of the most important rooms during the sale of your home that should be in tip-top condition are the kitchen and the bathrooms.

“Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes,” says Kris Lindahl, CEO and founder of Kris Lindahl Real Estate. “If a buyer sees a bathroom that still needs projects or upgrades, the home is going to be much less appealing to them.”

To get top dollar for your home, here are some bathroom improvements that are a must.

1. Go for double sinks

Realtors and other home professionals will tell you that a double vanity upgrade is a must on most home buyers' checklists. Even a small bathroom can fit two small sinks which are better than one sink in a home with limited bathrooms.

“Upgrading to double sinks is always appreciated by buyers,” Lindahl says.

2. Install new bathroom hardware and accessories

This small task can update a dated bathroom in minutes. This DIY project takes only a screwdriver and a couple of hours to instantly give your bathroom a new look. It is ideal to have your faucet, doorknobs and shower frame complement each other and not clash.

“Swapping out hardware like light fixtures, towel bars, cabinet pulls and sink fixtures can make an impact relatively affordably,” Lindahl says.

Another simple trick to update your bathroom's look is to frame the mirror above the vanity. This tip is inexpensive and adds value to the space.

3. Replace or paint your vanity

The vanity is an important piece found in a bathroom for both functional and designer purposes. Many pros describe a bathroom vanity as the centerpiece in any bathroom. When updated a vanity make sure to use high-quality stone such as quartz or granite. If a new vanity is out of your price range, then paint the cabinets of your current vanity a high-gloss white or pale gray.

“Luxe sophistication and clean lines: That’s the theme for bathrooms in every price point,” Susan Kelleher, an associate broker at R New York. “I love the mirrored medicine cabinets from Restoration Hardware—functional, beautiful, and tres chic.”

4. Update old floors

A perfect way to add appeal to rooms is to update the floor. Carpet in your bathroom is not the desired look. This can be a DIY or hire contractor project.

“Updating old floors to tile or luxury vinyl tile really adds appeal,” Lindahl says.

5. Install new light fixtures

Simple, sophisticated light fixtures are what every bathroom needs. Updating the lighting and fixtures are simple yet dramatic changes.

“Great lighting [and] high-end faucets and hardware appeal to buyers in every price point,” Kelleher says.

“Updating light and plumbing fixtures is a quick way to modernize an old bath.”

6. Add space and storage

“Buyers are looking for more space in new homes, and the bathroom is no exception,” Turner says. “Think about expanding the shower in the master bathroom to fit a bench or seat. It’s an important feature that can be utilized in a lot of different ways.”

During the pandemic, homeowners have been finding ways to make the most of the space. Expanding a bathroom to have storage space or room for necessities is important to the current homebuyer. In fact, some professionals go as far as to say it might be worth borrowing space from a neighboring room to expand your bathroom.

“Take the adjacent linen closet to make a larger bathroom,” Kelleher says. “Even a small closet can make a big difference, and you can create cabinet space under each sink for maximum storage.”

7. Make your bathroom bright and light

Buyers are attracted to clean neutral colors in a bathroom. Potential buyers desire a clean slate. A neutral base to work from will make your bathroom improvements stand out.

“Classic white never goes out of style in a bathroom,” Lindahl says. “Replacing an old, colorful tub with a white one is a good idea.”

It's amazing what these simple steps can do to update your old drabby bathroom. If you are in the market to sell your home now is the time to make those improvements.

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