As one of the most important rooms in the home, the bathroom deserves a little extra care and attention when you’re taking on the task of renovating it. When you’re aiming to take care of it personally, whether with some good old-fashioned DIY or with the help of some subcontractors, it’s important to be mindful of what can go wrong. Here are some mistakes well worth avoiding.
Know Your Priorities And Plan
Don’t get started before you know precisely what your priorities are, what order you’re going to tackle them in, and how. For one, you want to make sure that you focus on the most important and time-consuming tasks first, so that you don’t run out of budget or schedule for them. You also need to make sure that any fixtures, fittings, or furniture will go where they belong, so you have to know all of the dimensions that you’re working with. If you’re looking to give the bathroom new life, then a good plan is a lot of the journey to get there.
Not Knowing Your Budget
It’s just as important to make sure you understand precisely the costs that are going to come with the renovation before you start any work. Take the time to source and price any materials, fixtures, fittings, or appliances you want, as well as to get estimates from any workers or subcontractors you use for their services. You always want to leave some wiggle room in your budget, too, as sometimes, things will cost more than they initially seem to, or you might have to adapt your plans and take on some extra costs along the way.
Trying Your Hand At Plumbing
Many competent homeowners might be able to handle some of the most basic plumbing tasks, like changing a faucet. However, for anything beyond that, you should ensure that you enlist the help of a plumber. Not only can you make sure that all work is done to standard and as quickly and effectively as possible, but you can also avoid the hugely expensive water damage that might follow if you try to DIY your plumbing and end up making a mess of it.
Forgetting About Water Use
While there has been a growing trend towards more water-efficient bathroom appliances, there has also been a rise in much more complex and luxurious types, such as high-end shower towers, body sprays, and multiple showers. These might help your bathroom meet your every need, but they can also prove much more costly than you might think, as well. Take the time to work out your water usage and if you already think it’s a little too high or you just want to avoid making it much more expensive, you may want to avoid the more elaborate setups out there.
Being mindful of the potential mistakes you can make in the bathroom isn’t about being afraid of getting started, but rather knowing what you can do to avoid them. With the tips above, things should hopefully go a lot more smoothly for you.
