What You Need to Know Before Remodeling Your Bathroom

4 minute read

By Maya Hayes

Deciding to remodel a bathroom in your home is both an exciting and daunting prospect. You likely want high quality products that will last a long time and may have even spent a number of hours scrolling on Pinterest for inspiration already.

But before you dive deeper into this project, there are some things you need to consider, especially if you’ve never remodeled a bathroom before. With a quick search, you can uncover plenty of important details about remodeling your bathroom.

The following are four key factors that can help you avoid unexpected problems and costs before you begin.

Expect To Spend Thousands of Dollars

The very first factor that you need to consider is your budget. The average cost of a bathroom renovation is upwards of $10,000, and that includes renovations that were only minor or partial. You might think you can renovate on a small budget, but if you’re planning on replacing any of the large components, including the bathtub, shower, or toilet, you should expect a higher price tag. You’ll need a reputable contractor to make the changes and install various components – labor that doesn’t come cheap.

According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, if you are looking for a simple upgrade for a small powder room where you opt for less-expensive products, you can expect to pay between $1,500 and $5,000. However, if you’re renovating a large master bathroom and want top of the line everything, your remodel could easily run you upwards of $20,000.

Be sure to set a budget and then plan a remodel that is within that constraint. Additionally, plan for overages and unexpected costs as part of that budget since renovations have a tendency of going over budget and taking longer than anticipated.

Choose Practical Over Trendy

A bathroom remodel is an expensive project, so it’s important to make changes that will age well and continue to be practical for many years. It may be tempting to update the room using the latest Pantone colours or influencer-inspired design you saw on Pinterest, but seriously consider whether it’s a fleeting trend or has standing power before you commit. Otherwise you may find that you need to do another partial remodel on your now-outdated bathroom before you sell your house in the future.

Instead, opt for neutral colours and classic styles with clean lines. Whites, greys, and black are all popular right now, but they’re also classics. Add character to a bathroom using free-standing accessories, art or photos on the walls, or the towels or shower curtain, but pick large components that will stand the test of time.

Additionally, you need to think about how practical a particular choice is for your lifestyle. For example, it may be tempting to splurge for a beautiful free-standing French-inspired tub, but if you aren’t someone who enjoys taking long, relaxing bubble baths, then a large shower may be a better choice for the space and more suited to your needs.

Details Make a Room

You may think that the big ticket items in your bathroom make the biggest difference to how the room looks and feels, but the opposite is actually true. A few small choice details can go a long way in elevating a room.

This applies to both practical considerations and purely aesthetic ones. For example, details such as the number and placement of electrical outlets is a detail that will affect the usability of a bathroom. Additionally, the color of the grout you choose (and how it blends or contrasts with the tile) is a small detail that can have a big impact on the look of a bathroom. Consider these details as much, if not more, than the larger components of a remodel.

Before you jump into a full renovation of your bathroom, consider employing the services of a design expert to discuss possible ideas with them. Their advice may actually save you from making costly mistakes, making their fee well worth it.

There Are Ways To Cut Costs

Bathroom remodels are expensive no matter what, but there are still some ways you can save money in the process. Here are a few quick-fire tips to cut costs:

If you’re even a little bit handy, you may be able to save some money on your bathroom remodel, which can help bring the cost down overall or free up some cash for the items you want to splurge on.

Maya Hayes

Contributor