The old adage of "bathrooms and kitchens sell homes" doesn't apply in every case. However, if you have a bathroom that is on the small side, you'll want to think about some changes that can make it look bigger to interested home buyers. Here are seven tricks of the trade to consider:

1. Light it up: Adding light to small rooms creates the impression of more space. To increase light in a small bathroom, consider adding recessed lights in the ceiling, wall sconces or if budget allows, a skylight.

2. Color wisely: Color makes a big difference in how spacious the bathroom feels. Choose colors wisely for the walls and flooring to avoid making the space feel smaller. For wall colors, choose soft neutrals (light beige or soft gray), light pastels or whites to create visual openness. Light colored flooring in a similar color continues the open feeling. If there isn't room in the budget to redo the flooring, a large bathroom rug that covers as much of the floor as possible will help.

3. Reflect on it: Mirrors reflect light and the soft room-brightening wall colors to enlarge the feeling of the bathroom. Swap out the mirror for a larger one (yet not overwhelming) to enhance the perception of more space.

4. Swap sinks: A bathroom with a vanity style sink and cabinet may be helpful for storage, but it takes up a lot of space. Switch out the vanity for a sleek pedestal sink, and move the storage to a nearby linen closet instead. A pedestal sink takes up less room and creates more space in the bathroom.

5. Bust clutter: Clutter can make even huge rooms feel smaller. Remove all clutter from surfaces (goodbye, decorative soaps from 1987!) and walls. Less items in the bathroom equals more space in the eye of buyers. Replace several smaller wall hangings with one large one and if you must, choose one modern and sleek decorative item.

6. Shelve it: Shelves bring the walls in and make a space feel smaller - especially in a small bathroom. Remove shelving, free-standing over-toilet organizers and anything else that sticks out from the wall that isn't absolutely necessary. Eliminating features that stick out from the wall visually pushes the walls out, making the space feel larger.

7. A better door: If the shower has a frosted glass door, switch out with a clear see-through door to visually extend the space out to the shower walls. If the bathroom has a shower/tub combo, consider removing the door completely and switching to a light, solid-colored curtain that is similar to the wall color and can be pulled open during showings to create a sense of space.

When selling your home, a small bathroom doesn't have to be a profit-killer. With these seven tricks of the trade, you'll be surprised just how much bigger your bathroom will appear to home buyers.