Real Estate Agent · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2016 · 214 posts · 154 votes
One question I'm often asked by sellers and fellow investors is, "should I rehab the bathroom". And while I'm not a lawyer, I'll give you the standard lawyer response: it depends.
As with most things related to an investment, you have to start with the goal in mind. Here are some questions I ask myself when making this type of decision.
Is this a rental or a flip? If its a flip, what do other bathrooms in the neighborhood look like? Look at the MLS and see what houses are for sale within a 1 mile radius. Are those homes refreshing bathrooms or remodeling them? Am I changing the configuration in any way? (Moving a toilet, installing a double-sink vanity, etc...) Do I have to tear it all out of can I use any of the existing fixtures?
One mistake I've made in the past is just calculating the cost of materials when considering a replacement (bathtub, vanity, etc..). It isn't just materials, its the labor to install the materials and its an ancillary repair you need to do. I once swapped out a vanity without realizing that the new vanity was slightly smaller than the one I took out, so the wall had to be patched around the entire thing. Don't forget labor costs when calculating your estimates!
I, personally, am obsessed with old house details and hate all the flips where people tear out original 1920s bathrooms and replace them with particle board vanities, builder grade fixtures, and cheap Home Depot tile. As a buyer, I'd almost always prefer the "touch up" or "just replace the plumbing with pex" treatment, especially if it's a pre-war home.
My renters (single guys) care way more about things like the height of the shower head and how loud the ceiling fan is than what anything looks like.
When I have decided not to renovate bathrooms, I did decide to repaint and replace the light fixtures, TP holder, towel bars, etc. Maybe the faucet as well. Small money and makes the place feel refreshed.
I'll add that I once tried to use an epoxy kit to paint shower tile that was a dated. They don't work. The finish looks terrible and the fumes are strong and last for days. It's a waste of money that could be used towards replacing the tile.
In my market, people don't really care about a modern bathroom (rather low rents).
I typically only touch-up bathrooms (paint, new fixtures or toilet if needed - and by needed I mean if the fixture or toilet is wasting water).
I've only ever had my handyman redo one bathroom and it was in dire need - it was just bad. The prior owner didn't keep it safe and the moment I had the money saved up we redid the flooring (turns out the floor was rotted and that was replaced), tub surround, fixtures, toilet, etc. And more recently we boarded the window to keep the pipes from freezing and added a vent to the outside (so it was up to code). Now the bathroom looks nice and the tenants are over the moon.
I always choose to "touch up". If it was my primary residence that I was planning on living in for a long time, then I would put the effort and money into a rehab. It's just a rehab comes with so many headaches and effort. I rather put my energy elsewhere like updating the yard etc. But some great points here. good stuff.
I, personally, am obsessed with old house details and hate all the flips where people tear out original 1920s bathrooms and replace them with particle board vanities, builder grade fixtures, and cheap Home Depot tile. As a buyer, I'd almost always prefer the "touch up" or "just replace the plumbing with pex" treatment, especially if it's a pre-war home.
My renters (single guys) care way more about things like the height of the shower head and how loud the ceiling fan is than what anything looks like.