Remodeling a bathroom can be one of the most valuable investments made to improve your home. Things such as enhanced beauty, reorganized space, modernization, and overall improved equity are just a few of the positives that can come from a renewed decor.
But, like with any remodeling job, there are some pitfalls involved in redoing your bathroom as well. Here are our 5 Biggest Pitfalls of Bathroom Remodeling:
1. Trying To Do It Yourself
Thanks in part to the DIY Network, with its plethora of reality shows that feature homeowners rebuilding, remodeling, or redesigning just about everything and anything, the idea of doing-it-yourself has become appealing for a variety of reasons. To many looking to give their home a cosmetic “facelift” on a shoestring budget, do-it-yourself projects seem economical. Unfortunately, most people don’t have the experience, skills, or tools necessary to complete a remodel on their own and they end up having to pay a professional, in addition to the money spent on the DIY, to come and redo the job the “right” way.
Consider this – the bathroom may be the smallest room in your home, but it requires nearly every skill needed for home construction to come together in harmony. Electrical, plumbing, construction, flooring, wall covering, and design all come into play in one way or another in remodeling a bathroom. Most folks who try to undertake this on their own find out the hard way that they don’t have the know-how needed to deal with the unexpected things that inevitably come up! Most times, it’s unplanned expenses, especially if you don’t purchase the proper materials to fit the needs of the project (see Pitfall #2).
Can you do-it-yourself? Maybe, but the best bet is to go through a licensed and bonded remodeling company and let the experts handle the work.
2. Using Inferior Materials
For those who do decide to remodel their own bathrooms, another problem that many DIY-ers run into is choosing inferior materials. Your choice for the materials used in your bathroom remodel will determine your level of happiness with the changes you are making – probably more so than any other room in your home.
Inferior products can result in a lack of protection in the areas where it’s needed most. Unseen water damage can be devastating even before it’s discovered and is one thing that can easily be prevented by using the proper materials right from the beginning. Saving money by using cheaper products will only end up costing you more in the end.
One thing that we pride ourselves on as a remodeling company is letting our customers know that quality materials do not necessarily mean expensive materials; our purchasing staff is always looking for the best quality materials at the best price. We have long term relationships with suppliers, built on five decades of custom home building, which allows us to provide these quality materials at a fraction of the cost.
3. Choosing the Wrong Contractor
If you own a home long enough, you will probably end up choosing the wrong contractor at some point! And it will more than likely be one of the most trying and costly mistakes you can make in regard to your home. If you are deciding to go with a contractor for your bathroom remodel, it’s best to perform due diligence and research potential contractors before you hire them. Websites for the Better Business Bureau and for your State Attorney General’s Office can provide information on complaints filed against contractors and often give consumers overall ratings regarding a business and its practices.
In addition, sites like Angie’s List allow consumers to write reviews about their experiences with local businesses and provide feedback on the service they received. Angie’s List is a paid service, so the member reviews are much more reliable then those found on other online review sites. Common things to look for while doing research include: overbilling, misrepresentation, lack of communication, projects are incomplete, and shoddy workmanship.
4. Not Getting a Written Bid/Proposal for the Work
In addition to choosing the right contractor, you also want to make sure that you get a written bid, or estimate, for the work you intend to have done. A properly written bid/proposal is your contract with your remodeler and is one the biggest protections you, as the consumer, have.
A basic bid/proposal should include: a total price, a specific and detailed description of the work to be done, a timeline in which you can expect the work to be completed, a reasonable payment schedule which includes payments due before, during, and after the work is completed, an expiration date for the bid/proposal, and any and all warranties on the work and the products used. If a contractor doesn’t provide you with a written bid/proposal, move on and choose another contractor.
5. Failing to Anticipate the Time Needed for the Work
With any remodeling project, time needs to be taken into account – not just for the estimated time to complete the work, but time for any unforeseen things that may come up along the way. Again, all elements of home construction come together in a bathroom and a full remodel can affect other parts of your home, including the electrical and/or plumbing systems, and the flooring/ceiling.
You can’t really predict the unexpected, but by allowing proper time and planning for potential inconveniences, you can save yourself a lot of stress, anxiety, and possibly money!
Remodeling any part of your home can be a trying experience, but by avoiding these common pitfalls, you will make the experience much more bearable and hopefully come out of it with the bathroom of your dreams!
Are you considering a bathroom remodel? Take a look at a few of our completed projects and contact us for a free estimate! In our initial conversation we will share with you the ways we can help you avoid these pitfalls and get the bathroom of your dreams.