The bathroom is an intimate space. It’s a space that more often than not will be a place that you and your family spend a lot of time in. Sure, those times may be briefer than other spaces inside a house, but it by no means suggest that it shouldn’t be comfortable and functional. Here are five tried and tested tips for making sure your bathroom remodeling project comes off without a hitch.
Tip #1: Know Your Cost Fundamentals
The prices for bathroom fixtures, fittings, furniture, and even the labor to remodel are constantly changing. It means then that at the start of every remodeling project, you should carefully go over all cost considerations. You can do this initially by yourself, but ultimately you should look to discuss these costs with your builder. Ideally you should start with your budget. Doing this helps you to seek out only those materials, fixtures, etc., that you can reasonably afford. Typically a basic bathroom remodel can run you anything from $3,000 to $15,000. At the other end of the spectrum is your high-end or deluxe remodeling project. These will range anywhere from $35,000 to $150,000 and above.
Tip #2: Know Your Measurements
Knowing the measurements that go into a standard bathroom can help you decide what goes where inside your bathroom. Let’s say you have your eyes on a really modern but large bath; knowing that your bathroom can accommodate only so many sizes of bath will enable you to plan your purchase wisely. Of course a builder can help you figure out all of this. But in the early stages of planning it helps to know what dimensions you are working with inside the bathroom. This tip is complementary to the next one on the list.
Tip #3: Know Your Functional Needs
This tip is relevant to people of all sizes, but it is especially important for taller people. Getting the functional height for bathroom fixtures like sinks is very important. This will ensure that the comfort and practical ease of use in the bathroom conforms very strictly to your needs. Of course not everyone inside a household will be of the same height; it means therefore, that catch-all functionality is very important. The children, up until they reach a certain height at least, will always need things like standing stools. But having a grasp of the varied needs of individual family members can help plan out a hassle-free remodeling project.
Tip #4: Avoid toilet embarrassment
This one is tricky, not least because the placement of the toilet in a bathroom can often leave little wiggle room. In those instances where placement is flexible, it is a good idea to make sure that the toilet is the not in full view observed through the open door. Put another way: try not to let the toilet be the first thing that you see when you open the bathroom door. This can cause considerable embarrassment, especially when entertaining guests.
Tip #5: Don’t Take Ventilation Short Cuts
Adequate ventilation is never at the top of most people’s list when it comes to bathroom remodeling. This is a shame; but more importantly, it is dangerous to take shortcuts on adequate ventilation. Ventilation is the means by which you extract the moisture from your bathroom; it more importantly helps to eliminate odors and minimize the risk of mold and mildew growth. When remodeling, care should be taken that existing ventilation is either maintained (if it’s adequate), or improved upon.
Effective bathroom remodeling brings into play a variety of skills and considerations. But at the heart of it all is knowing exactly what you are up against, as well as what your goals are. Once you piece together these essentials, the five tips above will dovetail wonderfully into your plans.