It is not uncommon now to find a bathroom attached to every bedroom these days. Newly built houses have at least one en suite as well as a family bathroom. This becomes especially convenient when you have two or three storey houses, saving those trips up and down the stairs. Renovating or adding a bathroom can only but increase the value of the house as buyers would definitely appreciate them.
- Your budget
Planning your budget is important so that you get what you want at the end of a bathroom renovation. Weigh out the cost of fixtures, tiling, and decoration work so that you don’t end up feeling short-changed when you have to settle for less because you’ve run your budget on one aspect of the renovation and do not have enough to finish another. Whatever your budget, you should prepare for overruns. Bathroom renovations are notorious for surprises with a price tag.
- Maximize Profit
A new clean contemporary bathroom will add value to the whole house and selling price, especially if the house is the same standard. It can lift the whole property and make it sell faster than competition in the area. This could mean a couple of months’ mortgage payments saved, or getting the best price in the area.
- Renovating an Existing Bathroom
Renovating an existing bathroom can be as simple as redecorating, installing a new floor or a total tear-out involving re-routing plumbing, electricity and water supply. If you do not intend on changing the position of the toilets, sink or shower, then perhaps a floor tiling work will do. If you’re doing a total renovation, make sure you select fittings that are good quality while not luxuriously overboard.
If the fittings are still in good quality then reconditioning and re-enamelling them is an option as it may be more expensive to replace them. Original pieces are what buyers want to see these days especially in period home.
Keep in mind the comparative values of homes in the neightbourhood. Over –the-top renovations could raise the cost of renovation above what you can fetch in the market when you well it. Get an appraisal of your house when decide to do a bathroom renovation. Decide and weigh on whether the bathroom renovation will add true value to your home.
- Doing it yourself or hiring the professionals
From getting your idea in mind to paper while both fulfilling functionality and aesthetically pleasing results, you may need help to get your vision and translate it into something that actually can be accomplished. A good bathroom designer would just about be able to do that. A good bathroom renovation contractor can help keep things on a schedule. They also have more experience and expertise in meeting building codes. Plumbing, electrical and safety codes all come together in a bathroom renovation
- Keep up with the trends
Keeping up with the trend puts you on the forefront of bathroom design trends. You don’t want to end up with out-of-date bathroom renovation by the time you finish.
- Adding a Bathroom
If you’re planning on extending or adding a bedroom, then an en suite bathroom may be an option is you’ve got space. This should be sited close to existing bathroom or above the kitchen, so that the pipe work can be joined to existing plumbing. Building Regulations also stipulates that the minimum lengths between fittings and soil stack. It is the waste pipe work that is more important than hot and cold water supply. There are pumped macerators systems that can solve this problem if you cannot get it close enough.
Once you’ve got the bigger picture sorted, look into the smaller details in bathroom renovation plans. Below are some of the guidelines you can broadly follow when planning the layout of your new bathroom:
- There should be ample floor space on both sides of a door; at least door width on the push side, and more than door width on the pull side
- Incorporate countertops and other surfaces with edges that are smoothed, clipped, or radiused.
- Use only tempered or safety glass for all glass doors and partitions
- Shower doors should swing open into the bathroom, not the shower
- Safety rails and grab bars should be present in showers and tubs
- Avoid steps around showers and tubs
- Faucets should be accessible from outside the tub or shower, and should include anti-scald devices
- Include access panels for all electrical, plumbing, and HVAC system connections
- Provide at least (to the minimum) 15 inch of clearance from centerline of sinks to any sidewalls
- Toilet enclosures should be at least 36 inch wide, and 66 inch deep; doors should open out into the room and away from the toilet.
