Cookie McCullough - Northern Michigan Real Estate - Traverse City Real Estate

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THE BATH - ENJOY IT BEFORE YOU SELL IT!!

Record-Eagle, December 16, 2006 Cookie McCullough

Winter Home-Remodeling Time is Here and the Spring Selling Season is Almost Here!

Many homeowners decide that, in order to receive top dollar for their home, they will do some rejuvenating before putting their house on the market. Homeowners who complete midrange remodels can expect to make money from their project.

According to Remodeling Magazine, bathroom remodeling projects are returning more of a home owner’s investment than ever before. The amount of money Americans have spent on high-end bathroom remodeling has nearly tripled since 2003. Baby Boomers, who are more apt to stay in their homes during retirement, are helping to drive the high-end remodeling movement. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune to create a new look.

A bathroom is probably one of the easiest and most affordable rooms to remodel and provide a “wow” factor for buyers coming into your home. Just a face lift – not a complete remodel – can change the room’s look and change your personal feelings about the room.

Consider this – when you enter a 30 year-old home, would you like to see the original vanity, sink, faucets, shower door, mirrors and lighting? Or would you rather see fresh paint, upgraded hardware, modern vanities, and dual showerheads? How would you like to create the “new look” for less than $1,100. It can be done!

Looking over a few home improvement magazines and web sites will give you a grasp of how attainable this face lift can be. Much of what you are hoping for will come true if you think everything out completely and do your homework before you begin the project.

What you want to spend on the bath is up to you. You can upgrade your showerhead for as little as $10 for a low-grade energy saver model or as high as $4,000 for a multiple head shower tower.

Following is an example of a mid priced budget for a 100 square foot, run of the mill, bath. Obviously, you can push the budget up a lot higher but I’m suggesting a budget-conscious face lift with a “wow-factor”, not gutting the bathroom for a complete remodel.

· Lighting: ($50 - $125 +) Many choices

· Paint/Caulking: ($50 - $200)

· Faucet Hardware: ($10 - $120) Hundreds of models from which to choose - - polished brass, chrome, and nickel.

· Sinks: ($75 - $400) As fancy or simple as you want.

· Vanity: ($150 - $900) For every sink, there’s a vanity to match.

· Flooring: ($50 - $500) Consider ceramic tile, wood or even slate

Remodeling can be as low as a few hundred dollars or a couple thousand. Following are a few projects that are really (really) cheap, require a very minimal investment, and some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

· A deep cleaning: maybe all the room needs is a good cleaning. Sanitize, get down to the grit, and cut the grease in all the crevices.

· Use a commercial spray to kill the mildew.

· Remove old caulk and re-caulk the complete bath.

· Re-grout the floor and shower tiles.

On average, the return on a bathroom remodel is 102.2 percent of the cost - well worth the time, effort, and money put into the project. The investment is quite small when you consider the benefit.

Many homeowners wait until time to sell the house before they replace all the items in their home that have bothered them for years. They complete the long overdue projects – and then, enjoying their newly revamped house, make the comment - “Why didn’t we do this sooner?” Instead of remodeling to make the next homeowner happy with your home - - why not invest the time and money now so you can enjoy your new bathroom before you even consider selling the house.