Bath renovations that wow

If youre one of the millions of Americans who have hunkered down over the past few years, saving instead of spending, making do with what you have rather than going after what you really want, now may be the time to rethink that position especially if youre tired of living with an old bathroom.

After the economic catastrophe, says Stephen Melman, the director of economic services for the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C., a lot of remodeling was focused on repairs if theres a leak, fix it. That psychology has softened now, and people are starting to see what they actually need and going back to larger projects. Mortgage rates are staying low, Melman points out, and many people are refinancing not to get cash out of their homes but to lower their monthly payments. And with the extra money, some of them are sprucing up the place.

Bathrooms are a more manageable job than kitchens, says Sal Alfano, editorial director of Remodeling, a Washington, D.C.-based trade magazine for building professionals. But they have a big impact.

According to Remodelings Cost vs. Value Report for 2009-2010, a midrange bathroom renovation done in New England and priced at $17,018 can net you $11,677, or 69 percent of its cost, in added value to your home. An upscale project of $54,454 can give you a return of 62 percent of its cost.

So dont feel bad if you cant put up with cracked ceramic tiles or a rusty medicine cabinet for another minute. Its partly a rational decision to remodel and partly emotional, says Alfano. You can hold off on the rational stuff for awhile, but eventually the emotion takes over and you want to get it done.

So what will give you the best bang for your bathroom-reno buck? The experts to whom we spoke made two points again and again.

First, before remodeling an existing bath, consider adding a new one instead. In a 2006 analysis of HUD/Census Bureau American Housing Survey data, researcher Paul Emrath of the National Association of Home Builders figured that an extra half bath adds up to 12.5 percent to a homes value, and a second full bath as much as 20 percent. The greater the disparity between beds and baths, he says, the more there is to gain by adding another bath.

Though carving out another bathroom may seem impossible in an older home where space is at a premium, realtors agree that in a two-story house or condo its important to have, at minimum, one full bath on the bedroom floor and one half bath on the main living level. Otherwise its a huge negative, says Frank Celeste of Gibson Sothebys in Charlestown. I would suggest taking a closet for a half bath and throwing an armoire in the hallway. People use the lack of a half bath to negotiate the price down.

Second, if you do decide to remodel your existing bath, keep in mind that the room is increasingly being seen as an in-home spa, and luxury is the watchword. The bathroom is much more tied to ritual these days, says Robin Brenner, owner of Billie Brenner Ltd., which sells bathroom fixtures and fittings at the Boston Design Center. Its a place where you can relax for 10 minutes before running out to work, or unwind when you come home.

Replicating the spa experience at home takes space, of course, but if you have it or can steal some from a nearby closet or other spot there are several features that are increasingly seen as must-haves:

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Bath renovations that wow