Before you tear down the bathroom walls
Bathroom renovation are done for may reasons. Sometimes a problem will present its self in a bathroom like a leaking pipe in the bathroom or you may are looking to improve the saleability of your home and undertake a larger project, such as an addition of a new bathroom or enlarging the existing bathroom.
Whether the bathroom floor has been flooded and the walls are damaged or it is the major undertaking of remodelling of the bathroom there are some questions to ask yourself prior to initiating any bathroom renovation project on your own.
Yes, you can save yourself a lot of money by doing the work yourself but remember any project, large or small, requires some pre-planning. The bigger the project, the more planning you need to do.
After all, you don’t want your project to end up costing twice as much as necessary because you didn’t thoroughly plan for any potential complications
Without planning your bathroom could end up costing a lot more than you budgeted for because you didn’t thoroughly plan for any potential complications that arise with any bathroom remodel.
What should you think about when planning your bathroom?
The first thing to think about is what do you hope to accomplish? Are you remodelling or adding a new bathroom? Each has different problems for you to solve, or is it a simple problem that needs attended to immediately? How much do you need or want to spend? Your plan should begin with setting some priorities. Break the project down and rate the importance of each aspect. Decide on expense and speed. Does your project require the best quality or can you cut some corners?
A big mistake people make when planning their bathroom is thinking because you can not see it they will use cheap materials but it is possible that is why the pipe was leaking in the first place.
Try to determine what your costs will be. Do some homework ahead of time. Obtain bids from contractors and other professionals. This will give you a better idea for what the project entails, whether or not you plan on completing some or all of the work yourself. Obtain at least three bids for any work that you have done
Is this a DIY project?
Be realistic about your do-it-your-self skills. If the undertaking is beyond your abilities, seek professional help. For example, are you qualified to put in the toilet then you would plan for a plumber to come in and complete this aspect of the job.
Also, some places require professionals to do some types of work. For example , a homeowner may be able to change a light switch but not wire up the bathroom. This is another aspect is where doing your homework can save you time and money in the long run.
Do you need a building permit?
You will need to check if you need to obtain any required permits depending on the type of work. Find out what work your city requires a professional to complete. Find out about requirements for zoning. Some work will be governed by zoning or setback restrictions. This aspect of home improvement can take some time. Apply in advance of the job so that you have the permit before your projected date to begin the project.
So, you have answered all of the questions and you have done all of your homework. Now you are ready and eager to start your bathroom renoavtion project. So go for it.
