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I need to list my house for sale, and i need to update the main/full bathroom before i do.
It has a tub/shower insert in already, that was here when i bought the house in '95. Dont know what condition the tub etc. is underneath. I have a newer toilet, so i really just need a new insert and faucets, the old one removed, and a new sink/vanity, fan, lights, and flooring. Not doing tile. I want it nice and new but i dont have the money for 'upscale.'
My b/f will do the painting afterwards. I'm looking into Lowe's or Home Depot because of the availability of a payment plan. Does anyone have experience with either of these companies doing any home remodel? Or any ideas or suggestions? Again - i want it nice and done right for the house to show and sell, but i dont need it glamorous. I dont know what the seller would would as far as decor anyway. The other 1/2 bath is new.
(I was going to leave it be and let a buyer do what they wanted, but my Realtor told me best to do it ourselves first.)
Both Lowe's and HD use local contractors for their installations. They tend to not be the upper tier, but you get what you pay for. Why not figure out how much you're going to end up spending and offer it as an incentive to the buyer at closing? A lot of buyers want to remodel to their own tastes. If you go too low end, it could turn people off.
We have bought bath fixtures at Lowe's to refresh our bathroom, but have always gotten outside contractors to install, often through Angies list. Lowe's seemed to have better stuff than HD, but it was pretty close.
I agree with your realtor -- you don't have to spend a pile of $$ to make it perfect, but you want to avoid the fixer-upper look so you don't get low-balled..
Frankly I would put the pressure on the real estate agent. I don't mean this is in bad way, as I used to make my living as a full time real estate agent, just that I would really push them to show me data from recent sales that show the return from a "bathroom freshen-up" being a factor in your local market. I suspect that the agent will not be able to find hard evidence of such things really returning more than the cost UNLESS you are simply talking really awful / worn out tub surround.
Technically, if you are not relocating the plumbing to the vanity it is an easy enough DIY task to put in a replacement vanity and the big box stores have lots with countertop / sink / faucets all ready to go. Add a mirror / medicine cabinet from the same firm and you can probably do 75% of the "freshing" without anyone hired. If the flooring is really bad you might consider hiring a tile setter, but with materials that could be a costly option.
Things like trying to get an insert / tub surround might be done most cost effectively by a specialty type firm, but that can still stretch into the thousands of dollars and might reveal some unforesee areas that need to be repaired.
Unless there is a whole lot of evidence that homes in your area without such updates are just not selling at all it may be smarter to just factor this into your asking pricing instead of trying to use the "credit package" of the big box stores to finance this sort of thing...
We have well water here, and the surround is stained beyond help. It also makes creaking sounds, like the adhesive is cracked between the tub and surround floor. I think if buyers look in at at - it will be a total turn off. Nothing else in the bathroom is really that bad.
I'm definitely not going to do anything really low end. I want it to look nice.
It doesnt have a tile floor - no tile anywhere. The floor is one piece of vinyl.
While I wouldn't hesitate to buy the fixtures from HD or Lowes, I wouldn't have them do the work. I'd seek out my own contractors and cut out the middleman.
To be honest, I wouldn't bother with redoing the kitchen/bath if this is a hot market. Keep the money, because whomever buys the house will redo it anyway the want they want.
When we bought our house, the owners had remodeled both baths and the kitchen. Within 6 months of moving in, I completely remodeled one bathroom to our liking, and would like to do the second because their choice of tile color really doesn't appeal to us.
As for the kitchen, the newly tiled floor is now cracking. Can't even chase down a contractor because I have no idea who did it. Wish they just left it all as is and let me do it.
I agree with changing out the tub surround, from your description. The new owner will want to think they can take a bath/shower in a clean place the day they move in. There are cleaners you might try first, though. Zep has one, also LimeAway, --anything that has an ingredient that removes mineral build up.
You could also try hiring someone to reglaze the tub. It's probably cheaper than replacing it.
It's one of those plastic/vinyl surrounds, that covers the tub and the walls. Is that possible?
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