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How to stage a bathroom -- or just make yours look really nice

By Lucy Cohen Blatter  | January 23, 2015 - 12:59PM
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When you're looking to sell your apartment,  it's important to stage every room, of course, but it's a fact that kitchens and bathrooms are the rooms that often wow buyers most (or scare them off). 

The New York Times offers some tips for staging a bathroom for open houses, but some of them can also apply to anyone looking to jazz up their loo, whether they're looking to sell or not. Below, a few tips to keep in mind the next time you're throwing a party in your apartment, or just looking to give your bathroom a much-needed facelift:

  • When it comes to the ceilings or walls, repair and repaint any area that’s peeling to give it a clean, smooth surface. Otherwise buyers assume there's a leak (which  there  may very well not be).
  • Dirty, moldy grout between wall tiles should also be replaced.  Regrouting is a relatively inexpensive job, and it makes things look much cleaner.
  • Make sure light bulbs are all the same size and color. If they're frosted, go for all frosted; if they're clear, make sure they're all clear. 
  • Buy new matching towels and soaps  that are put out just for showings (or guests, as the case may be) and never used.
  • Remove all items from the floor, including plungers, mats and scales. You want to make small bathrooms look more spacious.  
  • Put away your shampoo bottles. A bathroom that looks lived in is simply not appealing.

Related:

Why redoing your retro-colored bathroom isn't always the best idea

Looking to increase your property value? It's all in the renovation

Which do buyers want more--a renovated kitchen or a renovated bathroom?

10 first-time renovation mistakes even New Yorkers make

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