Designing For Resale
How to Enjoy a Renovation While Maximizing Resale Value
It usually crosses the mind of someone thinking about a home renovation: resale value. Will the investment be returned? Will it increase the value of the house, or make it harder to find a buyer? Consider the following tips before beginning.
When is the House Going on the Market?
If the answer to this question is, less than five years, than it is time to take resale value into account. If the answer is not for five to ten years, or, we’d like to keep our options open, than the design of the space should be geared toward the current homeowners.
Trends change, spaces get used and worn and a bathroom or kitchen remodeled ten years ago may still be in great shape, but begin to look dated. Or the beautiful polished marble flooring in the foyer may become stained and scratched.
How Much Use will the Space be Getting?
If the house is going on the market in two years, but a bathroom renovation needs to be undertaken now, consider how much use the space will receive over the next two years. The most important factor in considering resale is keeping everything in as good shape as possible. A potential buyer may not love the current color scheme, but if it’s clean, with no cracking grout, peeling caulk or heavy staining, they’ll be more willing to purchase, knowing that a potential remodel is years away, than feeling that they will be forced to redo the space upon moving in.
A heavily used space should contain products that hold up well. Consider porcelain flooring, stain resistant grouts and chrome faucets. A little used guest bath, or a master bath used by conscientious adults is the place to use marbles and other materials that need care.
Don’t try to get Inside the Head of the Next Homeowner
Style is a personal choice. While many people feel that neutrals are the way to go, not everyone likes beige. Some people would prefer something in white, or gray, or they may like modern, when the bathroom in question has been done in a transitional style that truly appeals to no one.
Keep in mind that making the bathroom or kitchen renovation as user friendly as possible will go a long way to maximizing the resale value of the home. Style will mean little; trends are over with quickly, and the next home owner has the option of renovating down the road if they choose, it’s making sure that they have that choice that matters.
That said, don’t give in to a whim for pink glass tile, or something else that would be truly off putting. Keep the design clean and simple to attract the most potential buyers.
Universal Design Matters
The one design element that truly influences potential buyers is universal design. This is designing a space so that anyone can use it. Keep vanities and toilets at comfort height, make sure that faucets and shower controls have lever handles, which are easier to use than cross handles. Install a grab bar if there is a deep tub to climb into and out of. If the shower is large, install a handshower to help keep it clean. The more user friendly the space is, the more potential buyers will be attracted to it.
Quick fixes, if a house is being sold soon are sometimes a good idea. Bathtub refinishing usually looks nice when completed, but stay away from tile refinishing; it seldom looks good. Try regrouting an area instead and replacing cracked or broken tiles. Clean the space well, and consider having the kitchen counter refinished if necessary. Above all, enjoy the space while using it; don’t sacrifice the enjoyment to be had in a home in worrying about what someone else will think.
A Recently Renovated Bathroom
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