The kitchen and the bathroom are 2 of the spaces in your home that can have a major impact. I have lived in 3 different houses. The first one was built in 1961. It was old, outdated, and in need of some fixes. One of those was the upstairs bathroom! I wish I still had photos to show you, but I don't feel like digging through boxes. Just trust me when I say that it was bad. The tub, toilet, and sink were all peach… PEACH!!! The wall tiles were peach and made of plastic. We would touch one and it would fall off the wall. :\
I could not live with it. We got the bathroom renovated. But, back then we were very young. I did not know a lot about renovating. We hired a company to do it but probably paid too much. And I am not convinced that everything was done as it should have been. Knowing what I know now, I would have had more of a hand in the planning and overseeing what was happening. But, the bathroom was still 150% better than it was before!
Now? We are in a brand new house. You would think that means no projects, but that is not the case. While we have 3 awesome, functioning bathrooms that could stay as they are and be perfectly fine, I want to spruce them up and add some character. And, when we finish the basement we would like to add another bathroom. With 7 people in the house, the more bathrooms the better!
Whether you choose to hire someone or take on the task yourself, renovating your bathroom should be enjoyable. And unless money is no object, you want to get what you want without going over budget. Consider some of these tips when you’re ready to do the work in the space.
Hire Someone
You may choose to hire a contractor to take care of all of the details and hire sub-contractors to do the work. But, that can be expensive. You may opt to be your own contractor and instead hire tradesmen to handle different tasks. Tradesmen are licensed, they guarantee the work and they often do it for a fraction of the price. So, compare local tradesmen and the work they offer when you’re ready to upgrade the space. And get referrals and first-hand reports of their finished projects.
Shop For Items Yourself
If you hire a tradesman, shop for supplies yourself. Buy paint, knobs, drawers, vanities and other items yourself. This ensures you only pay the price for the items and not a premium rate for the tradesmen who are going to go out and do the shopping for you. Compare prices before purchasing, and by all means, read the reviews!
Do Lots of Research
While some people may opt to hire a designer to choose items for the room, I prefer to do these things myself. I love home design, and I must say that I'm pretty good at it. When having our home built I'm sure that I drove my builder nuts having him change this and that. But, I wanted to make sure that I got what I wanted. We visited many a home improvement store, tile store, and home decor store choosing colors, tiles, and furniture pieces. Consider the decor, consider the styles, consider all colors. Remember, you will have to live with this new look for years to come. So, make sure you don’t give in and settle. Take your time to decide what look/finishes you want in the space.
DIY Some Things
This is where we are now. We are making our way through the house adding our own touches. We have already swapped out every light fixture on the first floor with exception of the powder room. We recently changed one of the lights in our master bathroom. And, the list goes on. When you get a house, whether it's brand new or old, you will add your own personal touches throughout. In addition to being cheaper, it also allows you to add your own special looks, features and design elements throughout your bathroom. And it gives you a huge feeling of satisfaction when you finish a project and see the desired result.
Consider Your Options
Don’t hire the first person you contact. Learn about guarantees, quotes, prices for all services/bulk discounts, what their warranties are and so forth. Sometimes the cheapest price alone isn’t the best deal out there. So, take your time to learn about the best service people to ensure you choose the right one to do the work in your home.
Sites like Home Advisor in the US or My Job Quote in the UK can help you come up with an estimated price for bathroom renovations, so you are not surprised. Knowing ahead of time and using these simple tips can help you ensure the work goes smoothly, and you achieve the desired outcome. You will be much happier if you get exactly what you want. Trust me! 🙂
Have you even taken on a bathroom remodel project? How did it go? What are your tips?
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