Thorough Planning, Budgeting, Teamwork, and Quality Materials Top the List
A bathroom remodel is only as successful as the strategy you choose to ensure your project goes off without a hitch. It’s not as simple as pointing out the finishes you want and hoping a contractor understands. Doing it yourself can also bring about less-than-desirable results.
Unless you’re already an experienced remodeler, success comes from a balance of planning and collaboration with your chosen supplier, design team, and contractor. Here are our top recommendations that lead to great bathroom remodeling projects:
- Start with a plan: As a homeowner, you need to envision the purpose of your project, how you want people to experience this space, and how it will complement (or depart from) your current style. You also need to know the logistics of how your household will handle having one less bathroom and contractors in your home.
- Make budget considerations: Without an understanding of what you intend to spend, along with a plan for why this project is necessary, your budget can balloon as you make decisions on the fly. Your bathroom remodel should look as beautiful as possible at a predetermined price point.
- Work with experienced professionals: You want your bathroom remodel guided by a team that understands how to do it right from start to finish. Even if your remodel is complex, an excellent team can deliver the results you’re looking for because they’ve seen it all.
- Use superior materials: A bathroom remodel shines when you choose materials that make this space feel exactly like you want it to. Your vision can’t come to life without materials that match what’s in your mind.
Helpful tip: The strategies we are about to present work just as well for your kitchen remodel. For example, both projects require materials like cabinetry, which can be found at both kitchen cabinetry and bathroom cabinetry showrooms.
How To Create a Thoughtful Bathroom Remodel Plan
Your bathroom remodel can be functional, beautiful, and add value to your home if you make a plan for what you want and how you’ll get there. Start with these questions to create a plan you can bring to your bathroom remodeling supplier:
- What is the purpose of your remodel?
- How will the bathroom be used?
- What do you want it to “feel” like?
- What other materials will you need?
- What are your room’s measurements?
- What interior design images online or in catalogs represent your taste?
- What is your expected timeline? (The average is six weeks, according to Angie’s List).
- Will you be able to “get by” while this room is being remodeled?
Answering these questions helps you envision your bathroom and the remodeling process. It also allows you to communicate more efficiently and confidently when you visit supplier showrooms.
How To Create a Budget For a Bathroom Remodel
Angie’s List cites a budget range of $10,000–$85,000, but this is a wide range as bathrooms can be small (like a half-bath) or large (like a high-end main bathroom). You also, of course, have control over the materials you use.
To create your budget, identify the target range that you’d be able to spend. Then, start choosing the main fixtures and fittings that are necessary for your bath and reflect your vision, like bathroom cabinets, shelving, a countertop for your bathroom vanity with a sink, tiling, and even specific accessories.
Each of these can be priced online, but you may consider starting by visiting suppliers who can give you a better estimate and may offer wholesale pricing if you visit a committed, local supplier.
Mapping out your budget prior to the start of your project helps you avoid the slow creep of higher and higher numbers. Also, having a list of items you know you need to purchase allows you to shop around and find the best prices, as opposed to allowing a remodeling team to choose everything for you.
Finding Exceptional Bathroom Remodel Suppliers
It’s now time to visit supplier showrooms to choose the materials you’ll include in your remodel.
The supplier you choose should offer durable, high-quality materials. They should have a range of products to choose from, so you can achieve a remodel that reflects your style.
You also want a supplier that acts as your team member — someone who is as essential to your project as the contractors who will perform the work. An excellent supplier is a bridge to the actual labor-intensive phase.
Look for a supplier that offers these services:
- Wholesale pricing
- Expertise with product selection
- Digital renderings of their products in your space
- Free measurements
- Complimentary delivery (within their service area)
- Superior customer service
- Licensed contractor recommendations
Choosing Your Bathroom Remodel Contractor
Much like selecting a five-star supplier, you want to vet your contractor for characteristics that lead to a seamless remodel. As we mentioned, if you choose a trusted product supplier, you may consider taking their contractor recommendations. However, it’s always a good idea to play an active role in selecting them.
Kiplinger, the personal finance publication, provides these how-tos that can help you choose the right contractor for the job:
- Get references.
- View their portfolio.
- Meet them in person.
- Align on a schedule that works for you.
- Find out about licensure and insurance.
- Ask who will perform the work and meet them, too.
- High fees do not always mean high quality.
Also, be sure to get more than one proposal, so you can compare prices, services, and fit for your project. Being thorough during this stage allows you to pick the best team for the job. You can also get a sense of their workmanship from projects that aren’t exactly like your remodel. Bathroom remodels are much like kitchen remodels because they include similar items, such as countertops and kitchen cabinetry.
Give Your Bathroom Remodeling Story a Happy Ending
Everyone knows someone who had a remodel done that made them unhappy. Although many factors go into an unsuccessful remodel, it’s likely that a lack of planning, consideration, and strategy contributed to an unsatisfactory outcome.
A bathroom remodel that you’ll feel satisfied with comes down to spending a reasonable amount of time pre-planning, researching, budgeting, and strategizing from the very beginning.
If you’ve worked through our recommendations, you’re on your way to a new space that you’ll enjoy for years to come. When the last fixture is installed, and the contractors have all finally left your home, you’ll discover a room that adds something special to your home while seeming like it was always there in the first place.
