Bathroom Design Mistakes That Are Killing The Resale Value Of Your Home

When you own your home, this can open the door to interior design elements that will make it feel like it's truly an individual, customized space. From floors, paint colors, and furniture to accent pieces and accessories, the design opportunities can feel endless. There are also practical considerations to make though, especially if you are planning to sell your home in the near future. Certain design elements may decrease your home's value or turn off prospective buyers during showings altogether. These include some of the design elements you might have in your bathrooms.

Potential bathroom design mistakes can occur at various stages of homeownership. For example, you might have outdated fixtures, cabinetry, or flooring in an older home. Other design elements are put in place by new owners as a way to show off their personal style. Additionally, some mistakes might be made during a remodel project. While the average bathroom remodel had a return on investment (ROI) of 60%in 2023 according to Today's Homeowner, there are several factors that can affect how much money you may possibly get back, so any profit is not guaranteed. Whether you're doing a full DIY bathroom remodel, or are looking to stage a bathroom for a house showing, it's important to know some of the most common design choices that can negatively impact your home's resale value.

Floor replacements are one way you can improve and update the appearance of your home while possibly increasing its value. In particular, homeowners prefer wood flooring overall, which also carries a high ROI on average. But before you get ready to replace the floors in your entire home, know that not all flooring materials are appropriate for bathrooms. 

For example, hardwood and laminate floors are prone to water damage. Carpeting is difficult to keep clean in these spaces too, and its fibers can quickly succumb to mold and mildew problems. Trendy tiling can also be a turnoff for some buyers who may not have the same personal style.

Whether you're looking to sell your home soon or at a later date in the future, you may retain its resale value by installing attractive, durable, and practical flooring in the bathrooms. Among one of the best selections are luxury vinyl flooring planks. This material looks like hardwood, but is more durable and waterproof. It also has a higher ROI compared with stone, porcelain, or ceramic tiles. 

Owning a home is one opportunity to show off your style and interests. Personal design opportunities can be utilized in almost any room, and some people also choose to create themed bathrooms. If you're getting ready to sell your home though, you may want to rethink bathrooms that might not appeal to the market at large. While jungle animals for children, or a relaxing nautical theme for adults can be enjoyable for your family now, such design choices may be too niche when you're looking to sell your home. 

When considering these downsides, it may be best to resist the temptation to create a theme out of your bathroom. To prepare your home for showings, you will also want to reconsider any trendy or bold designs you've previously put in place. Consider getting rid of shower curtains with animals, beach pictures, or cartoon designs, as well as any decals on the walls. 

If you do want to add a theme to your bathroom but aren't planning on staying in your home long-term, consider investing in items that are easy to store away during showings. Among these include themed towels, soap dispensers, rugs, and other accessories. As a rule of thumb, prospective buyers tend to prefer bathrooms with minimal decorations and personal items. 

A lack of storage space in a bathroom can be an instant turnoff for a prospective buyer. Not only can this make the space feel smaller than it truly is, but any stray bottles and toiletries you have on the counter during a showing can create a cluttered or even dirty atmosphere. What's more, buyers like to envision how they might fit their own belongings into a room, including a bathroom. Little storage options can in turn create little for buyers to envision for themselves. 

If you're currently lacking storage space in your bathroom, now's the time to fix it for the sake of both you and a future buyer. Adding spaces for potential storage will not only help keep you more organized, but the extra space will appeal to buyers, too. While upscale storage remodels with new cabinetry and drawers can cost upwards of $12,000, you don't necessarily need to spend this much to create more storage, especially in a smaller bathroom or powder room. Consider installing medicine cabinets on the wall, or adding decorative pull-out hampers in these spaces instead. Other bathroom storage ideas include adding stand-alone shelves, ladders, or vertical towers. These can all create more storage space as well as deliver a personal touch of design.

With most homeowner preferences trending towards walk-in showers, you may be tempted to remove a bathtub before selling a home. Such a remodel is not only expensive, but it may also ironically harm your home's resale value. It turns out that some people prefer taking baths over showers, and having a tub is also essential for families with young children or pets. Getting rid of a tub can also be detrimental if it's the only one available in your entire home. 

It's important to talk with a real estate professional before making any significant bathroom remodeling with the intention of increasing resale value. Chances are, they will likely recommend you keep at least one bathtub in your home, but possibly convert a tub into a shower in a main bedroom if you don't already have one. The only exception may be if you have a smaller home with a tight bathroom space. In such cases, a walk-in shower might be better suited. 

A house that lacks a walk-in shower can be a turnoff for buyers, especially in the main bathroom. Due to personal preferences, there will always be homeowners who prefer bathtubs or walk-in showers. There are also varying preferences within a family unit, as well as safety concerns associated with each based on age group. As such, just like eliminating a bathtub can be a turnoff to buyers who prefer tubs or those who have small children, getting rid of a walk-in shower can also be off-putting to older adults as well as those who prefer showers over tubs more generally.

To cover all your bases, it's a good idea to have both a bathtub and a walk-in shower in your home. If you don't yet have a walk-in shower, you might wonder whether you should add one before selling. The decision is highly individual based on your budget, location, and the advice of a real estate professional. Know that the average bathroom remodel can cost more than $10,000, and a professional remodeling project may get you a good ROI, but there is no guarantee. 

One of the easiest ways you can transform the look of any room in your home is with a new paint color. With that said, certain hues work best as accent colors in larger parts of your home, such as a living room. This is especially true of bright or dark colors. Such bold paint colors are typically not welcome in bathroom spaces because they can create an uninviting environment. Plus, a dark color can make an already-small bathroom appear even smaller, which can certainly be a turnoff to prospective buyers. 

The good news is this is one of the easiest bathroom design mistakes to fix, as you can paint over any erroneous colors that buyers could find unappealing. In general, lighter, calming paint colors are the most appealing to buyers, especially a light gray, white, or beige. These can also make small bathrooms look larger. On the flip side, you should avoid greens, reds, and yellows. Pink and turquoise are other hues to avoid if you're selling your home soon. If you can't escape your love of bright or dark colors, consider painting the walls of your bathroom a neutral shade but adding vibrant accessories instead. The latter can easily be removed before home showings if you're getting ready to put your house on the market.