A renovated bathroom can do wonders for your home. Not only will it increase the value of your property, it will also improve your living experience for as long as you’re living in that house.
Bathroom renovations can be stressful if you’re not adequately prepared. Below is a very brief guide to help you find your way onto the path that is right for you.
Time and budget
As with any investment, the most important first step is deciding how much you’re willing to spend on the renovation. While it can be easy to instead dive straight into perusing look-books and settling on a style you prefer, address the budget first to avoid overspending.
No matter what the expenditure, I always decide on a final sum and do my best to make everything work within that number (and you’re right, it almost never works but it does curb my spending a great deal.)
Next an estimate regarding time is important. I always set time limits on my goals in following the S.M.A.R.T rule. Without an end date, we can be footloose and carefree if things should take longer than actually needed.
It’s important to keep in mind that no matter what room you’re renovating, there will always be surprises that makes things take longer than expected and cost more, no matter how much you pad the budget.
Try to identify all the specific areas you’ll be changing, then get a rough estimate of the time it will take to complete each item from your contractor.
Preparation and safety checks
Are you going to be doing the work yourself, or hiring professionals? If you’re doing the work yourself, be careful! Professionals may be able to identify potential problems early on that you may not. If your house is quite old, there could be several problems hiding away.
Weak materials being shifted from their place could result in water damage. See if someone within that particular industry (electrician, plumber, architect etc.) is willing to take an assessment of the room in question to spot dangerous areas. Have the contact details of an emergency plumber handy in case something goes wrong.
You should figure out in what order you’ll be carrying out the work but again, if you’re doing it yourself, at least consult a friend who is or is as close to a professional as possible. Completing things in the wrong order could ensure one stage is damaged during your work on another.
If this bathroom is your only bathroom, make sure you’ve made arrangements for the use of other facilities or be sure work to the shower, sink etc. will take no longer than 24 hours if they’re mainly cosmetic.
Style and function
Do you already have an idea of what you want to do? Most people move to modernizing their bathroom.
More powerful shower-heads, increased space, and definitely no carpeting. (Emphasis on no carpeting.) Check out some stunning bathroom designs for inspiration here.
The danger with trying to get too stylish is allowing the style to trump function. Style should in fact be dictated by function.
Is a beautiful medicine cabinet that great if you have to stand on your tiptoes to open it? What good is the grand overhead lighting if it prevents you from installing an extractor fan?
Whatever you do with your bathroom, you need to make sure it works for you.
What have been some of your learned lessons when creating a renovation at your home?
clojo9372
April 4, 2016These are great tips! Our family is planning to eventually rip up the tile floors in the bathroom and replace them with a more attractive non-skid tile. Our current non-skid tile in my opinion always looks dirty, even after scrubbing. It’s probably because it’s white, and white never looks pristine for long. I rather another color. It doesn’t mean the floor isn’t clean, but I won’t be afraid to walk on it and mess it up so soon after cleaning. LOL 😉
Linda Manns Linneman
April 21, 2016We have three bathrooms that we have to renovate. This information really has helped. Thank you for sharing
Stephanie
August 8, 2016Thanks for the tips.