Aside from the obvious kerb appeal to draw potential buyers in, keeping a home up to date can make it more lucrative and help sell a property quicker. In light of this, new research has looked at the importance buyers place on having a modern bathroom as well as its key features and how much they’d pay extra.
The research by luxury bathroom specialists, Big Bathroom Shop, asked homeowners about the features and colours they look for when purchasing a house, as well as how often they update their bathrooms, revealing that some will pay over £29,000 extra for a home with a modern bathroom (5%).
Of the 1,003 homeowners polled, the most valued bathroom feature was a separate standing shower where nearly half (46%) said it is one of the features they look for when buying a new home.
Furthermore, combined shower baths were valued slightly more (24%) than a freestanding bath (23%), and 17% believe that having a wet room is a standout feature they look for.
More than a third (37%) state that tiled flooring is the second most valuable asset they look for in a bathroom with 21% saying that underfloor heating is also important, followed by a heated towel rail (36%).
When asked if they would pay more for a home with a modern bathroom, 80% said they would. Of those polled, 17% would pay between £10,000 - £19,999 more, and 8% would pay up to £40,000 more.
Men are more likely to, with 58% willing to spend up to £9,999 extra if the bathroom was updated when buying a new property compared to 52% of women.
White is the preferred colour to have in a bathroom, nearly half (49%) of homeowners said they would want it this colour. This is far ahead of the next most popular colour, light blue, which 16% would want in their new home and 9% want their next bathroom to be a shade of grey.
The trends that people wish for in a bathroom are constantly changing, but over a third (35%) want a rainfall shower, making it the most popular feature in the bathroom. When looking for a new home a quarter of Brits dream of having a minimalist style, whilst almost the same amount would like a double sink (24%); 15% want their fixtures and fittings to be brass whereas 12% want black ones.
Top 10 most desired bathroom trends that buyers in the UK would like:
Rainfall shower – 35%
Minimalist style – 25%
Double sink – 24%
Freestanding bath – 19%
Walk-in bathroom or wet room – 18%
Marble vanity top – 15%
Subway tiles – 15%
Brass fixtures and fittings – 15%
Plants – 14%
Black fixtures and fittings – 12%
John Lawless, content marketing manager for Big Bathroom Shop, commented: “You spend a lot of time in the bathroom, from brushing your teeth first thing in the morning to a shower in the evening, so it is vital that your bathroom is a room that makes you happy.
“It is clear from our research that there is a lot of confliction in what people want in their dream bathroom as they look to stay on trend, so it is no surprise that buyers are willing to pay more to get the features they desire, as this makes their lives both easier and happier in the long run.
“Furthermore, paying attention to some key details like tiling, heating and bath shape could really help to add value to your home when you come to sell it.”
