Like your home’s heating and the weather, we only think twice about a bathroom when something’s off. When you’re getting ready to stage your home for sale, the bathroom is a room that surprisingly gets overlooked. Make sure your bathroom is set to shine with these staging tips!
Thoroughly clean.
Bathrooms are hardly the focus point of a showing, but a gross and dirty bathroom is off-putting — enough so that a buyer might lose interest.
The first step to preparing your bathroom for staging is to deep clean. Scrub the tub and toilet, wipe down surfaces, sweep and mop, and take care of the mirror. Remember that any spot you miss will be an immediate eyesore and attention grabber — even if your bathroom isn’t the highlight of your home, it must look spotless.
Update your shower curtain, towels, and bathmats.
At the very least, if you’re going to put out clean towels and bathmats, make sure they’re clean and look great. Updating to some cute decor is an inexpensive way to improve the look of your bathroom. While things don’t have to exactly match, make sure that your colors and patterns complement each other.
Shower curtain looking a bit dingy? Use this as an opportunity to upgrade. A beautiful, pristine bathroom with a shower curtain that has seen better days is guaranteed to lessen the room’s look.
Focus on lighting.
Before staging for photographs or hosting an open house, make sure all lightbulbs are working. But even if they are functioning, consider changing them out — good lighting is the key to a good photo.
Since most bathrooms don’t have access to natural light, brighter bulbs or warm-light bulbs can showcase this room better. If you’re taking pictures of the bathroom yourself, consider moving a lamp just outside the bathroom to get better lighting.
Highlight the best features.
It’s OK if your bathroom doesn’t have a gorgeous clawfoot tub or rain shower head. But if there is a standout feature of your bathroom, now’s the time to show it off! Shine a light (and in some cases, literally) on those amazing aspects of your bathroom.
Declutter the space.
An extra mirror or piece of artwork on the wall can enhance your bathroom’s look. Pictures of your family, makeup and shaving kits left out on the counter, and dirty laundry on the floor will do the exact opposite.
Make sure you clear off everything before taking photos. A good rule of thumb, think of how you would want the bathroom to look if your in-laws were coming over (though we guess maybe in some instances, that advice might backfire).
Make any necessary fixes.
A leaky faucet, a toilet that regularly clogs — these aren’t things you want to deal with or have showing when it comes to showings and home inspections. Even if these minor issues won’t show up in staging photos, it’s better to take care of them sooner rather than later.
As one homebuyer recently said, “I went to a showing on a house that was kind of gross, but okay. Then I went into the bathroom. The toilet was filled with black sludge. I was horrified.” Needless to say, she passed on the house.
Don’t let this be the case for your home sale! As minor as a bathroom might seem, it’s an important detail of your home that truly can break (or even make) your potential to sell. If you want to sell fast, good staging is the place to start — but so is selling with RealtyHive. Work with us for a fast and easy time-limited event today!