"Went around $7k myself, but I went heavy on aesthetics—custom tiles, ambient lighting, the works. Totally worth it for resale value, IMO..."
Interesting take! I'm currently in the middle of my first bathroom remodel and honestly, I've been wrestling with this exact dilemma. Initially, I was all about ROI and resale value—reading articles, checking trends, you name it. But once I actually started picking things out, I found myself drifting more towards personal taste and comfort.
I mean, sure, custom tiles and fancy lighting might boost resale value, but I've also heard from friends who've sold recently that buyers' tastes can be super unpredictable. One friend spent a fortune on a sleek modern look, only to have potential buyers comment that it felt "too cold" or "not homey enough." Another went all-in on a farmhouse aesthetic, and some buyers thought it was too trendy or specific.
So now I'm thinking... maybe it's better to strike a balance? I'm leaning towards upgrades that genuinely make me happy every day (heated floors—game changer!) while keeping things neutral enough that future buyers won't be turned off. Not sure if that's the smartest financial move, but at least I'll enjoy it while I'm here.
Curious if anyone else has had similar experiences or regrets going too far in either direction. Seems like there's no perfect formula for this stuff.
We did ours for about $4k, but we kept it pretty simple—neutral tiles, decent fixtures, nothing too trendy. Honestly, I've seen friends regret splurging on super specific styles because tastes change fast. Heated floors do sound tempting though... Did you DIY any of this or hire out? Labor costs were a killer for us, even with basic upgrades.
We spent around $6k on ours, but that's because we had some plumbing surprises (old houses, gotta love 'em...). Kept it pretty classic too—white subway tiles, simple fixtures. Totally agree about avoiding trendy stuff; I learned that lesson the hard way with a kitchen remodel years ago. Heated floors crossed my mind, but budget said nope. We did hire out most of it since neither of us is handy enough to trust ourselves with plumbing or tile work. Labor definitely ate up a big chunk, especially since older homes always seem to hide expensive secrets behind the walls. Still, worth it in the end for peace of mind.
"Labor definitely ate up a big chunk, especially since older homes always seem to hide expensive secrets behind the walls."
Yeah, older homes are full of surprises...been there myself. Our remodel ran us about $8k, but we did splurge a bit on heated floors (sorry your budget didn't allow it—they're amazing in winter!). We saved some cash by doing demo ourselves—honestly, tearing stuff out is pretty therapeutic after a stressful week. If anyone's considering DIY demo, just make sure you have a solid plan for debris removal; renting a dumpster ahead of time was a lifesaver for us.
Also, totally agree on keeping things classic. Trendy stuff looks great at first, but five years later you're stuck with something that screams "2018 Pinterest board." Learned that lesson from my sister's neon backsplash disaster...yikes.
We ended up around $6k, but honestly, does anyone ever really stick to budget? Demo was definitely therapeutic, but we underestimated how much dust gets literally everywhere...still finding it months later. Did you run into any plumbing nightmares behind the walls? We discovered some sketchy DIY fixes from previous owners—let's just say duct tape shouldn't be a plumbing solution. Classic style is def the way to go though; neutral tiles saved us from future regrets.
