This article will help guide you through the process, step-by-step so that you can get your brand new bathroom without headache or worrying about whether or not you’ve hired the right people to help make your dream bathroom a reality.
Step 1: Know Exactly What You Want and Have Your Budget Ready
When planning any sort of remodeling, it’s imperative that you know exactly what it is you are looking for, and budget accordingly! You won’t get very far without a clear picture of what it’s going to look like and the cost. If you are wondering how much a bathroom renovation could cost in the Hamilton region you can check out our other blog here!
There are so many things to consider. Are you going to add new fixtures, or just replace them? Will you be knocking out a wall? What color scheme and aesthetic do you want? Have you researched which materials are the best to use for the floor, sink, toilet, shower, etc.? Do you know where you want everything to go? It may even be good to talk to your contractor so that they can guide you through the process, but it’s always wise to have some idea of what it is you want so that they can go over your options.
Below is a list of things to consider when it comes to doing your bathroom!
- Bathtub
- Sink
- Faucet
- Shower (head, doors, body)
- Toilet
- Bidet
- Mirrors
- Door handles
- Cabinets
- Towel racks
- Shelving
- Linen closet
- Ceiling (fans and ventilation)
- Lighting fixtures
- Walls and paint
- Floor, border, and tiling
- Shower floor
- Rugs or mats
- Details (soap dispensers and dishes, towels, trash cans, shower curtains, etc.)
And then know exactly how much it all costs so that you can pay for it! The last thing you want is to be halfway through the project and realize it’s going to break the bank or it can’t be finished. Know everything from the towel rack to the showerhead so that you aren’t surprised by unwanted or unnecessary costs.
Step 2: Know the Timing
It’s important to know how long it will take to renovate the bathroom for a number of reasons.
Out of Use
Firstly, if the only bathroom in your home is going to spend days under construction, you have to make other arrangements for toilets and showers! If it’s one of multiple bathrooms but you have a large family, you’ll have to make sure everyone knows they can’t go in there and have to shower in a different room.
One good tip for this is to “streamline your bath products”: this is consolidating your family’s shampoos, conditioners and body wash into some bottles that everyone can use and will fit more easily into one bathroom while the renovations are taking place!
Contractor Schedules
The second reason timing is important is that you must be able to confirm the arrivals and construction time blocks of the workers! When so many different things need to be done (tiling, electricity, plumbing, painting, etc.) it will be frustrating if someone gets done with their share of the work too late and throws off the scheduling of the others.
Similarly important is making sure that your materials arrive on time! If the men who are ready to put in your bathtub show up and there is no bathtub to install, it’s going to be a big problem. If you’re worried about this, purchase materials that are in stock at stores and don’t try to order anything fancy. If fancy is your jam, be sure to order it well ahead of time!
Step 3: Talk to Your Contractor
Confused about the process and not sure what to expect? Talk to your contractor so that he can walk you through the process. There may be some things you didn’t think about (a toilet for the workers, trash and dumpsters, cleanup, safety for your family, whether dust will be all over your house). It’s especially important that he/she knows exactly what your expectations are for their presence in your home, and that you can know what to practically expect from them.
Also, make sure the contractor is familiar with your specific house. Is there a crawl space or basement for the plumbers to access? How will they protect your flooring if that’s necessary? Have somewhere ready for equipment when they arrive, and make sure the surrounding area is protected if need be from dragging, dirt, etc. You can ask your contractor how best to do this!
Step 4: Measure Your Bathroom
Don’t go to the store and buy a sink that isn’t going to fit into your bathroom, or it could disrupt the existing plumbing of your home! It may seem obvious, but proper measurements are absolutely crucial to picking out what it is you want for your bathroom. If you would like, you can ask your contractor to go over this with you so that you can have peace of mind when picking out the perfect pieces.
Step 5: Prep Your House
Even though only your bathroom is going to be changing, you will want to make sure all the ducks are in a row for the rest of the home while construction is underway.
Everyone Needs a Bathroom
Whether it’s at the gym or a necessary schedule for who does it when, everyone needs to be able to shower, and everyone needs a place to brush teeth, do makeup, wash their face, etc. Find the best way for your family to work out showering and morning/nighttime routines, and make sure that you do it BEFORE construction begins! People who can’t get into the bathroom because their siblings are using it as a recipe for an unhappy start to a day.
A practical tip: Find a new way to store all of the family’s towels (a waterproof chair, the porch railing, etc.) so that people aren’t fighting for a space on the small towel rack in the remaining bathroom.
Clean Out the Cabinets
For the bathroom that you are renovating, be sure to clean out everything from cabinets or drawers before anyone begins work. You are turning over a new bathroom leaf – now is the time to get rid of that half-full lotion you forgot about for two years! Clearing the “stuff” in your bathroom is going to help you put what you actually want back into it with a clearer mind.
Step 6: Be Patient
It isn’t easy to wait for something fabulous and new to be complete, but let the contractors do their work and let them know you appreciate it! Watch your new and improved bathroom bloom before your eyes and savor the experience.
Step 7: Clean! Clean! Clean!
The main work might be done, but it’s never a bad time to clean the bathroom! New accessories and features aren’t going to survive the dust-and-dirt-fest of a renovation process. When the workmen are gone, hit the ceramic with soap and suds to make sure that your bathroom looks as new as it is!
This might all seem overwhelming, but remember: try to keep the end goal in mind and let yourself have fun every step of the way! A bathroom renovation can go a long way in the value of your house and the quality of living, so don’t be afraid to start!
