4 things you need to know about remodeling your bathroom but never thought to ask.

Have you ever started a project and realized, “Oh, I wish I had known that before I started?” The following are some things that are all common sense but for some reason we don’t think about the impact on our lifestyle and remodeling experience until we are in the thick of the project.

A standard bathroom remodel takes 4-6 weeks and your bathroom will not be functional during the remodel.  Plan accordingly, especially if you only have one bathroom in your house.  Yes, this happened to us on our first remodel.  😱

Don’t even consider doing a partial remodel in the bathroom. Go big or go home.  Why?  Bathrooms often have hidden surprises - dry rot, leaks, water damage, mold.  It can frequently end up being a bigger headache to find damage that needs to be repaired than it would be to just gut the whole bathroom from the start. If done incorrectly, your partial remodel may be prone to leaks and other issues. This can cost your more money in the long run. Your contractor generally won’t warranty the whole bathroom should you have any issues. You protect your investment by doing it right the first time.

Barn doors and pocket doors are great space savers…..with limitations. They require a dedicated amount of wall space which is no longer useable.  Electrical and plumbing can not be in the same wall space as a pocket door..  Pocket doors and barn doors are not soundproof and therefore do not offer much privacy.  (An important component for a bathroom.)  If your contractor says a pocket or barn door isn’t a good option for a particular space, believe them.😏

Don’t skimp on the quality of your cabinets.  Cabinets are the workhorses of your bathroom.  You want cabinets that can withstand regular wear and tear and still look great.  Do your research as there is a wide variance in pricing and product quality.  You may be pleasantly surprised to find that a higher quality cabinet easily fits in your budget. 

Don’t start your demo work until you have everything ordered and on site.  There is nothing worse than taking out the bathroom and then finding out the cabinets are backordered and won’t be shipped for 4 months.  Yikes!

There are always questions we don’t think to ask when starting a new venture. Asking the right questions can make your remodel go more smoothly.