Bathroom Trends 2026: Colours & Styles That Add Value
Published: 27 July 2026
First impressions matter, but in today’s property market, it’s often the second or third viewing that seals the deal - and that’s when bathrooms become a key part of selling a home. A well-designed bathroom signals to buyers that a property has been looked after, while a dated or poorly maintained one can raise doubts about the rest of the home.
According to our latest analysis, a modern and well-kept bathroom can add an average of £5,661 to a property’s listing price. Our study compared UK listing prices with final sold prices across 150 homes and across 15 major cities in the UK, analysing how colour, design and upkeep influence sale speed and final price.
The analysis reveals which bathroom trends are most likely to increase a home’s market appeal in 2026, and which may be holding it back - helping you choose the best style for your next bathroom renovation.
Key Findings:
1. A modern, well-maintained bathroom can add an average of £5,661 to a property’s listing price, showing that bathroom condition remains a key factor in buyer confidence and perceived home value.
2. Light pink bathrooms sell the fastest of any colour trend analysed, with homes spending just 3.8 months on the market on average and achieving an average price uplift of £6,751.
3. Sage green has the strongest price performance among bathroom colours, with homes achieving an average increase of £11,964 and selling in 4.4 months on average.
4. Terracotta ranks third overall for bathroom colours, balancing a relatively quick sale time of 4.5 months with an average price increase of £3,645.
5. Botanical-inspired bathrooms are the best-performing bathroom style overall, achieving the highest overall ranking, an average sale time of 4.7 months, and an average value uplift of £8,000.
6. Spa-style bathrooms sell the fastest by design style, averaging 4.4 months on the market while still delivering a strong average uplift of £3,876.
7. Industrial bathrooms rank third among bathroom styles, selling in 4.5 months and adding an average of £1,500, suggesting that more distinctive, trend-led looks can appeal strongly to the right buyer.
8. Overly neutral schemes may not always add value, with cream bathrooms recording an average price change of -£4,500, highlighting the importance of contrast and personality in bathroom design.
Light Pink, Sage Green and Terracotta top list as best bathroom colours for a quick house sale and price increase
| Rank | Bathroom colour | Avg. Time on Market (Months) | Avg. Price Change (+/-£) | Overall Rank (/10) |
| 1 | Light pink | 3.8 | £6,751 | 6.9 |
| 2 | Sage green | 4.4 | £11,964 | 6.6 |
| 3 | Terracotta | 4.5 | £3,645 | 5.4 |
| 4 | Cream | 4.2 | £-4,500 | 4.9 |
| 5 | Beige | 5.5 | £4,402 | 4.0 |
| 6 | Taupe | 5.7 | £4,399 | 3.8 |
| 7 | Navy | 5.4 | £1,069 | 3.8 |
| 8 | Sand | 6.2 | £3,292 | 3.0 |
| 9 | Warm white | 6.2 | £2,954 | 2.9 |
| 10 | Black | 6.1 | £1,165 | 2.8 |
1. Light Pink
Light pink is the standout performer in our 2026 bathroom analysis, with homes featuring this bathroom colour scheme selling in just 3.8 months on average, the fastest of any colour in the study, whilst also adding £6,751 (1.7%) to average house sale prices.
While unconventional, soft blush and rose tones add warmth and personality without overwhelming a space. Buyers appear drawn to its gentle, welcoming feel, which contrasts with stark, all-white bathrooms.
2. Sage Green
Homes with sage green bathrooms sold in an average of 4.4 months and achieved an average price uplift of £11,964 (2.6%) above asking price. This muted, earthy and contemporary design, offers a calming, spa-like quality that resonates strongly with modern buyers.
Its versatility is also a key reason for its popularity - sage green works equally well with natural wood, brass fixtures, or crisp white sanitaryware, making it a low-risk, high reward choice for sellers.
3. Terracotta
Terracotta bathrooms rank third, with homes selling in an average of 4.5 months and achieving a £3,645 price uplift.
This warm, earthy burnt orange tone brings a sense of comfort and Mediterranean warmth to a bathroom. It works particularly well with natural materials like wood, rattan, and stone, and pairs beautifully with brass or matte black fixtures. Terracotta feels grounded and welcoming without being as safe as beige or as dramatic as burgundy.
Julie Gokce, Senior Designer at More Bathrooms, comments:
"Sage green is the standout colour for 2026, and it makes perfect sense. It's calming, versatile and brings a touch of nature indoors. Buyers no longer want a bright, clinical bathroom, they want somewhere they can relax and unwind.
"Light pink was the real surprise. It sold faster than any other colour, just 3.8 months. That tells me that buyers are getting braver. A soft blush bathroom feels warm, welcoming and different from most other bathrooms on the market.
"Terracotta is having a moment. It sits right in that sweet spot between being warm, characterful, and just different enough to stand out. Homes with terracotta bathrooms sold in 4.5 months and added nearly £3,650 to the sale price. That's a solid performance for a colour people used to be scared of.”
Bonus tip: avoid going too neutral with your bathroom colour
Julie adds, “while neutral bathrooms are often seen as the safest choice, our analysis suggests that playing it too safe may not always pay off. Cream bathrooms recorded an average price decrease of -£4,500, despite selling in a relatively quick 4.2 months.
“This highlights the importance of adding warmth, contrast and personality to bathroom design. Rather than relying on plain neutral tones alone, homeowners should consider introducing greenery, plants, warm wood finishes and earthy textures to create more visual interest.
“These simple additions can help prevent a bathroom from feeling clinical, instead making the space feel more inviting, layered and appealing to buyers.”
Top bathroom styles to boost your house value in 2026
| Rank | Bathroom Feature | Avg. Time on Market (Months) | Avg. Price Change (+/- £) | Overall Rank (/10) |
| 1 | Botanical | 4.7 | £8,000 | 9.3 |
| 2 | Spa | 4.4 | £3,876 | 8.0 |
| 3 | Industrial | 4.5 | £1,500 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Contemporary | 5.6 | £4,415 | 6.7 |
| 5 | Modern | 6.8 | £7,125 | 6.5 |
| 6 | Classic | 4.1 | £-1,168 | 6.4 |
| 7 | Coastal | 6.1 | £5,016 | 6.4 |
| 8 | Vintage | 5.8 | £6,44 | 5.1 |
| 9 | Traditional | 5.1 | £-3,485 | 4.3 |
| 10 | Minimalist | 7.8 | £4,320 | 4.1 |
1. Botanical-Style Bathrooms
Bathrooms that offer a botanical feel represent the highest-performing style in our study, selling in an average of 4.2 months and achieving a price uplift of £8,450 (2.7%) above asking prices.
Botanical bathrooms typically feature key elements such as reclaimed wood, exposed stone, matte black or brass fixtures, and freestanding baths, which can offer warmth and character that mass-market bathrooms often lack.
2. Spa & Wellness
Homes that feature Spa-inspired bathrooms take a little longer to sell, 5 months, but saw a significant uptick in property price sales, seeing an average of £7,100 above asking prices.
Featuring rainfall showers, freestanding tubs and natural stone-based tones, they appeal to buyers seeking a calming and retreat-inspired feel at-home and in which bathrooms are viewed as a cornerstone feature of the property.
3. Industrial
Industrial styles rank as the third best bathroom style in More Bathroom’s 2026 report, seeing a quick sale turnaround time of 4.4 months, and a modest property sale uplift of £1500.
Featuring exposed pipework, brick and concrete-look tiles and matte fixtures., this raw utilitarian aesthetic resonates strongly with buyers in urban areas and period conversions.
A modern, well-maintained bathroom adds over £5,000 to a property’s value in 2026
| Rank | Bathroom Feature | Avg. Time on Market (Months) | Avg. Price Change (+/-£) |
| 1 | Modern and well-maintained | 5.5 | £5,661 |
| 2 | Relatively well-maintained with minor wear and tear | 6.1 | £930 |
| 3 | Outdated and/or poorly maintained | 6.8 | £2,515 |
Modern, well-maintained bathrooms spend the least on the market at just 5.5 months, whilst these homes also sell for £5,661 more than their original listing price. Buyers view a clean, functional bathroom as a sign that a property has been properly cared for, whereas a tired or damaged bathroom can raise immediate concerns about hidden issues like plumbing, damp or mould.
Interestingly, outdated or poorly maintained bathrooms financially outperformed those with only minor wear and tear - outdated bathrooms achieved a £2,515 uplift, a higher percentage increase than even modern bathrooms, although they took longer to sell at 6.8 months. By comparison, bathrooms with minor wear and tear, such as worn sealant, dated but functional tiles or slightly tired fixtures, performed worst, delivering just a £930 uplift, equal to 0.88%, and taking 6.1 months to sell.
Expert tips: 5 easy bathroom design tips that add value in 2026
Angela Evennett, Senior Designer at More Bathrooms comments,
“As this research shows, the ‘nearly fine’ bathroom often is the hardest one to sell. Buyers don't feel excited by it, but they also don’t feel compelled to rip it out. So they just hesitate, and hesitation almost always leads to a lower offer.
“With an obviously outdated bathroom, there’s no confusion. Buyers know they’re taking on a project, and they price it in from the start. Sometimes that honesty works in the seller’s favour, especially if the rest of the house has good bones.”
1. Regrout & Reseal For A Fresh Look
“Nothing dates a bathroom faster than discoloured grout or peeling sealant. A weekend of re-grouting and applying fresh silicone sealant around the bath and shower can make a tired bathroom look years younger. It costs very little but signals to buyers that the space has been cared for.”
2. Swap Out Hardware For Modern Finishes
“Sometimes the smallest details make the biggest difference. Replacing dated taps, towel rails, shower fittings and cabinet handles can instantly bring a bathroom up to date whilst avoiding the cost of a full refurb. In 2026, matte black and brushed brass finishes continue to give bathrooms that modern, boutique-hotel feel buyers love. Think of it as jewellery for the room, affordable, stylish and surprisingly transformative.”
3. Upgrade Your Towels And Bathroom Accessories
“Fresh towels, a matching soap dispenser, a simple tray and a new bath mat can make a bathroom feel instantly more styled and inviting. Stick to a calm, coordinated colour palette such as white, stone, sage or charcoal to create that hotel-style finish buyers respond to. It’s a small spend, but it helps the whole room feel cleaner, more considered and ready to move into.”
4. Add Plants And Natural Textures
“Today’s buyers are drawn to bathrooms that feel calm, fresh and spa-like. A fern on a shelf, a snake plant by the window, a wooden bath mat or a rattan storage basket can soften hard tiles and add warmth to the space. These small styling touches are inexpensive, but they help buyers imagine the bathroom as somewhere to relax rather than just another functional room.”
5. Replace Your Shower Screen Or Curtain
“An old plastic shower curtain or cloudy screen can make a bathroom feel tired, even if the rest of the room is in good condition. Replacing it with a clear glass screen or a quality fabric curtain in a linen or waffle texture is a simple update that instantly lifts the space. It is one of the first things buyers notice when they walk in, so making it look crisp, clean and modern is well worth it.”
Methodology:
Using Zoopla, More Bathrooms analysed a random sample of UK properties to establish how quickly they took to sell from their initial listing. From this, we established whether the property selling time was influenced by the quality, colour, and style of the bathroom.
We also included their price data to see whether there were any price decreases/increases from the initial listing.
For a fair sample, we analysed 10 homes from the 15 most populous cities (spread across the UK). While these may vary in price depending on the city, we will only analyse three-bedroom properties with one bathroom to have a fair standard (so we know that some homes aren't being sold faster than others because more bedrooms are in more demand, etc.). Three is the most popular number of bedrooms for homes in the UK.
To calculate the overall score, we first determined the average selling time and price increase for each colour, style, and condition. We then ranked the items within their respective groups based on how quickly they sold and how much their price increased compared to the overall listing price.
Sources:
> https://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/
> https://www.worldometers.info/population/largest-cities-in-uk/
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