Take these simple steps to ensure bathroom planning success in your own home.
When you first buy your home, you may well look at the kitchen and bathroom areas closely. These are the places that can let your house down. These are the areas which feel most used. The kitchen and bathroom hold dust, dirt, and debris, which belonged to the previous owners. It is no wonder, then, that people tend to upgrade their bathroom the moment they move in.
That is not to say that learning how to plan a perfect bathroom is exclusive to the new homeowner. Many of us feel the bathroom collects dirt faster than any other room because of how often our family’s use it. In fact, experts recommend that we remodel our bathrooms every few years and go as far as to replace all the soft furnishings every few months. Towels, for example, start to build up bacteria when they stop absorbing water.
Now that we know why we should upgrade our bathroom every once in a few years, let us look at the how.
Great bathrooms start with boilers capable of handling the load. If you put in a home hot tub, you need to be sure your boiler can handle it. While planning your new bathroom, start with the capacity of your boiler, then work outwards from there. If you need an upgrade, we offer some fantastic deals on affordable products in our online store.
Once you have ensured your boiler can handle the new workload, you can move onto planning the space. Think about how you use the bathroom. How do you move around in it? Do you like long, hot bubble baths, or are you a quick hop in the shower type of person? Do you have the space for a freestanding bath or sink? Do not forget to ask every member of the family to think about what they want from the new space. The kids might produce ideas you never even considered.
Next, before you rush off to your contractor or take a sledgehammer to anything, think about measurements. Now that you have an idea of how your space works, you can think about how much to allocate to each activity. Plan out where your toilet, shower, bath, and storage spaces will be. Do not forget about splash panels to protect your walls, and ventilation to get rid of the steam without setting off your smoke alarm.
Once you know what you want and where, it is time to take the measurements to your contractor. First, though, we need to set fixed spending limits.
As you are setting a budget, have a good shop around. You should call and make use of free consultations with potential contractors. Get quotes from multiple people before you decide to set a budget that’s fair for your price range. Next, price up the features, fixtures, and fittings of your new bathroom. You should know what you want and how much it costs before you ever pick up the phone to book a builder.
Bathrooms are not easy areas for DIY. If you are not a plumber, we say leave it to the experts. If you hit a pipe, you will cost yourself far more money. Do not risk it.
Now it’s time to pick the contractor you liked most out of all the people you called for advice. Look for the person you trust most, get on with, and that can give you reviews or testimonials of past work. Do not feel abashed about checking out references, either. Nobody wants stung by a builder who will take your money and run.
Spend your budget on things you discussed beforehand or you will soon see the little extra costs add up. Shop for the items you want from the moment you start your project. Often, clients will see a bath tub or sink combo they like but find the supplier has sold out when it comes to purchasing. Buy it when you see it.
Lastly, all you need to do is remove yourself from the property for long enough for the builder to finish the job. Once the contractors are in the house, you may find it easier to move out. Keep in mind that you will not have a toilet while they are replacing everything. If you can afford to, spend a few days with a relative and return to a fresh new bathroom, perfectly planned to meet your needs.
Yes, it does! You just must plan it yourself.
