Renovating your bathroom can be overwhelming! With so many things to take care of to create the perfect bathroom for your North Shore home, it’s easy to mismanage and go over budget. In this month’s post, we go over what you need to know to plan the bathroom of your dreams.
Determine Budget
Bathroom remodels can be as extravagant or as simple as you want. It’s best to figure out what you want to spend before diving into the planning stages.
Ask yourself:
- How much can I realistically spend on my bathroom remodel?
- How much of a priority do I place in my bathroom?
- How deep of a remodel do I need and want (i.e. minor refresh or complete overhaul)?
Asking these questions will allow you to better understand what you want out of your North Shore remodel when setting your budget.
Items to Consider When Budgeting
A lot goes into a bathroom remodel! Below we’ve put a checklist of items you are going to have to consider when budgeting your Beverly bathroom remodel:
- Labor
- Design
- Doors and windows
- Walls and ceilings
- Lighting and ventilation
- Countertops
- Flooring
- Faucets and plumbing
- Fixtures
- Cabinetry and hardware
It’s a good idea to run through this checklist and decide on where you place priorities. This will allow you to figure out where you can spend more or less depending on your taste.
While bathroom remodels are always exciting, keep in mind it’s important to be flexible with them given how common cost overruns are. It’s a good idea to give yourself a budget cushion in the event something goes wrong with your remodel.
The best way to avoid cost overruns is to hire an experienced Beverly design-build remodeling contractor. With design-build, everything is handled by one firm, including design, permitting, and construction. This will limit cost overruns, as firms are held accountable throughout the process and will give you a true and honest estimate from the get-go.
Designing Your Bathroom
You’ve decided your budget; now’s the fun part! Figuring out what you want your bathroom to look like can be a difficult task. We recommend following this path:
- Finding inspiration
- Deciding on layout
- Picking Fixtures
Finding Inspiration
While it may seem like an easy task, finding inspiration to bring out what you want in your dream bathroom can be difficult. Your bathroom is a place you will be spending a good amount of your time, and a bathroom remodel is an investment. You want to make sure it is a space you are going to love day-in and day-out.
Make sure to look at a variety of sources for seeds of inspiration for your bathroom. Some places to find it:
- Online: Pinterest and Houzz are great places to find fun and quirky ideas for your bathroom. Make sure to try out a couple different searches to see options for your North Shore bathroom.
- Family and friends: Do one of your friends have an interesting feature in their bathroom you’ve always loved? Do you remember something from your childhood bathroom you’ve always wanted? Don’t be afraid to get ideas from friends and family!
- Books and Magazines: Take a look at some design books and magazines at your local bookstore. Magazines, in particular, are up-to-date on some of the top trends and can let you know what is on the cutting edge of bathroom design right now.
Deciding on Layout
The next step is to determine how you are going to lay out your new bathroom.
Consider…
- Space: How much of it do you have? You are not going to want to be cramped in your bathroom, so make sure you are choosing a layout that’ll allow you to be comfortable in your renovated bathroom.
- Existing Plumbing Fixtures: Where are things laid out now? While you likely can move showers and sinks, will it fit into your budget? Consider the existing infrastructure and if building on it will allow you to hit your goals for your new bathroom.
- What You Excited About?: Excited for that claw foot tub you’ve had on your mind? Love the idea of you and your partner having your own sinks? Leave room in your layout to put what you love in your new bathroom.
- Keep it Functional: Does your layout make sense? Make sure the way you’ve laid out your bathroom will allow you to operate in the space in a comfortable fashion.
Most of these will depend on your budget, but make sure you have the layout of your bathroom set before purchasing fixtures. You don’t want to be stuck with a fixture that you don’t end up using because you switched up the layout halfway through the remodel.
Furnish Your Bathroom
Finding fixtures and furnishing for your bathroom is one of the most exciting parts of the bathroom remodeling process. There are just so many things to choose!
Items You’ll need:
- Toilets
- Sinks
- Faucets
- Bathroom Vanity
- Vanity Lighting
- Bathtub or Shower
- Showerheads
- Flooring
- Bathroom Fan
Our most important piece of advice during this part of the process? Have fun!!!
With so many items to choose and purchase, it can be overwhelming. That said, this is your new bathroom, and these are the fixtures and furnishings you’ll be living with. Be picky and purchase things you love. The extra care and attention will pay off in the end when you are enjoying your new bathroom.
Manage The Construction
During the budgeting process, you likely decided whether you would be completing the project yourself, hiring a contractor, or going with a design-build solution for your bathroom remodel. Still, at this point, you will need to be instituting the layout and furnishing into your bathroom.
If you’ve decided to manage the project on your own, you will need to assemble your “team.” This will include:
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- Flooring specialists
- Carpenters
You’ll also need to acquire the necessary permits from your city to work on your home.
While some feel comfortable assembling this team and working through the logistics, we recommend going with a professional firm to manage the process.
Work with an experienced North Shore bathroom remodel design-build team!
Don’t waste money with cost overruns, unnecessary work, and poor design. At Godfrey Design-Build we specialize in Design-Build remodeling. We’ll work with you throughout the entire process.
We’ll:
- Come and give you an initial consultation
- Manage the entire project, beginning to end
- Work with you, addressing your needs and addressing concerns throughout the remodel
- Hire a team of experienced design and construction professionals
- Manage logistics and schedules
- Obtain necessary permits
Contact us today to learn more and get your initial consultation.