The Bathroom Upgrade That Creates More Storage & Boosts Home Value

Bathrooms are hotbeds of essential small items that need dedicated spots to live. Bottles, brushes, and boxes of everyday necessities often wind up scattered across the counter, crammed into the corners of the bathtub enclosure, and shoved into the medicine cabinet. Clutter is the enemy of most homeowners, and if you're looking to sell, it can drop the value of your home by a significant amount. Remember, after kitchens, bathrooms are the most closely inspected rooms by homebuyers. Even when it's apparent that the mess is temporary, a potential buyer might think it's an indicator of a bigger problem. If you've tried every Ikea storage solution hack on the internet to little effect, a small change — like adding a shower niche to your bathroom — can solve the storage problem while boosting your home's worth.

A shower niche is a shelf or shelves built into the wall of the bath enclosure, similar to a cubbyhole. They're available prefabricated, or you can build your own, choosing from a wide variety of sizes to accommodate anything you use regularly in the shower. Niches are not limited to a single spot in the wall — if you're tall, you can place it higher up; if you prefer to take baths, it can be placed lower to keep things within arm's reach. Utilitarian doesn't mean ugly, either. A shower niche is a practical feature that adds a luxurious feel, adding a splash of personality to your bathroom through the use of contrasting or complementary tile colors and patterns.

A well-made, built-in shower niche looks like it was part of the original bathroom construction, giving potential homebuyers the perception that the house was thoughtfully designed. However, if you take on the project yourself, it's critical to make sure the niche is watertight, whether you build everything from scratch or choose a prefabricated option. If you have any doubts about whether you can pull this off, it's best to hire a professional who will guarantee their work. Keep in mind that once the niche is installed, you'll need to retile the surrounding area.

Prefabricated shelves that are permanently attached to the shower wall don't have the same sleek elegance of a shower niche because they're not built into the wall, but they are a more straightforward storage solution for a cluttered bathroom. That, in itself, adds value. If you're remodeling the whole shower, you could even add a bench or a simple step if there's enough room. It can make shaving your legs easier or provide back-up storage space, and it will further increase your property's value.

If you're considering a full bathroom renovation, there are a couple of other beneficial improvements that can also increase your home's value.  Big shower spaces with multiple shower heads, built-in storage, and classic handmade tiles that don't date the bathroom are guaranteed to impress. Go for a timeless, rather than trendy, design and use high-quality materials that will last for years.