How Much of an Impact Can an Inexpensive Bathroom Makeover Have?

One of the most important rooms of your house is the bathroom, both for obvious and less obvious reasons. Upgrading your bathroom with a total innovation can greatly increase your home value and improve your quality of living at the same time. If you have a rental property, it can help you attract more tenants and charge more rent.

The problem is that major bathroom renovations can be expensive and complicated to perform. But what about a more minor, less expensive bathroom makeover? How could that impact your property?

Why Are Bathroom Remodels So Beneficial?

Let’s start by exploring why bathroom remodels are so beneficial in the first place. The bathroom is a kind of sacred place to most homeowners and renters. It’s a place that we want to be clean, hygienic, and private, as well as relaxing. It’s also a place that we want to be impressive to our guests, and a place that helps us form first impressions when we view a property for the first time.

Because this area is so important, and because it can be worn down with time, it’s one of the most popular targets for renovation. Fully remodeling a bathroom can meaningfully increase the value of your home and the rent you can charge for a unit that contains it. It makes a better first impression, makes people feel more relaxed, and upgrades the overall look and feel of the property.

The Expense Issue

The problem with bathroom renovations is that they’re usually very expensive. Depending on the upgrades you want, you might need to totally demolish what’s already there and rebuild from scratch. If you want high-quality materials, you’ll need to pay extra for them. In total, a full bathroom remodel could cost you thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars.

However, bathroom remodels can also be minor and much more cost-efficient. For just a few thousand dollars, or maybe even a few hundred, you can work on upgrades like the following:

Toilet. You can get a new toilet for a few hundred dollars, and if you’re willing to learn the fundamentals, you may even be able to install it yourself. Toilets are generally reliable devices, but if yours is decades old, it might be time to replace it.
Shower/bath. You can make improvements to your shower or bath without necessarily tearing everything down. Even something simple, like a replacement showerhead, can make a big difference.
Vanity/sink. Replacing your vanity or sink can similarly improve the aesthetics of your bathroom and make people more comfortable when entering it. There are a wide range of options available, meaning there’s something for every budget.
Storage. You can also invest in new storage options, such as drawers and cupboards, depending on how much extra space you have in this room.
Mirrors. Mirrors are very inexpensive, and upgrading yours can make a big impact on how people view the bathroom.
Lighting. Better bathroom lighting is also imperative to a good bathroom experience, especially if you spend a lot of time getting ready in the morning. Swapping out light fixtures is easy and inexpensive, but can fundamentally change how people see your bathroom.

The Value

Ultimately, you’re looking at many different forms of impact:

First impressions. Arguably the best impact of your bathroom makeover is going to be how it changes first impressions when people visit your property for the first time. As a homeowner, even a minor bathroom refresh can help your guests feel more comfortable and at home in your environment. As a landlord, these measures can make tenants more impressed with your property and more willing to rent it.
Issue correction. This is also an opportunity to flag any standing issues with your bathroom and take care of them. For example, if your shower head has limited flow, this is your chance to replace it. If your toilet uses too much water when it flushes, you can get something more sustainable.
Psychology and daily living. Don’t underestimate the psychological impact a bathroom can have, especially if you use it frequently. Having brighter, more focused lighting and bigger, more spacious mirrors can give you a sense that you’re living in luxury, even if the bathroom itself hasn’t changed much otherwise.
Home value. There are many ways to increase home value, but upgrading a bathroom is one of the best options. If you can’t afford a total bathroom renovation, a relatively minor facelift is your next best option.

In short, even a relatively minor, inexpensive bathroom makeover can be beneficial for your house or rental unit. It won’t cost you much, but it may be able to return its value many times over.