Bathrooms never used to be a major focal point in a home. However, in recent years, due mainly to the renovation TV shows, people are inspired and now focused on creating their bathroom of their dreams. It is not cheap renovating a bathroom, especially if you are looking at installing high-end fixtures. However, here you will find bathroom renovation tips that can save you plenty of money especially if you do some of the work yourself or with family and friends.
A lot of people, unfortunately, who did renovations themselves ended up going significantly over the budget they had planned to spend on their bathroom renovation. The main reason they exceeded the budget was as a result of not planning appropriately for their bathroom project. A plan that is well thought out is a key factor to staying within your budget when doing a bathroom remodel. You really need to check out your finances just to see how much money you can, in fact, spend on your bathroom renovation.
One of the best bathroom renovation tips is that you’ll need to budget as best as you possibly can to ensure that you don’t end up running out of money. It’s better to budget on the high side and end up with money left over than to plan a budget on the low side and end up spending more money than you could afford.
It is extremely important to measure the bathroom and see what you have to work with. You want to measure the area carefully. The purpose of doing this is so you can purchase items such as vanity units, toilets, sinks, and bathtubs that fit into the space perfectly, otherwise, you will need to return items that don’t fit back to the store which can be frustrating and time wasting. You will also need to measure carefully to purchase the right quantity of floor and wall tiles. Ideally, you should purchase a small excess number of tiles just in case a few break. To measure, all you need is the standard measuring tape. However, for more accurate results, you can purchase a laser device.
It is helpful to start out with a rough drawing or list of what you’re thinking of doing with your bathroom. An example of an item to put on your list is if you plan on purchasing a new bathtub, where would you put it. Will it be in the same spot as your old bath tub or in a different section of the bathroom? If you intend on putting it in a different section of the bathroom, will this incur additional plumbing costs?
You need to decide if you will tile all the walls of the bathroom or paint one wall of the bathroom. You may decide that you want one wall covered in a different colored tile than the rest of the wall. It’s highly recommended that you get an overall idea first of what you want. Then you can draw it on paper. If you prefer, you can use a computer program that shows in 3D how your bathroom will actually look. It is also recommended that you have a plan B in other ways you would renovate your bathroom in case something doesn’t quite work out in your original plan.
When you go to the home improvement store, it’s a good idea to take your list or drawing with you. In the store, compare prices of the items you’re looking to purchase for your bathroom. Carefully check them out to locate the one you want at the best possible price.
You will need to also allow room for flexibility. You may have an original plan and then spot something else you like better like a vanity unit that’s cheaper than the one you originally were thinking of buying. Write down all of the prices of the items you need, but don’t buy anything yet! Take a few paint or wallpaper samples home with you. You will most likely need to pay for the samples but it will be well worth it as you don’t want to buy the full cans of paint, then find out you don’t really like the colors. Once home, use the sample paints on the bathroom walls to see how they would look in your bathroom. The paint color in the store can look very different at your home, depending on the lighting. Alternatively, you can take the sample cards and see if your color choices will work in your bathroom.
Take a look at your actual figures and see how they fit into your budget. You need to work out if the actual figures go over budget or did they stay within the budget limits that you calculated? You’ll need some breathing room within your budget just in case there are some unexpected items you end up needing.
Once the idea is in place and you’re satisfied with the approximate cost of your plans, go out and purchase the items. Try to get everything you need before you start your renovation project so that you can eliminate the need to run back and forth to the store to buy the things you have forgotten.
If you take the time to plan and budget before you start the bathroom renovation, you can enjoy your dream bathroom and feel relieved knowing that you were able to do the renovation within your budget.