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When it comes to adding value to your property, if you seek the advice of one of many real estate experts in the Washington DC area, the experts will all agree that to renovate or remodel the bathrooms found in many of the older DC neighbor hoods like Chevy Chase or Georgetown almost certainly guarantees a profitable return.

If you're considering making your home appealing to potential buyers, then one of the first places to start is in the bathroom. Today's busy lifestyles of the professionals working in the Washington DC market demand bathrooms that provide comfort and convenience. When it comes to bathroom design, it is important to try to understand what it is that most people really want? Would choosing a spacious whirlpool bath above a traditional bath be financially beneficial in the long haul? If you're planning on selling your home try to renovate or remodel the bathroom geared towards the type of individual or family that may wish to live in your neighborhood. Are most of the neighbors really active? Are they runners, do they have active children. Perhaps a sauna is in line if you're marketing towards the professional who regularly works a 60 hour work week. If your marketing towards a young family consider tile in the bathroom vs. hardwood floor for easy clean up. The bottom line is try to think like your prospects and market that way.

Wouldn't designing your bathroom be a much easier task if you were armed with a guideline of what tickled the fancy of potential homebuyers? If you're going to design your bathroom get it right the first time round to avoid flushing away hard-earned dollars.

Hello simplicity

From as far back as the 1960s much focus was placed on bold color in the bathroom. Patterned wall tiles of nautical creatures and over-the-top colors were the trend, along with plastic. Plastic bathroom decor was the craze, from bold orange, olive green, mustard yellow and chocolate brown colored toothbrush, soap and towel holders, to thick patterned plastic shower curtains that screamed colors of the boldest nature.

As the times moved on, the 1970s and early 1980s became a period when gold bathroom fixings and furnishing, such as taps, towel rails and toilet roll holders, were considered very stylish. These ostentatious gold trimmed features were all the rage, and bathroom decor was 'loud'. Added to this were those once delightful bathroom suites in colors avocado, coral pink, and chocolate brown. Bathroom color has changed dramatically over the past decade, and shades have become more neutral, sometimes with a hint of color that adds a complementary vigor to the overall scheme. Consider if your property is located in some of the older neighborhoods in the Washington DC area such as Adams Morgan, Chevy Chase, Shaw, Georgetown, Capital Hill or Kensington, Md. using period colors for paint choices. Most paint stores can tell you within reason what colors or shades of colors were available when your home was originally built.

Of the many hundreds of people who took part in recent bathroom survey, an overwhelming 82 per cent said they "hated" the once glorified avocado and coral pink bathroom suites, colors remnant of 1970s and 1980s, which are typically characterized as being dark and dull.

According to the survey, chrome bathroom taps were much preferred to gold especially in the older homes.

So, when designing and decorating your bathroom keep those dark colors at bay, consider white suites, and opt for chrome fixings and furnishings instead of flashy gold.

Shower power

When planning the design of your bathroom, one of the most important aspects to consider is placing a shower. Some bathrooms don't have adequate space to include a shower cubicle, so assess your options. You may wish to consider installing a shower over the bath if space is limited. This is very common in some of the older narrow town homes found in Georgetown DC.

The survey showed that 94 per cent of its participants believed that a shower in a bathroom was very important, and 81 per cent said they preferred a separate shower enclosure in a large bathroom. Almost 65 per cent said their ideal would be a power shower, while 27 per cent preferred mixer showers.

If you have chosen a shower over the bath, then think about placing a fixed glass screen instead of a shower curtain. It may cost a few extra dollars, but more than half of the survey's contributors preferred a fixed glass screen to a shower curtain. The addition of a glass enclosure does add a touch of modernity to older homes if that's the look your after.

Choosing your bath tub

Contrary to common belief, adding a whirlpool bath to increase property value doesn't always do the trick. So if you're contemplating selling your property, try to avoid purchasing a whirlpool bath in the hopes of gaining additional profit. This is not always the case though. If you're in an active neighborhood like Potomac, MD or Chevy Chase MD the addition of a Sauna or whirlpool may actually increase the value you add to your home. Adding a whirlpool or sauna to a bathroom in some of the narrow town homes you might find in Georgetown DC or Capital Hill could add expense that would out weigh the benefit.

The survey revealed that close to 53 per cent of its participants were not phased by them; while only a small 38 per cent of participants "loved" them. Surprisingly, 62 per cent said they had "no strong view" towards corner baths either, which means the traditional rectangular baths still hold clout against their spruced up counter parts.

Bathroom Flooring

Try to avoid the urge to place carpets on the bathroom floor, according to the survey it is not too favored. The survey showed that the preferred floor covering was tiles, with 75 per cent saying they "loved" a tiled bathroom floor. Popular vinyl flooring has not yet lost its place in the bathroom, with more than 61 per cent saying they didn't have any strong likes or dislikes towards it. The number of those that preferred hardwood flooring was low and most preferred by those that lived in a Historic Home and the bathroom already had hardwood floor.

When choosing your bathroom flooring, tiles is the favored option, but if the budget is tight, then vinyl flooring won't let you down and often gives the look of a tile floor...

Apart from the flooring, make sure your windows look appealing. When it comes to dressing your bathroom windows, steer clear of those bathroom nets and fabric curtains. The survey showed that 94 per cent said they favored blinds in the bathroom to curtains.

Keep it clean

If you are planning to put your home on the market, inspect your bathroom for those small generally unnoticed flaws, like mould on the silicone sealant around the bath, and even on your shower curtain if you have one. Potential homebuyers may notice these small faults, which could send then running!

For some interesting ideas and to see different bathrooms layouts take the time to make an appointment to visit our Kensington MD showroom, located 5 minutes from the Capital Beltway, or check our slide show out.