Your bathroom is the most functional room in your home. It’s an area that you use every day and its functionality and beauty may affect your mood throughout the day. As an area in your home, it may also determine the cost of your utility bill. Finally, as the area where you maintain your personal hygiene, it has a pivotal impact on your overall health. So, a bathroom renovation is incredibly important for your household, so let’s see how you can effectively prepare for it.
Plan the layout
The first step on this journey lies in planning the layout of the area. You need to use the most that you can out of your bathroom space and this won’t always come easy. The bathroom is the smallest of rooms, so planning a layout here tends to be quite challenging.
Set the place for fixtures
The first thing you need to decide on is the location of the fixtures. In order to minimize the cost of renovation, you should keep the position of all these elements where they were. Trying to move a toilet, a tub or a faucet will require additional plumbing work. Even more, it may require breaking tiles, walls and more.
Consider the functionality
Another thing you need to keep in mind is the importance of maneuverability in the bathroom. A bathroom is the smallest area in the house, yet, it’s one that you’re using the most. Is there enough room for you to open the door? If you place an electric heater inside, is it far enough from everything else? Functionality above all else.
Figure out light sources
There are two forms of lighting here, natural and artificial. Artificial light in the bathroom should always be LED, seeing as how it costs 4-8 times less to run. In the terms of natural light, you need to figure out a compromise between illumination and privacy. In a bathroom, these aren’t easy to balance.
Make a budget
The next thing you need to do is make a budget and find a way to make the renovation fit. Remember, you can only invest so much in your bathroom and there are several considerations you need to make first.
Resale or quality of life
First, you should decide whether you’re prioritizing the resale value or the quality-of-life upgrades. If the first one is the case, you need to spend as little as possible on materials. If thinking about the latter, keep in mind that you will have to use these features for years to come in order for them to become worth your while.
The magnitude of the remodelling project
Figuring out the scale of the project is incredibly important. Are you going to engage in a minor or a major remodelling project? This will determine both how much money you need and what kind of resale value you’re getting from the process. Also, would you change the flooring and walls? Will you need plumbing services and to what extent?
What can you actually afford?
Even if something is worth your while, gives a great resale value or boosts the quality of life, can you actually afford it? Installing a hot tub definitely checks all these boxes but it’s not necessarily something you can finance at the moment. Try to be as realistic as possible.
Picking a theme
The best way to ensure that everything goes as planned is to pick a theme for your bathroom. This way, you will have an easier time picking fixtures/furniture and figuring out all that you have to do. It will also allow you to start hopping for materials.
The choice of palette and style
The choice of palette and style will help push you in the right direction. It will also help create a stable reference point for the rest of your decision-making process. Let’s say you like something. All you have to do is try to envision how it will fit with the rest of the area. From that point on, you will figure out exactly what you need to know.
Ordering fitting materials
Once you know what you’re looking for, you can find a specialized bathroom shop and start ordering materials. Choosing a style prior to this is imperative. For instance, if you want to go for an industrial style, you should pick metallic and chrome elements. Those going for a rustic bathroom can go with wood or shabby chic.
Base the construction around something you own
In order to save money, you can make a choice based on something that you already own. This way, you can avoid a major purchase. For instance, try imagining your tub in a different setting. This is something that can have a major impact on your budget and wrap the project up a lot quicker.
Major choices
When designing a bathroom, there are three major infrastructural choices that you will have to make. The sooner you make this choice, the more effective the rest of your planning process will be. These will also affect the functionality of the bathroom quite drastically.
Eco-friendly approach
Do you see making your bathroom eco-friendlier as a top priority? If that is the case, you should start by making a list of low-flow fixtures you can afford and switch to LED. Buying a bidet or a bidet seat can also make the place eco-friendlier. These are just some of your options.
The tub or a shower
The biggest issue during the bathroom renovation is whether to go for a tub or a shower. A shower is a more frugal, simpler and less space-consuming option. On the other hand, a tub is a luxurious variant that provides you with more comfort. It all comes down to your priorities.
The ventilation
The matte of ventilation in the bathroom will determine its overall effectiveness in more ways than you can imagine. If the bathroom didn’t have a decent ventilation system, then this should be a No.1 priority while making a bathroom renovation plan.
Think past the standard
There are several quality-of-life upgrades that can completely transform the way you use your bathroom area. Some of these things you might have never had in your bathroom but once you make this investment, you’ll never go back.
Will you install a bidet?
Installing a bidet is a major choice that will change the way you use your bathroom forever. It is a cleaner, simpler and more eco-friendly alternative to depending exclusively on toilet paper. Those who believe this to be too expensive can always look for bidet seats instead.
Heated floor
A heated floor is a luxurious investment into your bathroom; however, it improves the quality-of-life value of the area quite drastically. It boosts the experience of walking barefoot across your bathroom and, overall, makes your bathroom both safer and healthier, all year round.
Accessibility
Maybe you have an elderly person in your bathroom, which is why a rail and a grab are essential. Even if there’s no one whose movement is restricted in such a way, a railing could make a world of difference for you, as well. You should never underestimate this.
In conclusion
A bathroom remodel is one of the largest interior home improvement projects in front of you. Its impacts will be felt throughout the household and you will be able to experience them on a daily basis. Since it’s a place you use every single day, making a one-time investment to make your dream bathroom doesn’t seem that bad of a deal (even if it costs you a bit more time and money).