Things to Know When Remodeling A Bathroom
Whichever way you look at bathroom remodeling can be an expensive exercise. So before you start into the remodel project its a very good idea to to have some down some background work. You really need to have some idea of the following items:
What is Your Remodeling Budget?
Your budget should be based on two things: what you can afford and what your house is worth. There is no point putting a $10,000 bathroom in a $100,000 home – you will never get your money back when it comes to sell. Alternatively if you can only afford $2,000 – you can probably make a much more comfortable bathroom for yourselves and your family.
What Are Your Bathroom Redmodel Priorities?
List your top “hates” in prioriity: what is it that you hate about the current bathroom? Lack of bath? Lack of storage space? The fact that its dark and cold in the winter? If you really want a bath – then a touch of redecorating is not going to do it for you!
What Are the Structural Limitations?
If there are existing plans for your bathroom – find them. You or your contractors needs to know where the power and plumbing runs. You may have to take a guess if you don’t have plans – but be prepared with contingency in your budget if you start to remove a wall and discover it structural or has major power cables thru it!
Seek Advice on the Practicallity of Bathroom Fittings You Love!
If you love the idea of a 2-person spa bath and have the space and the budget great – but don’t forget that your hotwater system will need to be up to it an the floor will need to support hte weight of the full bath! Not all plumbing systems work together – particularly very high pressure shower heads require modern water systems to make them work. Never buy any appliance until you have been advised by a registered plumber that it will work in your home.
photo credit: Morgon Mae
How To Find A Reputable Bathroom Remodeler
How to find a reputable bathroom remodeler… That is a question that comes up quite a bit actually, usually from clients that I am talking to about their recent home remodeling projects, that haven’t yet realized that it is what I do. I will listen to their stories, horror story after horror story, about how long they had to wait for the contractor to get back to them, or how low quality the work was, once they finally got the guy out there on the job. It breaks my heart to hear them speak of these things, but I know that I am going to be there solution. But before they find out that I am a real estate investor, or in the construction business, I will tell them what to look for to find a reputable bathroom remodeler.
The first thing that I tell them to look for, is a business number. Having these guys run operations from their home isn’t always a bad thing, but if they aren’t legitimate enough to get a business license, register a business name, and actually setup a business phone line, you probably aren’t going to want to do business with them. Unless they are just starting out, there is a reason that they don’t have all of this stuff in line, and another reason why they aren’t on top of the world. They act like construction work is so hard to find — If you do quality work, it finds you.
One other thing that I make sure my future client knows to look for, is a portfolio of previous work. Without a portfolio, how are you to judge how well the contractor completes his jobs? Unless he is a large company, you are going to have to see the pictures of his previous work. Take a good look, and nit pick things that you are going to want done your way from the beginning, so that he knows going into the job exactly what you are going to expect from him. If you follow these two things, you will have good luck finding a reputable bathroom remodeler.
Tips For Estimating Bathroom Remodeling Costs
There are a lot of things that go into determining exactly how expensive your next remodeling project is going to be, but estimating bathroom remodeling costs doesn’t have to be a chore. You just have to know exactly how much you have to spend, and what it is you expect to accomplish with your money. I will give you a few tips where people often fail to plan into the expenses, and end up going over budget, causing them to get discouraged and give up — usually costing more money from having to hire a contractor. First, you have to figure out exactly what you want done in the bathroom. Next, determine ALL of the materials that goes into completing the project.
When I say for you to figure out exactly what it is you want to accomplish, I mean, if you plan on replacing a toilet, and a sink, put both of those down on a list. If you want to update the shower head, and faucets on the tub, add that too. Now, you have to figure out what all goes into removing, replacing, and reinstalling each of these. This is where you will figure out what kind of nails, screws, gaskets, seals, pipes, fittings, etc, that you are going to need during your work. Knowing this before you go into the home improvement store is going to save you a lot of money.
After you have figured out what all you want to accomplish, you have to determine exactly what materials you need. Put down on paper, three or four times if you have to, from beginning to end, the removal, replacing, and reinstallation of the project you want to complete. For the toilet, this would be checking the water lines going to the tank, ensuring you have a new wax seal for the bowl, along with checking the studs coming out of the previous toilets bracket installation. If any of this stuff needs to be replaced, you have to add it to the list. Go from beginning to end a few times, to ensure you haven’t forgotten anything. You will end up making a few trips back to the store, but as long as you practice these two tips, estimating bathroom remodeling costs will get you pretty close to what you will really spend.
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