At a Glance…..Bathroom Remodels

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune provided the following information on bathroom remodels:

More than 80 percent of new single-family homes have at least two bathrooms, which occupy an average of 300 square feet of floor space, or 12 percent of the total area, according to a study by the National Association of Home Builders. The home builder’s study reports a major return on value for extra bathrooms: “When the number of bathrooms is approximately equal to the number of bedrooms, an additional half-bath adds about 10 percent to the home’s value, and one additional bath adds about 19 percent.  A mid-range bathroom remodel, which costs $10,500 on average nationwide, repays a home buyer at least 100 percent of the outlay when the property is sold, the home buyer study concludes.

Source: Chicago Tribune, Mike McClintock (09/21/2009)

This article prompted me to think about the importance of the bathroom when buying or selling a home.  It has been my experience that home buyers are looking for a home with an adequate number of bathrooms for the number of people that will be living in the home.

What are some important features in a bathroom?

On the first floor near the entertaining area or main space of a house it is not always necessary to have a full bath.  The only time this is not true is when you have a bedroom on the first floor.  In this case you want to showcase that first floor bedroom as being a very convenient guest suite complete with access to a full bath.  That option will appeal to people who have family members that cannot climb stairs.  At a minimum having a shower if not a shower/tub combo is a plus.  It is also nice to have guests able to use a separate bathroom while entertaining rather than having them traipsing through your master bedroom to get to the master bath.  This is an issue my father is dealing with in the layout of his home.  His master bedroom is on the first floor and the master bath is the only bathroom on the first floor.  Due to the layout of his home there isn’t an easy area to add a half bath on the first floor.  To compensate for this negative he has added a half bath in the basement.  Of course, not all of us down here in the South have basements but if you are lucky enough to have found the coveted basement lot, adding a bathroom can be relatively simple for a licensed professional.

The recent trends in master bathrooms have been showcasing the jacuzzi or garden tub and the separate shower.  This has started to become a standard that buyers expect.  Brass fixtures are out and oil rubbed bronze or nickel fixtures are in.  Fixtures are an easy fix and update for an outdated bathroom.  Just taking down the “hollywood

bulbs” in your bathroom and buying the $29.99 light fixtures I’ve seen even at Costco can help update your bathroom.  Removing your large frameless “builder special” mirrors in your bathrooms and spending less than $100 (and sometimes less than $50) on a framed mirror can make a big difference.  As I write this I am picturing the frameless mirrors I currently have….so much to do.  Traci Zeller just informed me of another great option!  There is a company called MirrorMates where you can custom order frames for those frameless mirrors at very reasonable prices.  Check out Traci’s blog on the subject here.

Granite countertops are a beautiful upgrade and really sets your bathroom apart from your neighbors.  For those of us that live in production home neighborhoods (we are a large group) it is nice to have something that not EVERYONE else does.  I don’t know about you, but I am sick of walking into my neighbor’s house and seeing my home just decorated a little differently.  I’m currently working on a project with Traci Zeller Designs to alleviate this issue….a topic for a future blog post.

A jack and jill bath is an excellent option for those home owners that don’t have one bathroom per bedroom but provide a level of privacy for the occupants of those bedrooms.  We have a jack and jill bath in our home and it all serves as the separation between my twin girls’ bedrooms.  We place the baby monitor in there and are able to hear both of them during the nap time or during the night without having to purchase an extra monitor.  Some day the kids will appreciate it too.  We have two sinks in the bathroom so they won’t have to share.  The ONE mistake we made?  We put the vanity at “gentleman’s height” which means the cabinets are at a perfect height for adults or teenagers…..NOT toddlers or small children.  Another lesson learned for next time!

Soap Box Time….

Let me stress how important using a licensed and insured contractor:

1.  If the uninsured contractor injures himself while working on your home you could end up spending quite a lot of money.

2.  If the unlicensed/uninsured contractor does not do the job properly and something goes wrong with the job, you could end up spending quite a lot of money.

3.  If the unlicensed contractor does not pull the appropriate permits with the city/town/county, you could end up spending quite a lot of money trying to get it inspected after the fact in order to sell your home.

I’ve personally looked into the issues surrounding this one and it gets UGLY!  For example, you have someone build you a sunroom addition and it is not permitted.  Now, you decide to sell your home.  The Realtor comes to your home and measures the square footage and finds that the square footage she measured and the number in the tax record do not match.  Further research into the issue reveals an unpermitted addition.  Getting it permitted involves digging up around the foundation to expose the footer and foundation wall, tearing down the drywall to expose the insulation, plumbing, wiring, HVAC, and rough framing.  The story goes on and on.  Bottom line, pay a little bit more and get a licensed and insured professional who will be held accountable if they do not do something correctly.  General Contractors and other licensed professionals pay a lot of money and spend a lot of time on their education and credentials.  All of these things are worth it to you and your family.

If you are interested in doing a bathroom remodel or any other type of remodeling or construction work, please feel free to contact us for a free estimate!

kara@navmak.com