10 Tips for Renovating Your Bathroom

One of the best upgrades you can make to a home is a bathroom renovation, especially if your bathroom is old or outdated. You’ll get the immediate benefits of a cleaner, more welcoming space for you and your family, all while increasing the resale value of your home.

However, if you want to renovate your bathroom effectively, and get the most value for your money, there are several things you’ll need to keep in mind.

The Best Tips for Renovating a Bathroom

These are some of the most important tips for renovating a bathroom in your home:

1.       Work with a professional plumber. First, work with a professional plumber. While your plumber may not provide you with tips on improving the resale value of your home or mastering your bathroom aesthetics, they will help guide you on proper plumbing systems and best practices for things like showers, sinks, and toilets. They’re an indispensable asset as part of this process, so take their advice and their work seriously.
2.       Set a firm budget. Before you get too far in the planning process, set a firm budget for the project. You should understand the potential ROI of this investment, and have an idea of what you can reasonably afford. Whatever your upper limit is, strive to get a quote that comes in below that number—many bathroom renovation projects end up going over budget, so it’s helpful to build in a buffer.
3.       Choose the right type of bathroom. A bathroom is a bathroom, right? Wrong. There are several types of bathrooms you could design, including a standard bathroom with a sink, toilet, and a bath or shower. But you might also optimize for a half bath, which only has a sink and a toilet (not bath/shower). You could also design a wet bathroom, where the shower isn’t contained in a separate cubicle.
4.       Get multiple quotes. As you’re shopping around for contractors, make sure you get at least three different quotes. Getting multiple quotes will help you determine what a fair price is in your area, and will introduce you to many different types of people (all of whom likely have different approaches to renovation).
5.       Start with the layout. One of the first design choices you’ll make is the layout of your bathroom. Where do you want your main fixtures and appliances to go? What kind of aesthetics are you going for? This is your chance for something totally new.
6.       Invest in ventilation. Bathrooms tend to accumulate moisture very easily, which can result in mold or water damage over time. If you’re renovating the bathroom, you’ll have a critical opportunity to install a fixture that can prevent this: a ventilation system. It won’t cost much, and it can instantly make your bathroom less susceptible to damage from moisture. 
7.       Improve the lighting. Most people focus on fixtures like baths and toilets, but don’t neglect the lighting of your bathroom. Do you want the room to be filled with natural light from a window? Or do you want a powerful source of artificial light?
8.       Splurge on luxuries. Even if you’re working with a tight budget, most people enjoy splurging on subtle luxuries. For example, you could invest in a heated floor to increase your comfort during cold winter months, or you could invest in more wall-mounted features, like cabinets, to open up more floor space.
9.       Buy the most durable materials you can. Though they cost a bit extra, highly durable materials are going to serve you much better. They’ll have the potential to last a lifetime, and will be far less susceptible to damage from unexpected sources. They’ll also increase the value of your home more significantly than their less durable counterparts.
10.   Design for the future. Too many homeowners plan a bathroom renovation based on what they want right now, when it’s usually better to plan for the future. What are you going to want or need 10 years from now? What will your future homebuyers want to see?

Establishing Your Priorities

How you plan and execute your bathroom renovation will depend heavily on your goals and priorities, so establish those before you make any major moves. For example, are you most interested in increasing the objective resale value of your home, thereby recouping as many costs as possible? Or are you more interested in making your bathroom as enjoyable as possible for as long as you live in the home?

Once you’ve decided on your personal priorities, you’ll be able to move forward with choosing a vendor, selecting materials, and even loosely planning the layout of your future room. Take your time during this process, and don’t rush any important decisions. 

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