Any type of renovation is a difficult task. However, the stakes seem to be higher in the bathroom, which must be both hyper-functional and calm, utilitarian and, ideally, a little bit luxury. From the mirror to the grout, there are a plethora of choices to be made, and the cost can be unexpected. What should you know before you start? Take our recommendation:
Don’t presume that your contractor and you are on the same page.
In How to Avoid Rookie Remodeling Mistakes, the mother-daughter partnership of Matriarchy Build states, “When you’re functioning as a general contractor—or even working with a general contractor,” “you have to spell out every component of the plan, and never assume everyone is up to speed.” “A contractor demoed the wrong bath for someone we know,” they add.
Consider renovations to be similar to surgery: to avoid getting the wrong knee replaced, make sure—then double-check—that the proper knee (or bathroom) is marked and agreed upon. If you are in the Sacramento area and are looking for a remodeling company to renovate your bathroom, click here for the top-rated bathroom remodeling company in Elk Grove.
How much does it cost to renovate a bathroom? More than you might believe.
Do you think you can remodel your bathroom from top to bottom for a few thousand dollars? We hate to break it to you, but according to Tony Tiling Dublin, the average cost of a bathroom remodel in 2016 was €11,364. A low-cost renovation with fewer materials or lesser changes could cost between €1,500 and €5,000, while a top-of-the-line, top-to-toe refurbishment could cost up to €23,000.
The majority of this expense is related to fixtures and plumbing (approximately 29%), followed by counters and surfaces (21%), labour (20%), and cabinetry and hardware (10%), according to the NKBA (16 percent).
Keep in mind that your bathroom renovation should not exceed 5% to 10% of the worth of your home.
You might want to reconsider that bold bath.
A magnificent freestanding bath may urge you to enhance your bathroom. However, it may not be the most practical option in the long run, especially if you’re small, dislike cleaning, live in an old shaky house, enjoy long baths, or take more showers than baths.
Planning is required for flattering lighting.
Don’t think that installing a few lights would suffice: because bathrooms are often small, gloomy, and loaded with mirrors (complicating how light bounces around), lighting takes careful consideration and placement. A single diffused light in the centre of the ceiling is the easiest way to illuminate a bath. Do you already have a light-filled bathroom? A set of two wall sconces should suffice. Consider ceiling-mounted downlights. Install near to the wall over a vanity to maximise light when staring in the mirror, and avoid installing directly over light-colored counters (which will reflect the lights). Install vertical fluorescent light lights on either side of the mirror if you spend a lot of time applying cosmetics.
Don’t forget to provide outlets that are easily accessible.
You don’t want to come to the conclusion of a renovation only to realise you overlooked the outlets. Consider this scenario: you have to plug your hairdryer in from across the room, and you can’t see yourself in the mirror. Or perhaps you’d like to keep your electric toothbrush charged at all times but forgot to plug it in in the medicine cabinet. Or perhaps you and your partner share a bathroom but only have one outlet on one side of the vanity.
When it comes to tiles, there are only a few sorts to remember
You only need to recall a few essential kinds from the many stacks of tile samples the contractor will show you. Porcelain, glass, natural stone, cement, and, of course, subway tile (a form of ceramic tile so ubiquitous that it has its own category) are the sorts of tile that are particularly tough, long-wearing, and ageless in the bathroom—in shower stalls, on floors, and on walls. Once you’ve narrowed it down to these tried-and-true possibilities, choosing a colour and a form becomes a lot easier.
Your bathroom’s grout may make or break it
Grout may seem like an afterthought in the grand scheme of things: it’s little, and—as Meredith points out in Remodeling: How to Choose the Right Tile—easy it’s to overlook. Grout is an unattractive bathroom component. “It keeps dirt and water out, evens out slight discrepancies in size between tiles, and enhances the framework of an installation,” she explains.
How do you pick the best grout for your bathroom? Answer the following questions: Do you want the grout to contrast with the tile or blend in? Is the grout in a high-splash zone or somewhere relatively dry? (If it’ll be wet a lot, such in a shower cubicle, use synthetic grout; otherwise, use cementitious grout.) Will you be driven insane by unclean grout? (If so, stay away from white.)
Do you have a limited amount of space?
For that, there’s a small toilet.
If you have a small room, consider a petite toilet.
Alternatively, choose between a traditional or modern floor-standing toilet, a water-saving toilet, or a wall-mounted toilet.
Storage should not be an afterthought.
So much of making a relaxing and functional bathroom comes down to having enough storage. When putting up your ideas, look for storage opportunities—even little, simple ones—to make them feel incorporated rather than add-on. “I like to position a pair of tall, shallow cabinets disguised in a stud bay,” Reza explains. You don’t need a deep shelf to store a lot; a shallow shelf would suffice. “I prefer to incorporate a recess in the shower and towel bars to make it feel built in.”
You might not even need to renovate.
Perhaps you’ve just moved into a new home and despise the bathroom tile but lack the funds to change it entirely. Perhaps you rent and are unable to renovate (if you want your security deposit back, that is). The good news is that you may not need to deconstruct everything and start from scratch.
