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Staging the Bathroom

Techniques > Home Staging > Staging the Bathroom

The sense of the room | Staging the room | See also

The sense of the room

The bathroom is a very private room, although it may also be communal. In this room you expose yourself and place yourself in very vulnerable positions. It hence needs to feel safe and secure.

The bathroom is also a place of luxury, where you can relax in a warm bath or stand in the lush rain of a cleansing shower. Some people even like the solitude of the toilet where they can think or even read.

Staging the room 

Bathrooms are places where dirt is removed and the unwanted remains of food and drink are ejected. As natural waste can contain germs, nature has deliberately linked the smell to feelings of revulsion and disgust. This makes it absolutely critical that there are no such smells or signs of dirt visible.

Towels

Towels not only absorb moisture, they rub off dead skin cells, and hence can become rather smelly rather quickly. Ensure there are fresh towels, neatly arranged.

Do not have too many towels. The simplest option is to have one bath towel and one hand towel. Ensure these match one another and also go with the décor of the room.

Tiling

Clean all tiles. If any are cracked, either replace them or disguise the crack as best you can. Painting old wall tiles can make the bathroom look much fresher for minimum cost.

Give the grouting a good clean, as this can easily absorb dirt. Look for areas around the room of different shading that indicate staining, such as on the sink splashback, the shower and around the bath.

If you cannot remove the stains, cut back the grouting and replace with a fresh top layer. You can get various grout cleaning devices, from grinders that remove the top layer to bleaches and other cleaners. An alternative is to stain the grout a darker and matching shade.

Check seals around the edges of tiles for dirt. If you cannot clean this out, cut away and replace the sealing. You can get liquids that will clean away clingy silicone.

Bath

Clean the bath. Ensure there are no soapy marks and no 'high tide' water marks. If the bottom of the bath is scuffed, put a non-slip mat over this.

Look at the joints and silicone seals around the edges of the bath and clean or cut away and replace as necessary.

Toilet

Deodorize the toilet and give it a good scrub. For the visit, have the seat and cover down. Be ready for visitors to be caught short. If this happens, their trip to the little room should be pleasant and problem-free, so ensure there is plenty of paper and available soap and towel.

If there are unremovable stains in the toilet, consider replacing the whole unit. A grimy toilet can lose you the sale in one easy step. Replacement toilets are not that expensive, though it can be a bit of a hassle getting out the old one and fitting in the new one (but it can still be worth it).

Sink

For the visit, replace any bars of soap with a brand new bar on a clean holder. 

Clean any mirrors, which can easily get splashed with soap or toothpaste.

Cupboards

If the bathroom cupboards may be opened, ensure they are fully clean, neat and tidy inside. Clean around the outside, including the top (which may not be seen but could still contribute to smells).

And...

Put away personal items, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, shavers and assorted bottles and pills.

Put a few clean, representative samples of items on shelves, such as a bottle of shampoo. Hide the rest of the clutter that bathrooms tend to accumulate.

Put a vase of fresh flowers in the bathroom to brighten it up.

See also

Home Staging and Fragrance, Home Staging and Cleanliness