6 Successful Bathroom Remodeling Tips

There is a wide gulf between a bathroom remodel and a successful bathroom remodel. The latter must excel on five counts. It must:

Offer water efficiency and low utility bills.
Complete on deadline.
Add to your property resale value.
Fit your lifestyle and accessibility needs.
Include materials that are durable and resistant to moisture-related damage.

While the first step to renovation victory is hiring an exceptional service provider, you can play a starring role in the success of your remodel. This is how.

1. Know your bones

Unrealistic expectations are the bane of the remodeling world. If you’re on a tight deadline, it’s crucial to factor the age of your bathroom into your calculations. Cracked grout, failed pipes, and rotten subflooring will extend your timeline and your expense list. They can also render the longevity of your new fittings moot.

An exceptional contractor will assess the bones of your room long before they quote you, but you can contribute to your deadline accuracy by drawing out the deeds and documents that have been filed as public records. These may tell you that your plumbing or flooring has reached its sell-by-date. The more you know, the more accurate your budget and expectations will become.

2. Know your taste

Communicating your desired aesthetic is never easy, but you can’t achieve your perfect look if your renovator can’t see your vision. Exceptional communication is the first step to exceptional results, so this is a good time to build a vision board. Collect paint palettes from Plascon. Visit showrooms. Take photographs and collect samples.

3. Know your contractor

You might be the expert on your tastes, but your renovation contractor is an expert on materials, fixtures, and layout. When you consult with them during the planning phase, don’t steamroll over their advice. They’ve probably built thousands of bathrooms, and that has left them with a body of crucial knowledge that you can benefit from.

If, for example, your contractor tries to talk you out of mosaic tiles for a shower floor, there’s a reason. The wrong materials can shift and lift over time, so trust that your renovator is offering advice for your benefit. Remodeling requires two-way communication, so don’t forget to listen. Poor communication leads to disrupted schedules, unexpected price hikes, and time constraints.

4. Blend timelessness and fashion properly

Décor trends fly by in a matter of months, so the wall-to-floor mirror you’re planning might not seem quite as impressive next year as it does today. That doesn’t mean your entire bathroom needs classic aesthetics.

Keep expensive fixtures like tubs and showers timeless. You can display a trendy aesthetic through cheaper details like backsplashes and cabinet doors. It’s easy enough to paint over this season’s Ruby Red wall paint, but a new floor treatment is for life. Use classic woods, muted tones, and timeless designs for the latter.

5. Don’t ignore practical features

Grouted tiles and white flooring might seem like a great idea at the time, but if you’re not an avid cleaner, they’ll lose their sheen quickly. Keep your practical needs and habits in mind. If you think you might need an accessible shower in a few years, now is the time to plan for it. If you struggle with month-to-month bills, choose water-efficient features.

If you let your property, porous materials are unlikely to serve you. If you’re aging in place, replacing a shower with a ball-and-claw tub could set you back within a matter of years. Bathrooms are more than their aesthetic features.

6. Cheaper isn’t always better

It’s easy to get lost in your upfront costs when you’re on a tight budget, but resist the temptation to assign value according to the initial price. Think, instead, about lifetime costs. How long will your fixture last? How much maintenance will it need? How much water or electricity will it use? How much value will it add to your property?

A cheap enameled steel bath might seem like a good investment, but you’ll need to refinish it every five years. Fiberglass is equally affordable upfront, but it needs to be replaced every 10 years. Low prices are often tied to quality problems, so treat your renovation as an investment, not an expense. This will assure you of lasting success.

A remodel is only as successful as its planning. As with most things, you take out what you put in. Renovation is a process, not an event. It will require research, strategy, paperwork, and the sourcing of materials. Some things simply don’t come with shortcuts, but if you use it as an opportunity to engage with your contractor, you’ll reap the benefits.

Need help with a bathtub or shower replacement? Contact 1-800-HANSONS for a free estimate.