Realtor.com
19 April 2016
Along with the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the top two rooms to remodel—because buyers appreciate the upgrades and so the return on the owner’s investment is generally quite good. But not all renovated bathrooms are created equal. HomeAdvisor—an online marketplace for home improvement services—recently looked at what types of bathroom upgrades were most in demand, and how much they cost.
Requests for bathroom remodeling services have shot up 64% in the past year on HomeAdvisor. So what’s motivating this flurry of refinements to the powder room? More often than not, it’s a move to replace run-down materials or upgrade outdated aesthetics, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute.
As for the cost, compared to a kitchen overhaul, new bathrooms are way more affordable. According to HomeAdvisor’s True Cost data—which analyze over 1 million reported costs from customers on over 300 types of projects—renovators will pay an average of $9,200 for a professional bathroom upgrade. That’s less than half the cost of a kitchen remodel at $19,907!
Plus there’s no reason to overhaul everything at once—for an à la carte approach, check out the cost on these six most popular bathroom remodeling projects:
- Reface cabinets: $6,676
- Install cabinets: $4,633
- Install a shower: $3,169
- Install flooring: $2,969
- Install a bathtub: $2,849
- Install a bathtub or shower liner: $2,522
While HomeAdvisor found that 83% of people pay for bathroom remodels out of their own pocket, 17% turned to financing—i.e., getting a line of credit on their house—to make improvements. We’re not saying refinancing to renovate is the right choice for everyone, but if you’re absolutely dying for a bidet with a heated seat, there’s hope for you yet.