Is investment in your bathroom money down the plug hole?

A survey of Home Sale Network members confirms that up and down the country the standard and the number of bathrooms in a property does make a difference to the value of a home.

But is it worth investing to improve this part of a property prior to putting it on the market?

A remarkable 95% of respondents identified that having a contemporary bathroom can add that elusive “wow” factor, as well as up to 7% to a property’s value. Features such as ambient lighting, contemporary fittings as well as his and hers washbasins are examples of the types of enhancements which can have maximum impact.

A property with the added benefit of a cloakroom/shower room in addition to the traditional family bathroom could add a further 7% to the value of a property according to over 90% of the survey’s respondents.

The impact of a 7% increase to a property sale price can be quite dramatic. For an average 3 bedroom property in Yorkshire & Humberside 7% could equate to an £11,200 increase, whilst in the Greater London area this figure could rise to an impressive £22,200.

Almost 85% of respondents said a resounding “no” to removing a bath and replacing it with a shower cubicle, proving that the majority of prospective purchasers still want to be able to take a long soak to relax or let the children enjoy traditional bath time fun.

When asked whether they would ever recommend converting a small 3rd or 4th bedroom into an extra bathroom/en-suite, approximately one third of respondents said they would consider making this recommendation, whilst two thirds said this was not a course of action they would wholeheartedly support.

David Pank, Director of Manning Stainton, commented: “The results of this survey demonstrate that contemporary bathrooms continue to be high on the list of desirable property features for prospective purchasers. Potential vendors should seriously consider investing a little time refreshing tired and dated bathrooms. A contemporary feel could pay dividends and may just take a property to the top of a potential purchaser’s wish list.”