Steamtherapy Blog | MrSteam

Will Your Home Steam Shower Add Resale Value?

Written by Hello MrSteam | Wed, Jun 21, 2017

Realtors and other home experts have told us for decades that the best investments you can make in your home, the ones where you can expect the greatest return, are renovations to the kitchen or bathroom. Today we’re going to discuss the significant value a steam shower can add to your bathroom – and why it is an ideal addition when you’re considering resale. By the end, you'll see why adding a steam shower to your remodel is a "must-have" rather than "nice-to-have."

Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Increases the Value of a Home

The average return on remodeling spans nationally from 65-75%.

Naturally, you can’t expect to recoup all of your expenses, so it usually makes the most sense to take on any large home remodeling project a few years before you want to sell the house. That way, you yourself will be able to enjoy it.

But knowing that generally both kitchen and bathroom renovations predictably net the high end of the average remodeling return may help you pull the trigger when you’re considering whether or not to take on the project.

How a Steam Shower Can Add Value to Your Home

After all, that steam shower will help you stand out in an often crowded market.

Home buyers are becoming increasingly savvy about the benefits in both relaxation and health that this luxury fixture can bring to their lives. Potential buyers, upon learning of a steam shower in the property, will instantly picture themselves arriving home at the end of a stressful day to find an oasis of calm within their new home.

And most realtors know how to extol the advantages of such a value-added benefit to their prospective clients. Not only will they tout what having a home spa can mean in terms of daily personal renewal, they’ll also cite the many ways it may promote health and wellness. Among the talking points any knowledgeable broker will speak to, include how a home steam shower may:

  • Help the body release toxins
  • Purify the skin
  • Promote restful sleep
  • Alleviate allergy and asthma symptoms
  • Aid aching muscles and joints

In addition, they should be able to speak to the fact that a steam shower is not an expensive luxury – that it will, in fact, use far less water than used to take a bath. If you take a 20-minute steam shower, you use a mere two gallons of water. This is a considerable savings when compared to the 40 to 100 gallons required to fill a soaking tub.

If your realtor needs to learn more about these tremendous selling points, definitely direct them to the For Professionals section of the MrSteam website – where they will find a storehouse of useful information!

Your Home Has a Steam Shower? "I Can't Wait to Try It!" Say Potential Buyers

But generally, realtors know how positive the responses can be when potential buyers learn that a home is equipped with a home steam shower. A 2014 New York Times article, “Is a Steam Shower Worth the Expense When It’s Time to Sell?” quotes associate broker Paul Weber, who says that most people tell him,

“This is so awesome. I can’t wait to try it.”

The article further speaks to the increased popularity of such home spa features, quoting Robert D. Henry, a New York architect, who says:

“At least 60 to 70 percent of the homes we’re designing now have home spas to some degree…People want to integrate these spa features into their own bathrooms.”

Of course, making the right choice of which steam shower to install, and working with a professional to do so, will pay dividends when it comes time to sell. Careful buyers will be duly impressed when they learn that you’ve selected the top-of-the-line brand – none other than MrSteam, of course.

They’ll also appreciate some of the extras that MrSteam’s Steamtherapy products can introduce into the shower. These include:

  • Music, which you can install using AudioWizard, and which adds to that wonderful sense of escaping far from the day’s cares
  • Mood lighting, such as ChromaSteam, helping you renew your energy level or soothe yourself into a state of calm
  • A towel warmer, extending the warmth and comfort of steam as you step out of the shower
  • Steam shower controls that help you start and stop the shower, while giving you the ability to tune your steam bathing to your personal preferences
  • AutoFlush, standard on all MrSteam products, which reduces calcium build up and provides clean steam every time.

Consider These Tips Before Your Steam Shower Installation

To make sure you don’t run into difficulties with your steam shower installation, consider MrSteam’s 15 Tips to Consider Before Installing a Home Steam Shower.

These tips, first published in 2013, are immensely helpful to ensure the work being done will provide you with years of great use – and will guarantee your prospective home buyer the same. You can read the entire blog post here, but we’ve summarized the major points below:

  • Insulate and enclose the shower space
  • Ensure that the maximum ceiling height is eight feet
  • Include sloped and built-in seating for bather comfort
  • Use fold-up seats to maximize space
  • Make sure the floor is slip-proof
  • Use vapor sealed lighting fixtures
  • Pay close attention to the material requirements before installation
  • Consider where the steam generator will be placed
  • Consider where the steam head will be located
  • Make sure the shower plumbing connections are performed by a qualified, licensed plumber and electrician
  • Know what voltage is required to power your steam generator
  • Use a UL listed steam generator only
  • Don’t place any heating, venting or air conditioning devices inside the steam room.
  • Double pane the steam shower windows.

 

Yes, Your Home Steam Shower Will Add Resale Value!

By following these fifteen tips, you can be certain that your steam shower installation will be done right, and that this portion of your eventual home inspection will pass with flying colors! Doing it right means that you personally can enjoy your steam shower now, while helping to guarantee that you’ll receive maximum value when you sell your home.

So if you’re considering the resale value of a steam shower, we hope you see the significant advantages to creating your own home spa with MrSteam.