Along with the kitchen, the bathroom is arguably the most important room in a house that is going up for sale. This is because bathrooms and kitchens are perceived by the buyer as being the most expensive and tiresome rooms to revamp or modernise.

A potential buyer is likely to forgive almost any other misgivings around the house as long as they do not have to deal with the effort, cost and inconvenience of ripping out a bathroom or kitchen as soon as they move in.

A large bathroom with all the trimmings is obviously ideal. A large free-standing bath and a separate shower unit with a wet room floor and huge shower head are of course extremely desirable. You can, however, make a big impression with a small bathroom with the most basic of suites as long as it is kept clean, bright and airy.

If you want to get the most out of your bathroom before you sell, the best place to start is with the scrubbing brush and bleach. Bathrooms get a lot of heavy use, especially with families, and so they can end up smelling damp and looking grimy if they are not kept meticulously clean and given a facelift every couple of years.

Do not worry that your bathroom looks nothing like those in the magazines with the marble floor, the sink that looks like a bowl resting on a wooden shelf and the cistern built into the wall, as long as you have the basics, some determination and a free weekend, you should be able to turn your bathroom into a place where a potential buyer can imagine themselves having a long relaxing soak as they recover from the stresses that come with moving in to a new place.

Tips and Hints for a desirable bathroom:

It must be spotlessly clean and shiny

Almost any bathroom can be transformed by a few of hours of hard scrubbing and cleaning. Any grime and limescale should be removed from around the taps and fittings, resealing may be necessary if the sealant has rotted. A new tube of sealant can be picked up from around £6 from any DIY store, and if applied carefully can make an incredible difference. Cleaning the grouting between tiles is another thing that will instantly make your bathroom look nicer. Also touching it up with a grout pen is relatively cheap, easy and very effective; again, grout pens are available for a few pounds at any good DIY store. Finally, polish any mirrors or fixtures and fittings to a high shine.

The bathroom suite

White bathroom suites generally look the best; you should look to replace a coloured bathroom suite if it looks tired. People tend not to realise how cheaply you can get a basic new bathroom suite for, they retail for as cheap as £200 at certain DIY stores and will almost certainly pay for itself in terms of the value it will add, especially if you are able to fit it yourself.

You may only need to replace the bath panel; these come in a few different styles, wood or plastic, and are in standard sizes, readily available for collection from most DIY stores.

Bathrooms with separate shower cubicles or wet rooms are very popular but a shower attachment on the bath is a good alternative, so get one installed if you have not done so already, younger buyers and families may well be put off otherwise.

Make sure if you do have a shower in your bath that you have a nice new shower curtain with a plain design, or better still, the more expensive option of installing a glass shower panel at the side of the bath can make a difference.

If you have a cast-iron bath that has seen better days it may well be worth getting the enamel replaced as opposed to replacing the bath for a cheaper alternative. Cast-iron baths are popular so have a look in the Yellow Pages and you will find a local firm who can do this for you.

The tiling

If your suite is in good condition consider replacing the tiling, especially if you have a coloured suite and you feel the old matching coloured tiles are making your bathroom look dated. In this case think about using a plain white tile which can simply be fixed on top of the old tile in many cases.

Heating

Standard radiators are simply not fashionable or aesthetically pleasing, so replacing your radiator with a smart chrome towel rail may well make a big impression on the potential buyers and you can pick them up for around £60.

Towels, toiletries and appearance

Investing in some nice white fluffy towels and bath mats will give your bathroom a glamorous feel and you will of course be taking the towels with you when you move so the money will not go to waste. Also, clear away any budget shampoo, near empty toothpaste tubes, battered toothbrushes and all other unappealing clutter, replacing them with fresh new stock and a few select top-of-the-range toiletries for display.

Before you have somebody over to view your property always make sure that your toilet is clean, the toilet seat is down and that there are no lingering smells.

Rip up the carpet!

Carpets do not work in bathrooms. They get damp, discoloured, smell, rot and generally look tatty. Either seal the gaps on the floorboards beneath the carpet and paint them, or replace it with cork or vinyl.

The quality of your bathroom can make a great deal of difference to the sort of offers your house will attract. It is definitely worth the effort as people will be willing to pay that extra couple of grand if they have not got to do the bathroom up. You cannot expect to get anywhere near the same price for your house as your next door neighbour did just last month if they had a new bathroom and yours is run down and in need of attention.