Selling your home? Tackle this bathroom update first

Kitchen and bathroom design can make or break a home sale. Granted, they’re not the official reason buyers should refrain from selling a home. But that’s because the condition of those rooms can determine whether your home is even on the list of homes buyers might want to consider.

Because shoppers are fussy at times, it’s difficult to predict exactly what they want in a bathroom – for example, some want a deep bathtub while others want the bathtub removed entirely. So how can sellers determine which changes are most likely to appeal to the majority of buyers?

We discovered the # 1 bathroom update to tackle before selling your home: double your sink / vanity space.

In a recent report released by HomeLight, the vast majority of real estate agents rated a double vanity vanity as the best bathroom upgrade for 2021. We asked Annie Dreshfield of Homelight to share the popularity of this particular update and also offer some renovation tips for homeowners considering this project.

Advantages of a double sink

People don’t spend a lot of time at the vanity. Why is this feature so important for buyers?

It can improve / save relationships. If you live alone or have multiple bathrooms, you may not understand the charm of a double sink. But separating the room can help keep the peace in a household. “If one person is a real freak and the other person is not having ideal grooming habits, individual wards are ideal,” explains Dreshfield. And if both people get dressed at the same time, she says it can keep them from bumping into each other.

It can increase storage space. A double vanity probably won’t take up the existing floor space – unless you have one of those long vanities with the sink on one side. But for most people, double vanity will take a lot longer. And Dreshfield says this also adds more closet space in the bathroom. “This is especially important in older homes with no built-in wardrobes or large closets,” she says.

This can lead to greater efficiency. When two people share a vanity, all of their items are randomly stored underneath. However, not having to wade through other people’s products (often knocking over objects in the process) to find what you need can speed up your grooming process. And since you can open the closet and see what you have at a glance, it’s easy to tell when you run out of an item and need to reorder it.

Buyers think it’s cool. “A double sink wasn’t a selling point until the 1980s when homeowners viewed bathrooms as purely functional,” explains Dreshfield. Since they have changed their perception of bathrooms from simple to luxurious, they have also decided that it is worth looking into bathroom components to make them more attractive and comfortable. “A report by the National Association of Home Builders found that 71 percent of homebuyers consider a vanity with two sinks to be essential and desirable.”

What you need to know about a double sink update

Before you start remodeling your bathroom, there are a few factors to consider:

Room size

Scaling is important. Therefore, think about what the vanity unit with double sinks in your bathroom will look like. “If the vanity takes up more than a third of the space, your bathroom looks cramped,” says Dreshfield. And no matter how much you like a particular style, it warns against forcing it to adjust if you just don’t have enough space. Otherwise, your bathroom update could actually turn buyers off.

Opposite width

“A standard double sink can run anywhere from 60 to 72 inches (some are 84 inches long), and you need five to six feet of wall space to house the vanity,” says Dreshfield. You can also purchase a smaller 48-inch double sink. “While they save space, you don’t get the same level of efficiency and style with these smaller versions.”

KING

Your return on investment may depend on what you need to do to install a double vanity unit. “If you’re just replacing an existing vanity in the same room, this is a great project to upgrade your bathroom,” says Dreshfield. But if it takes a lot of work (and money) – like tearing down walls – she recommends putting your money on another project that could get a better return on your investment.

Agent input

Although the majority of brokers in the HomeLight report recommended a vanity unit with two sinks as a top bathroom update, keep in mind that preferences vary by region. For example, what is popular in the northeast region may not provide the same added value in the Pacific region. “I recommend consulting your agent to see if local buyers expect this feature in homes at your price,” says Dreshfield.

You might also like

Comments are closed.