We frequently remind you that bathrooms and kitchens sell houses. Making a dramatic statement in a bathroom can put the icing on your house-sale cake. Of course clean, fresh paint and new lighting can brighten up any bathroom. According to Sydney property stylists, simply adding a new vanity can give your boring old bathroom the zing that will capture the hearts of prospective buyers.

A new vanity can provide for the day to day necessities in a bathroom, but it can also provide needed storage. Even in a tiny powder room, today’s vanities fit the bill. Your local home improvement store offers a wide variety of vanities to grace any bathroom or powder room. “Yes,” you ask, “but who will install it?” Well, YOU of course.

Follow our step-by-step instructions and add star power to your bathroom for the cost of the vanity and a bit of your time this weekend.
You will need these tools: pliers, an adjustable crescent wrench, a screwdriver, utility knife, an empty bucket, a claw hammer, a stud finder, and a small pry bar.

Step 1 – Shut off the water. Under the sink where all those plumbing pipes are located, you’ll find two flexible water lines. Just turn the valves to the off position. Put a bucket under the lines and the P-trap (drain line) then unscrew and lay that part of your sink drain aside. Now turn the sink taps all the way on to relieve any pressure and let the water drain out.

Step 2 – Remove the benchtop. Using your utility knife, remove the caulking that holds the old vanity to the walls and floor. Make sure to remove all the caulking you can find there as if any remains, it can damage the walls as you attempt to extract the cabinet. If the mirror above the vanity touches the vanity, remove it as well. Lift the benchtop away from the old vanity carefully.

Step 3 – Remove the vanity cabinet. There are bolts holding the old vanity structure to the walls and the floor. Find and remove these bolts. If you happen to be a screwdriver newbie, remember to keep pressure on the screw and keep it in line with the angle of the screw.

Step 4 – Locate the wall studs. Chances are good that your old vanity was anchored to the wall studs, so you may not need to bring out the stud finder. If you do need to find the studs, turn your stud finder on, place it on the wall and slide it from side to side according to directions. Lights on the device will indicate the location of your wall studs. Mark the location of your wall studs above the height of the new vanity, so you’ll still be able to see them with the new vanity in place.

Step 5 – Position the new vanity. Bring the new cabinetry into place and be sure that it’s flush with the wall. Use your carpenter’s level to be sure the vanity is flush.

Tip: If your floor or the wall is not perfectly level, you may need to use a shim. Shims are small pieces of flat wood that can be placed under a low spot to make up the difference. For example, if your cabinet is flush with the wall at the back, but leans forward at the front, you’d install a shim or two to bring that front edge up until it is level and straight.

Step 6 – Install the tapware. You can use the old taps by backtracking the way you uninstalled it. Why not dress up the bathroom even more by installing a brand new tapware unit? Just follow the directions that come with the unit to make it look amazing.

Step 7 – Anchor the vanity to the wall by bolting the cabinet into place. Using tub and tile caulking run a bead around the top of the cabinet, to secure the vanity top to the cabinet.

Step 8 – Reconnect the plumbing using Teflon tape to help make the connections watertight. (You just wrap the pipe with the tape prior to putting the second section into place.)

Step 9 – Run a small bead of tub and tile caulking around the edges of the vanity top where it meets the wall. Use a wet finger to wipe the bead smoothly into place.

Step 10 – Stand back and admire your work!

Even a job that you might have considered to be above your pay grade can be accomplished in a few hours if you follow instructions carefully and take your time. Sydney property stylists tell us that changing the look of the bathroom vanity can increase the value of your home in a substantial way. It will be worth the effort.

If you don’t already have a Sydney property stylist to help you with preparing your home for sale, call Urban Chic Property Styling today. We’ve been assisting homeowners in the Sydney area for many years – we would love to help with your home sale.

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