Your Easy Guide to Shower Renovations

A shower is more than just a place to bathe. It’s where we practice our American Idol auditions, think of amazing comebacks for imaginary arguments, and spend time relaxing and unwinding. So, if your shower space isn’t to your liking, you should consider renovating it into the zen zone you deserve. Ready to begin? Get your easy guide to shower renovations to bring out your creative spirit, ranging from fast and easy, all the way up to total transformations.

Winter is coming.  Are you selling your home soon? Read my post on preparing your home for a winter sale.

Cleaning and re-grouting

Sometimes, something as simple as a good, hard cleaning can brighten up a dull space. Is the grout in your shower impervious to bleach? Then it’s time to strip it and redo it. Nothing makes a shower look worse than grody grout.

Tiles, fixtures, and accessories

If your shower needs more than a scrub down, consider installing some new tiles, surfaces, and fixtures.

• Tiles – The right tiling can bring new life into your space. Go for something bright or patterned, depending on your personal style, for inside the shower as well as the floors. Head to your local hardware store for samples to bring back home.
• Surfaces – Move outside of the shower to the counter spaces and consider changing them to something better. Think about upgrading to granite, ceramic, stone, or marble. You’ll be surprised at how much a new vanity can change the atmosphere.
• Fixtures – Bad shower heads, faucets, or other fixtures can ruin the enjoyment of even the best shower spaces. Changing them up for something in your style will make the space not only look better, but work better as well. A new shower head is a game changer, especially if your current one is old and leaky. Treat yourself to something you’ll like, whether it’s an LED shower head, or one with a dozen pulse settings.

Revamp or add storage

There are two possible options for adding or renovating storage in your bathroom:

• Install cabinets – You can install new cabinets under the sink, or maybe at eye level, if the space permits it. There you can store towels, cleaning supplies, or cosmetics. If you’re revamping existing cabinets, you can give them a fresh coat of paint, or new drawers and doors for a fresh look.
• Easy and moveable storage – Want to skip the hassle of construction? Invest in some stand alone storage that you can move anywhere. You could also install a couple of shelves for a more open and airy vibe.

Utilize natural lighting

Natural light is the best light. If your shower is in the right place, consider installing a skylight, or a window with frosted glass. If that’s not possible, then make sure the fixtures and bulbs properly light the area, without overly yellow bulbs or dimness. 

Bath and shower: combine or separate

Sick of standing up? If you’ve got the room, turn your shower into a bath and shower combo. It’s great for kids, or for soaking after a long day. If you’re looking to resell your home, this could make the space more attractive to buyers. Versatile is a good thing!

Alternatively, if you want your bath and shower separate, that can also be a good thing. Maybe install some jets in the bathtub for extra relaxation?

Towel heater or heated floors

This one’s for people living in cold places, or those who have chronically cold feet. What’s worse than stepping out of a hot shower into the cold surrounding air onto an icy floor? Not much. Installing a heated towel rack will bring an extra level of comfort and coziness to your shower, as you can immediately wrap yourself in warmth. Heated flooring is obviously a much larger ordeal to install, but your toes will thank you.

Do you have other shower renovation ideas not mentioned in this post? Tell me about them in the comments!

I’m a licensed real estate agent in DC, MD, VA, and WV. Thinking of moving to any one of these places? I’m here to help! Contact me here to learn more about how I can help you buy or sell a home.