Bathroom Remodeling

Bathroom remodeling is a great idea, because it can easily increase the value of your home. Out of all the rooms in your home, the bathroom is one of the best places to make changes, if you hope to not only beautify your home, but also increase the value. If your home is even ten years old, the bathroom is probably showing its age. Simply updating the cabinets, replacing the shower with a tub, or moving things around to make a more functional configuration can end up making you money in the long run. Also, homeowners find that bathroom remodeling can instantly spruce up a home and make a home feel new and more welcoming.

If you go about bathroom remodeling in the right way, you can update the whole look without spending all that much money. Consider what changes you could make in your bathroom without breaking the bank. Bathroom vanities, bathtubs, showers, and flooring are elements of bathroom design that many homeowners are able to undertake on their own. Also, a homeowner can easily spruce up a bathroom with a couple coats of fresh paint and some beautiful border or stencil: bathroom remodeling doesn’t have to be expensive or extraordinary. Visit your local home improvement store and price some of the items that you find appealing; you may find that a lot of the elements of bathroom remodeling aren’t all that expensive.

Many homeowners believe that bathroom remodeling is out of their price range, because they look at the price tag associated with a professionally remodeled bathroom. If you are handy around the house, chances are you can do some of the work yourself and save a lot of cash. Essentially, you can make your bathroom remodel a do it yourself project that will bring you the biggest bang for your buck. In contrast, if you are feeling a little uncertain about your remodeling abilities, it may be a better idea to leave the bathroom remodeling to the professionals. Some bathroom remodeling may involve complex tasks like changing the plumbing or laying down bathroom tile. If the latter mentioned bathroom remodeling tasks are not completed properly, the homeowner can find that they end up with a significant problem on their hands.

The key to bathroom remodeling is creating a plan that you will follow. The first thing you should do is decide what you will be replacing, updating, or adding into the existing bathroom design. If you will be changing the layout of the bathroom, you will want to plan ahead of time to consult with a plumber, if you are not skilled in this area, to be sure that you have water where you need it and in a manner that will not damage the structure of the home. Many plumbers will come out to your home to help you develop a plan for a travel or service fee, but won’t charge anything until they complete work on your home.

When you are creating your plan, you will want to consider in what order you will complete various projects. Demolition should always occur first, meaning you will want to remove everything that is going to be removed at one time, if possible. This generally makes installing new items in the bathroom easier, and it makes cleanup a lot more straightforward.

After you have created your plan, you will want to make a list of all the things that you will need to complete the bathroom remodeling plan that you have created for yourself. For instance, if you will be replacing the bathtub, you should make a list of everything that you will need for that project including caulk, the tub, hardware for the water, shower doors if necessary, track for the doors, etc. You’ll want to make a complete list, so you can also keep track of the total cost of the bathroom remodeling project. Nothing is worse than getting halfway through a project and realizing that you do not have the money to complete it.

Once you have created your bathroom remodeling plan, it’s time to look over your budget very closely. Remember that you don’t necessarily need the best bathtub in the store or the best bathroom accessory that you can find. If you are willing to find something comparable that costs less, you will find that your money will go much further when it comes to bathroom remodeling.

If you look at your bathroom remodeling budget and you know that you do not have enough in the bank to cover the new bathroom design, this is when it’s time to really stop and think about how you should proceed. You can do one of two things: you can either do part of the project now, and when you have the sufficient funds, you can finish the other projects later, or you can wait until you have enough money in the bank to finish the whole project at one time. The choice is yours, but many homeowners have found that it’s easier to break the project into manageable chunks instead of getting in over their head all at once.

If you have made a list of all the items that you need and you believe that you have enough in the bank to cover the whole bathroom remodeling project, you will want to increase the amount of money needed by about one to five percent. Most remodels go over budget, just because there are things that we don’t think about. This overage in the bank will allow you to complete your bathroom comfortably without stressing about not having the funds available to you right away. This can be especially important if you will be updating the only bathroom in your home!

Many home owners don’t realize this, but bathroom vanities often set the tone for the bathroom. If you will be replacing the vanity in your bathroom remodeling project, you might want to start by shopping for bathroom vanities. When you go to your local home improvement store, you will soon realize that there are many options to choose from. You will need to consider the size of your bathroom and the style of the house, as well as your own personal tastes. When it comes to bathroom vanities, there truly is something for everyone! If you don’t find what you are looking for at one place, you can generally find it at another!

What you may not realize is that when you shop for bathroom vanities, you are generally shopping for just the cabinet part of the setup. Most of the time you will need to buy the counter or sink separately, so be sure to consider this when you are making your budget! You will generally shop for the vanity first, and then the sink or the counter top to fit atop of it. Every now and again, you may be able to find them together, but as a rule, this is not the case. Luckily, most of the bathroom remodeling or updating stuff such as bathroom vanities and sinks are kept together in home improvement type stores, so you will not have to wander all over the place to find the sinks or counter tops that match the vanities. In fact, you may just have fun putting the whole thing together.

As you may know, most homeowners inspect the bathrooms of a home quite closely before they buy it. In fact, between the bathroom and the kitchen, potential buyers usually make their decision as to whether they will buy a house based mostly on these two rooms. While you don’t need to make every decision in your bathroom design based on resale value, you should give it some consideration when remodeling your bathroom.

Something that you should consider when you are choosing your sink or counter top is what may add to the value of the home later on. If your bathroom remodeling project is taking place in the master bedroom, you will want to get two sinks in the bathroom, if possible. Most couples love the idea of two sinks in the master bedroom bathroom, because it will allow them to both get ready for the day at the same time. It doesn’t seem like a big deal to people who already have two sinks in the master bathroom, but for those that share a sink in the morning, it is a huge selling point!

When choosing sinks, you might want to stay away from the very themed or stylized sinks, if you can help it. Again, you don’t have to work your bathroom remodeling project around future value, but it’s not a bad idea to consider it in the process to save time and money later. Many homeowners love the shell-shaped sinks, but younger homeowners do not like these and why risk not being able to sell your house years down the road because you picked the wrong shaped sink? Keep it simple and clean looking if you want to increase value. Also, don’t skimp on hardware, faucets, etc., as these will really make the sink look great.

While a lot of bathroom remodeling projects can be done by the homeowner, it’s wise to get help when you need it. If you are in the middle of a project and just can’t seem to figure it out, don’t have too much pride to ask for help. Perhaps you have a friend that knows how to lay the tile or grout the new tub? Before you go asking for professional help, call some of your handy friends and see if they can’t lend a hand. You’d be surprised at how quickly friends will pitch in, and many may have these hidden talents that you didn’t know about previously.

If you don’t have any friends that can help, it’s time to call in a professional. Many times you can ask a professional, such as someone from a handyman service, to come in and basically give you a lesson, or you can watch what they do as they do it so you can finish the job. You might also want to check with your home improvement store, as they often have classes that you can attend to learn a skill in as little as one afternoon. These classes are usually very affordable, or even free, and you really cannot beat that.

In the end, if you cannot perform a task, you should seek professional help. This is especially true when it comes to plumbing and electricity, as these are not things to fool around with. Again, professional help will cost more, but that is why you budgeted an extra one to five percent, just in case something came up that you couldn’t handle on your own! In the long run, professional bathroom remodeling assistance actually saves a homeowner money: a professional can ensure that the bathroom remodeling is done correctly the first time, thereby saving the homeowner additional charges for labor in the future.

One thing to keep in mind when taking on bathroom remodeling is that you will want it to stand the test of time. You do not want your efforts to be outdated in a year or two, and this is why it is very important to choose bathroom vanities, sinks, fixtures, flooring, and even a bathtub that are attractive, yet simple in design. This doesn’t mean that you cannot pick the things that you like; it just means to keep things toned down a bit. Remember that terrible gold flooring that was in your bathroom when you moved in? You want to avoid doing that to yourself or other owners in the future when that type or color of flooring is no longer popular. The best thing to do is to keep things neutral, simple, and clean.

If you are undertaking a bathroom remodeling project in a house that you know you will live in forever, then you needn’t worry about this so much. If you want to create a bathroom that is all gold, all pink, or any of the colors that most homeowners cringe at, then go ahead! It’s not necessary to think about future resale value, but because most homeowners will only remodel their bathrooms once, it’s a consideration that most want to make. Usually, there is a happy medium where the homeowner can achieve a bathroom design that they love that will also be something that will improve the value of the home. This can be a difficult balance, and that is why you should not rush into bathroom remodeling, if at all possible. It’s generally a good idea to consider all your purchases before buying. When it comes to bathroom design, you generally do not want to make any impulse purchases as you may regret them later.

Bathroom remodeling is exciting in the beginning, because you can envision the final product. The problem that a lot of home owners have is that they lose their motivation when the project is only partially completed. You should do your very best to create a bathroom remodeling plan that includes a realistic timeline. This will help you keep moving and will also enable you to see progress as you work. If you get frustrated in the midst of things, don’t give up; perhaps ask a friend to come join you for some company and encouragement.

A great idea is to take pictures as you go and develop them right away. This will allow you to look at week by week or even day by day pictures of the process to see how far you have come. When you have this proof right in front of you, it may serve as motivation to continue working even when you are tired and really don’t feel like it! Keep as closely to the timeline as possible, even on those frustrating days, and when you are done, you’ll be so glad that you pushed through those aching joints and frustration to get the job done in a timely manner.

So, you’ve completed your bathroom and everything is in place. You are happy that you chose the bathroom vanities that you have, every bathroom accessory is in place, and you have brought all the tools back out to the garage. You may want to do one of two things: either you want to spend all your time in the bathroom, or you simply do not want to go in there at all! These are both common responses to bathroom remodeling and both are completely normal. Simply give yourself some time; you will no doubt be filled with pride in the days and weeks to come when you and your family can go in the bathroom and use it the way you had always hoped that you could.

You might see little things that you could have done better, and if they bother you that much, you can! For instance, if you believe the molding could have been painted better, why not redo it? These are little things that will allow you to really enjoy your bathroom remodeling finished product all the more and won’t take all that much time. The bottom line is that you went about this bathroom design project, so that you would enjoy the room more, and perhaps even add a bit of value to the home, too!