Problem: You need to sell your house, it doesn't look bad and you try to keep it up, but the one room in the house that has taken a beating is the bathroom. We put our bathrooms are a lot during the course of our lives, and inevitably it will start show after while, but we don't want buyers to see that. Now for a variety of reasons. You may not want to spend $5000-$25000 to remodel your bathroom right now, there are a few things you can do that will make a big difference and cost you very little money!

1. De-Clutter!
   I think most professional home stagers will agree that clutter is a home's number one enemy. So clear it all out, and I mean, all of it! It is a bathroom you're using regularly then sort through your things and only put back the ones you are actively using. Don't lie to me! I know you have things under your vanity you don't even remember buying.
   

   

   
   
2. Make the Walls Pretty
   The walls of your bathroom take a beating from moisture, hairspray, dirty hands, and toilet 'oopsies'. Go down to your local paint store (no not the big box stores) get 1 gallon of semi gloss paint and asked them what clear they would recommend and how to use it correctly. Then go home and scrub the ceiling and walls thoroughly, let dry for a day or so and then paint. This is a very inexpensive way to get things looking shiny again.
   Of course, if you're in the Lynnwood or Everett areas and don't feel like painting. I think you might be able to figure out who I would tell you to call!


3. Secure the Accesories
   I am going to till you honestly that those little wall anchors that they provide with your towel bars and toilet paper holders SUCK! I has very rarely seen those anchors hold up to the rigors of daily use in a bathroom. Do an inventory of your towel racks, toilet paper holders and so on and see if they are falling off the walls. You may have noticed this in step two, when I told you to paint. My best solution is to get the screw in type wall anchors and remount everything that is loose. Again, this is very inexpensive to do but keeps a bathroom looking like it has been maintained.


4. Clean the Exhaust Fan
   Look up! What is your bathroom fan telling you? Is the cover falling off? Is it full of dust and lint? Grab your trusty stepstool and your vacuum and get up there. Pull the cover off and vacuum out the insides. Getting the lint off the fan will make it work better and actually be quieter when people turn it on. Give the cover some attention and get a clean. You may never look up there, but you can bet that buyers walking through your home will see it.


5. Make it Smell Nice
   No one likes a stinky bathroom! Add a room deodorizer that eliminates odors, but isn't so strong as to be obnoxious. I prefer the industrial canister type, but use what you like, just don't blow people out the door with the scent of flowers!


6. Re-caulk EVERYTHING!
   In any home to people actually live in, you will find caulk that has failed is full of mildew. It is just a fact of life and it happens. Buyers however, hate to see black nasty caulking that is falling off the walls. Get yourself a tube or two of bathroom caulk and a roll of tape and get busy! First dig out all the old nasty stuff in the tub and shower. Once it is clean and dry, run a line of tape down each side of the joint. Apply a bead of caulk, smooth it flat with your finger, and immediately removed the tape. Simple isn't it!
   Again, if you're in the Lynnwood and Everett area and really don't enjoy playing with silicon bathroom caulk, give me a call! I'm starting to actually enjoy the taste of the stuff.


7. Clean and Polish the Tub, toilet and Shower
   Want a secret to make your bathroom really shine? The answer is car wax! If you want to make your porcelain fixtures gleam use a good quality car wax and a buffer. Please though, whatever you do, DO NOT WAX THE BOTTOM OF YOUR TUB! Hopefully you can see the wisdom in this. For your plastic and fiberglass showers look for a gel gloss, product instead to achieve the same look.

If you do all this, your bathroom will look substantially better and you won't be out much money. This isn't to say it's not a bit of work, but it is a great alternative to doing a bathroom remodel. Of course a bathroom remodel isn't a bad and if you really want I suppose you can give me a call!

Chris Cliff
DDIY Home Renewal - Serveing the greater Lynnwood and Everett Washington areas
Painting - Kitchen & Bath Remodeling - Storage Solutions
425-232-4811