A good renovation can turn an old bathroom into something beautiful and highly functional. If you’re planning to compete with other real estate listings in Quebec City, then you really need to ensure you do the job right.
The process involves several different trades and it’s one of the toughest home renovations of all. Problems can pop up anytime too. If you’re considering giving your bathroom a makeover, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Hire a contractor to manage the project. Usually, homeowners just hire a plumber but plumbers simply install fixtures and run the pipework. They are not adept at managing an entire remodeling project.
- You might think you’ll get considerable savings by going the DIY route but this is not really true. Unless you have extensive experience dealing with things like waterproofing and installing bathroom fixtures and appliances, forget it. Besides, if you do it yourself and something goes wrong, then you will void out your home insurance.
- Buy quality products. There are several ways you can cut costs on your bathroom renovation. However buying cheap, poor quality products is not one of them. If you do this, you’ll only end up replacing your bathroom fixtures in a year or less, which will eventually cost you more money and trouble in the long run.
- If you have old pipes, upgrade them. When sediments form in the pipes, you’ll notice reduced water pressure. If your plumber recommends that you replace them, go with copper or dependable plastic pipe.
- Don’t go overboard with your spending. A trip to a Home Depot may inspire you to get expensive Italian tiles and even heated flooring but you should ask yourself, will I be able to recoup my investment if I sell my house? If the answer is no, then don’t buy it.
- As much as possible, don’t move pipework. If you can help it, stick with the same bathroom layout so that your plumber will not have to touch the drainage pipes. It’s less hassle and less expensive. However, if you’re installing new fixtures, your water pipes will have to be reworked.
- Choose appropriate finishes. If you want your bathroom to look stylish, it’s best to buy stuff from Ikea so you don’t end up spending a lot of money on something that you may need to upgrade again in 5 years or so. But if you want a classic look for your bathroom, then consulting a professional designer who can help you choose high-end neutral finishes that will last for decades should be ok.
- Add more storage areas. If you like to store your linens, towels and cleaning supplies in your bathroom then consider having wall-to-wall storage and built-in wall shelves.
Experts say that a bathroom remodel can easily increase the value of your home and you may be able to recoup at least 72.5% of your costs when you sell it.