Whichever way you look at bathroom remodeling can be an expensive exercise. So before you start the remodeling project it’s a very good idea 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 selling. 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 Remodel Priorities?
List your top “hates” in priority: what is it that you hate about the current bathroom? Lack of bath? Lack of storage space? The fact that it’s 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 need 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 Practicality 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 hot water system will need to be up to it and the floor will need to support the weight of the full bath! Not all plumbing systems work together – particularly very high-pressure showerheads 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.
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 their 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 set up 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 job? 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 to be 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.