5 Must-know Bathroom Renovation Tips

Life’s like toilet paper, you’re either on a roll or taking shit from someone. Whatever the case, the bathroom is your world, make it a nice one – Plumber Wisdom

Renovating your bathroom is not only about increasing the value of your home, but it’s also about giving new life to one of the most important rooms in the house — one where you spend an important amount of time and where feeling comfortable is crucial.

We know facing a bathroom renovation project can seem daunting, and making everybody involved happy might become frustrating. That’s why before you start we want to give you these five Must-know Bathroom Renovation Tips that will save you time, money, and a bunch of headaches.

1. Seek inspiration

Before you start, narrowing down the choice of fittings to consider will help you gain focus and make better decisions. With respect to styles, your main options are generally period, classic (or traditional), or contemporary. Sure there are other styles, but these are the main categories. One of the best sources for style ideas are small boutique hotels because these hotels are experts at packing many great features into small spaces; their layouts and ideas are great to help you get inspired. So visit their websites or even drop by a couple in your area and pick up some tips.

Another source of inspiration is flipping through interior design magazines and websites. Tear out some sheets and screen-capture some ideas to create your own collage of inspiration that will lead to a more fleshed-out layout. Create a kind of “mood-board” to better communicate your vision. This process can be a fun one to share with your spouse and all those who will be using the bathroom.

Lastly, talk to friends and family who have undertaken similar projects to learn from their experience so you can avoid mistakes or problems and repeat triumphs.

2. Plan and Assess your needs

Once you’ve been inspired by the many sources mentioned above and you know what style of bathroom you want, make clear your specific needs. Everyone involved must be sure about the specifications and fittings that need to be included in the final product. These specifications might include a bath, separate shower, double basins, storage space, shower, toilet, etc. There is a difference between planning a family bathroom, a guest bathroom, or an en-suite bathroom.

Ask yourself what sort of space you want to achieve. Are you looking to build yourself and your spouse a sanctuary where you can escape and relax or a space that will invigorate and revitalize you? Is this a private bathroom or will it be shared? The answers to these questions will help you decide on fixtures, fittings, and even colour schemes.

3. Set a Budget

Experts suggest setting your bathroom renovation budget to about 5% of the value of your home if it’s a powder room or guest bath and 10% for your master bathroom. Although bathrooms are relatively small spaces compared to the rest of the house, they include many fixtures and fittings that might cause costs to spiral out of control. It’s better to be clear and firm about how much you want to spend from the start. This will help you make smarter decisions. Remember to include all costs, including tiling, plumbing, electric, waterproofing, specialty trades, labour, and leave a bit of room for unexpected problems.

4. Consider Everything

Any project that involves tearing down and building stuff requires consideration of more factors than you can imagine at first, so it’s a good practice to overthink a bit and try to consider everything before you start. When thinking about moving fixtures, remember that doing so will add to your costs so replacing might be better than moving. Also, it’s very important to plan for the future, bathroom requirements will change over time, especially if you have a family. Another very important aspect is ventilation, so make sure to include this in your planning stages to avoid dampness and wetness that can cause serious damage. Last but not least, include serious planning of the lighting and storage in your new bathroom.

5. Pros Know Best

Yes, doing a bathroom renovation yourself sounds like a fun and challenging project, and it might appear to be a great way to save on costs. However, contacting the pros and letting them do the work will most certainly save you money in the medium and long-term. They will make sure everything is properly installed and built, from the plumbing, lighting and hot water systems to fixtures, fittings, and even waterproofing, so you won’t have to worry in the future about unforeseen problems or issues. Professionals are also experts at managing project timing as renovating a bathroom requires that a specific sequence of work be performed.