I find bathroom renovations one of the most difficult projects, which is why I thought this piece might be of use to others too. They’re a popular room to renovate as there are loads of little elements you can change to make a huge difference. As such, they can often be cost-effective renovations as well (I hope!).
These top tips could help you renovate your bathroom in style.
Deciding What Needs To Change
The first thing you need to think about is what you’ll actually change about the bathroom. When people see the term ‘renovation’, they assume this means getting rid of everything and completely upgrading the interior design. Yes, this can be a good approach – but it depends on what you’re currently working with. How big a renovation will also depend on whether you own the house or rent it privately.
In my opinion, if your bathroom is older than 10/15 years, then it can probably benefit from a full-on renovation where you transform every element and come up with an entirely new design. But, newer bathrooms might benefit from just changing one or two things. For example, maybe upgrading your shower into a more modern style will be all you need to renovate your bathroom and make a considerable impact? Or, some new tiling on the floor and walls – with underfloor heating built in as well. Even extending your bathroom to add more things to it can be seen as a renovation.
My point is that you need to decide what’s going to change before you move onto any other stage. Figure this out, and it will help you plan out a budget and come up with your designs.
Designing A New Bathroom
The design of your new bathroom will be central to the renovation. Now, while I do like to encourage DIY, I don’t think it’s the best approach here. Theoretically, you could design your new bathroom and fit it yourself. It depends on your skill level, or you could maybe find a contractor that will take your designs and do what you ask.
However, it’s almost always better to hire a bathroom designer to do this for you. Don’t be confused, they won’t take over and come up with a brand new design themselves – they build off of your ideas. You can show some initial design concepts or provide them with all the critical information they need, and they’ll show you the initial design. The trick here is to find a highly recommended bathroom designer with loads of positive reviews. This ensures that you aren’t wasting money and that they know what they’re doing. The reviews and testimonials can also tell you how they go about their work so you can see if it suits you or not.
The benefit of professional designers is that they can figure out the best ways to organise your bathroom and place certain things. For example, it might not be possible to have a shower somewhere because of the plumbing in your home. They can help you design a place that’s practical and requires as little work as possible! This is definitely the kind of bathroom renovations input I would need.
Setting A Budget
Naturally, you need to set a budget for yourself when you renovate your bathroom. If we go back to the first point about deciding what’s going to change, this will go a long way to providing a rough idea of how much you’ll have to pay.
You should have a look online at different bathroom design and installation companies, and get quotes for their services. If anything, this might show you how much you can actually afford. It may indicate that an entire bathroom renovation is way out of your league, so you have to make compromises and maybe limit things to just changing a few elements.
Either way, you have to set your budget based on how much you can afford. Take a look at your savings and any income you have, and figure out the maximum you can afford without it damaging your finances too much. Never spend more than you have in your bank, always ensure there’s enough money left over to pay your bills and live comfortably.
Planning Around Bathroom Renovations
When you know what you’re going to change in your bathroom, you’ve got the designs and quotes that fit in your budget, you’ll start to think about actually putting everything in motion. As a result, your attention turns to planning around the work that will happen in your home.
Think about it; if your bathroom is being renovated, this means your shower or toilet could be out of action for a few days or weeks. Therefore, you have to make plans around this, so it doesn’t cause an issue. Some contractors will provide those portaloo things for you to use – if you don’t have any other options. Or, you might have to ask a friend/family member – or even a neighbour – if you can borrow their bathroom to shower in the mornings. For people who have a really big job – and an even bigger budget – you may be able to just check into a hotel for a few days. Regardless, make sure you make plans, so your life isn’t too disrupted by the bathroom renovation work!
Hopefully, this guide provides you with a nice blueprint of how your bathroom renovations could go down. Remember, all bathroom renovations can be different – but you should all make sure these four things are covered. Decide on what work you want to be done, find the right people to do it for you, set a budget and don’t go over it, then plan around all the disruptions. Just make sure you add all the extras into your budget planning, for example, new towels, a blind and so on.
