Does Your Bathroom Need an Overhaul?

It may be that you’re so used to looking at your bathroom that you never really see it. In fact, you might be missing the little clues that are telling you it’s time for a complete makeover. Of course, if your toilet didn’t work, you’d probably notice that, or if there was a large chunk missing from the floor tile or rust in the bathtub. But I’m willing to bet there are a lot of other details you’re missing that are signaling you that it’s time for an overhaul. Some of the things to look for are listed below:

1. Look for the small things that are starting to show symptoms of wear. Signs like flaky grout, yellowing fixtures, and wallpaper that’s coming loose around the edges are little items, but they are also indicative of bigger things yet to come. You should look for these little things, and then you will realize that your bathroom really could use some remodeling.

2. How outdated is your bathroom? Do you still have the original linoleum on the floor? Maybe you’ve got fixtures that date to the ‘70s, or colors that take you back to the same era. I hate to tell you, but no one’s used a color palette of golds, avocado greens, and oranges for the past forty years. If you’re still seeing these things in your bath, it’s time to get them out of there and bring your home into the new millenium.

3. When you decide to sell your home, you need to look around your house and decide what could use a little sprucing up before presenting the home to prospective buyers. The bathroom is one of the rooms that buyers scrutinize carefully, so take an objective look at yours. Is it a dark, dingy-looking little room? Then it will hinder your attempts to sell. If you spend a little on remodeling it, you may end up selling your house for more money than you’d anticipated.

Maybe you aren’t in a position to completely remodel your bathroom right now, but you can still take steps to improve it. An easy way to achieve a newer, fresher look is by changing some of the accessories in the room. If your bathroom is in need of major repairs, of course this method isn’t going to help, but if you basically need a new look to brighten up a tired, old space, accessories can be the way to go. Things to consider are new fixtures, color-coordinated towels, a bright shower curtain and matching window treatments, and a fluffy new rug. Take out the old accessories, clean the bathroom thoroughly, and then put in your new accessories, and you’ll be amazed at the "new" room you’re looking at.

For more extensive remodels, you might want to consider hiring a bathroom contractor. You will find them to be worth their weight in gold in supplying the plumbing know-how you’ll need. Not only will this contractor do the heavy labor parts of the job (have you ever lifted a porcelain bath tub?), but he’ll also be able to help you plan your new design by utilizing every bit of available space in the room. You’ll want to ask around before hiring a contractor, though, so that you can find one with a good reputation and lots of prior experience. This is not a job for a novice plumber.

There are a lot of good reasons for remodeling your bathroom, so if any one of them applies to you, it’s time for you to get busy. Whether you decide on a whole-bath remodel or just add some lovely new accessories, it’s going to make a world of difference, and you’ll end up with a bathroom that you won’t be ashamed to have company use.

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