Week 76: Let's Give Bathrooms a Blast
It's the middle of June and it's such a beautiful day. I didn't want to spoil it by writing more on finance....borrrring. The last three blogs were all to do with finance, so I figured we needed something refreshing. How about bathrooms? I have been contemplating this in the background whilst working on the loan applications. I have learned that in property you will have to multi-task which contrary to popular belief isn't great. You end up doing average on both tasks. For example: the finance applications I’m working on require focus and analysis whilst designing something requires creativity and lateral thinking. It’s tiring switching between these two hats but it's gotta be done. Like I've always said, property investing is simple but not easy....
For a small space bathroom really packs a punch and from what I can see it's a bit of a grey area as I'm getting mixed signals. I read some articles on renovations to identify which household upgrades add the most value to a house and although the bathroom was one of them, the increase was not substantial. If it's a three plus bedroom house then yes an addition of a bathroom will certainly help or if converting into an upper level then a bathroom in each floor would be beneficial also. However, spending large sums of money in updating a current bathroom with expensive decor is not going to add much pennies in your pocket. Hmmm; I'm confused I always envisaged good sized, good-looking family bathrooms to be a selling point. But, I think I get it, spend... but don't go OTT (over-the-top) as it's still an investment property and the bathroom has to suit the taste of a broad range of people. So maybe not the best time to trial out that megga laid back Caribbean or yellow submarine theme (just kidding).
Your choice of colour is so important as it is one of the most used rooms in the house and an area that's often used as a sanctuary or quick escape. Blue is calming and reminds me of the sea but there’s nothing unique about it as these have been done to death. The property in question is minutes away from the beach but still too common. A double whammy as my kitchen is also blue so I wanted to keep to a similar tone.Its not just about the main bathroom suite. The flooring, walls and storage can also add or subtract from the mood. For example: what type of flooring? Vinyl, tiles or laminates? (water-tight) of course. Then there's the surfaces; wall tiles, paint or wood paneling? The list is endless and a lot to factor in. Whilst tiles are the most luxurious it is the most labour intensive at £25 per square meter to lay or there-about.
What about half & half? Tiles behind the shower walls and a lick of paint elsewhere? Cheap and cheerful but not the high-end look I was going for if I want to sell the house at a premium. Storage; where does one keep the towels & toiletries? On show? In baskets or in wall mounted cabinets/shelving? In my quest for the great bathroom hunt I have only visited two merchants as I figured the more you see the more overwhelmed you get. For this reason I'm getting it all from under one roof as time is of essence plus more purchases (from the same store) could equate to a discount further down the line. Notice the integral word is ‘could’ in the previous sentence, you may get a discount please don't take my word for it. I would hate to disappoint. I’m just dipping my toes at the moment. Who would've thought bathrooms are this tedious and draining?....Guess it's time for me to have a soak & ponder...(bad joke). Next time more on bathrooms.
Happy shopping everyone.