Before you even lift a finger on the renovation work there is a fairly simple checklist of things you should consider and plan.
First of all, decide what type of bathroom you want and what you are hoping to achieve from the final renovation outcome. Is your bathroom a place of sanctuary, where you go to relax at the end of the day? Or is it a place you visit quickly in the morning, meaning you need a practical and efficient bathroom to help you get in and out?
Once that is decided, next comes budgeting. Bathroom renovations can be done for a decent price but it can also quite easily blow out if you are not careful. So before you start buying anything, crunch some numbers and figure out what you can realistically afford. It is easy to go over budget when doing renovations especially when you find that perfect mirror or bathtub, so lock the budget in 100% first. This way when you do find that ‘must have’ vanity that will take a huge chunk out of your budget, you know that in order to have it you will need to compromise on another aspect of your bathroom renovations.
Now for the fun part … starting a ‘look book’! This can be done either by an app or through various websites, or you could simply buy a cheap notepad and some glue. Browse websites or buy magazines and spend time cutting out and keeping the pictures that are inspirational for your new bathroom. Call around to get some quotes on each of the items and list them in the book. This will be a huge help with your budgeting and if every detail is covered, you will know exactly what you can and cannot afford upfront.
Another really important part of bathroom renovations is to make sure you have all the measurements listed down. Make a note of them in your look book then take it with you whenever you are shopping for your bathroom supplies to make sure the items you love will actually fit.
Finally, now that you can see your new bathroom in the look book and you’ve decided on a budget, it is time to decide whether you want to do DIY bathroom renovations or whether you want to hire professionals.
There is definitely a sense of satisfaction in doing something like bathroom renovations yourself, but at the end of the day, are you really up for the job? You don’t want to spend all of that time and money on it if you are going to end up with wonky cupboards or a shower screen that falls off its hinges.
However the plus side is that it is much cheaper to DIY as you aren’t paying for someone else’s time and labor. Before deciding for sure, take a close look at your dream bathroom in your look book and ask yourself honestly, can you re-create that? Also remember that for any electrical or plumbing requirements for your bathroom renovations you will need to enlist the help of a professional as they can do it safely for you and your building code may require licenses and permits.
As you can see there is a lot you can get started on before you actually begin the renovations, and hopefully this checklist has helped you to decide where to begin.
Heidi Bolton - Heidi has worked in the Advertising Media industry for the past ten years in Australia, Singapore and the UK. She has worked across a wide ...
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