Don’t Put Your Money Down the Drain: 4 Things to Know Before You Redo Your Bathroom

14Shares

Dont-Put-Your-Money-Down-the-Drain-4-Things-to-Know-Before-You-Redo-Your-Bathroom-acw-anne-cohen-writes


A bathroom facelift not only makes this essential room a more pleasant place to use and spend time, but it also can increase your home’s value. However, renovators should be careful when choosing where to spend their money. With plumbing and essential utilities, all tucked into one room, bathroom renovations can easily balloon out of control. Below are four things every homeowner should know before tackling a bathroom update.


1. Maintain the Basic Floor Plan


Unless the current layout doesn’t make sense, the easiest way to save some money is to keep the toilet, shower and sinks where they are. Having to reroute plumbing can get expensive quickly. This doesn’t have to mean compromising the wow factor of the renovation, though. You can swap out the old with brand new shiny fixtures, vanities, and accessories to get a bathroom that feels like a million bucks. It’ll just keep the renovation from actually costing that much.


2. Save on Cost of Labor


Skilled labor is one of the most expensive parts of any renovation, bathroom or otherwise. This is for good reason—a crooked bathtub or a sink with a perpetual leak can immediately ruin all the money and hard work that you put into updating the room. With that said, there are some areas where a handy homeowner can save a few dollars. Painting and laying tile are detail-oriented tasks but completely doable for the average person. A wet tile saw, a measuring tape, and some masking tape can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars in savings.


3. Get Your Permits in Order


Many cities are very strict about the types of upgrades they allow homeowners to make without permits. Not researching the rules of your particular city can mean thousands of dollars in fines, as well as having to redo brand new work. It can be easy to just hope that some illegal renovations fly under the radar. However, if you sell or if there’s an issue that requires insurance, those missing permits can become a headache. Dot your I’s and cross your t’s before getting started, rather than scrambling to fix a permit problem later.


4. Get Bang for Your Buck in Tiles


Tiles make a big impact in a bathroom, but they don’t have to be expensive. It’s easy to get stuck when trying to decide between the 15 dollar bright blue porcelain tile and the 3 dollar medium blue ceramic tile. Remember that there are many attractive choices at the lower price, and they don’t have to feel like a compromise. The most important thing is to select a tile that can stand up to high humidity and heat. Not all tiles are created equal, and the wrong tile can be a costly and time-consuming mistake.


Your bathroom doesn’t have to just be a bathroom; with the right renovations, it can be a spa-like refuge. Spending too much money on the renovations, though, can make it lose some of its appeals. To keep your new bathroom at a reasonable price, be sure to follow these tips.

14Shares

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *