With over 20 years experience renovating bathrooms and knowing what works and what doesn’t, I’m going to share with you what you need to know about renovating your bathroom.
Bathroom renovations can get expensive depending on your tastes and the tradesmen you work with. Working with a renovation specialist is the best way of keeping your costs down as they can direct you to preferred suppliers and recommend fixtures and fittings based on your tastes and budget.
Don’t design your bathroom for the next person who lives there
If you plan to live in the house for a long time, design your bathroom for you. Choose tiles, fixtures and fittings based on what you like and what functions for you. After all, your the one who has to use the bathroom everyday so it has to work for you.
Get inspiration
When designing a bathroom, I watch renovation shows on TV to get inspiration. It really gives me a sense of what I like and what I don’t. Get inspiration from magazines, online or wherever inspiration hits you! Think about what you want to stand out; do you want your shower to be the focal point? Or your vanity? Maybe your floor tiles are the showstopper.
Think about the layout of the bathroom and how it will function
Where are you going to position the toilet and how much space do you need around it? How big can you make the shower and where will it work the best? Do you have room for a walk-in shower? How big will the bath be? What height will the shower head be?
When choosing your trades, you should feel confident they understand what you want and can execute it to completion. If your tradesman isn’t inspiring confidence, keep looking! A good tradesman will be happy to answer any questions or concerns along the way and will put them at ease.
The biggest mistake people make when renovating their bathroom is removing the bathtub. Your bathroom may work for you and look fantastic but when you decide to sell your home, your ruling out families with young kids and pet owners by not putting a bath back in. This is especially important for those renovating to sell.
Don’t get me wrong, you should renovate your bathroom for you and your family; your needs and your tastes but also consider functionality and practicality.