No longer simply utilitarian, a bathroom can now be its own showcase. It’s up to you and your budget as to determine how comfortable and beautiful your bathroom can be.
Here are five steps to the ideal bathroom:
The budget
There are several ways to raise money for your bathroom renovation. While saving up for a repair and paying in cash is ideal, homeowners can often obtain a loan, either from a bank, another financial institution for home repairs if they have positive equity in the property.
What most experts advise against is putting the renovation on a credit card. Once a source of funding is established, a careful budget should be established, with realistic quotes for all of the planned changes. Failure to do so could easily cause the remodel to go over budget, and potentially delay its completion.
The design
Ideally, you should call in a design professional if you are contemplating a major remodel. These are professionals who know the ins and outs of bathroom remodeling. They’re also familiar with the building codes in your area and can tell you what can and can’t be done with the remodel.
The designer can also factor in things that an amateur wouldn’t, like clearances for doors and rerouted plumbing or electrical systems.
Hiring a contractor
Once you have the funding in place and there’s a plan for the remodel, it’s time to find a contractor. Try to interview a handful of contractors and make sure they’re licensed, bonded and insured and that they’re willing to sign an itemized written contract.
This protects both you and the contractor should problems arise. Look to sites like Angie’s List for candid reviews of the contractors you are thinking of hiring, to ensure that your remodel is done professionally and in a timely matter.
Fixtures
Actually going to a store and picking out fixtures is a fun part of creating an ideal bathroom. You can pick out state-of-the-art faucets operated by the wave of a hand, shower fixtures that give whole body and foot massages, low flush, wall-mounted toilets and vessel sinks that look museum-worthy.
You can also decorate the new bath with free standing tubs with clawed feet and brass fixtures or whirlpool tubs that are accessed by a short flight of marble steps. Again, it depends on your taste and your budget.
Systems
Plumbing, electrical and water heater systems can also be updated with a renovation. Your water heater can not only provide hot water in the sink, tub and shower but can be part of a radiant heating floor system that will keep an otherwise chilly floor warm to the touch on cold mornings.
These five steps can go a long way in helping you create a bathroom that’s a place of peace, beauty, warmth and comfort.
About the Author:
Marlena Stoddard writes on home improvement and decor. Originally from Senoia, GA, Marlena lives in Santa Rosa, CA with her husband and two children. To save money on energy bills, and make a home more comfortable, Marlena recommends updating water heater systems. For more on Marlena, you can follow her on Google+.
A newly remodelled bathroom can really add a lot of value to your home. Especially if you hire a home improvement contractor that provides quality workmanship. Make sure to get a number of quotes from qualified professionals, and make sure you ask for references too.
If you have family members that rely on wheelchairs for movements. You should consider some ramps on your next renovation.
Every senior’s problem is mobility and it would really help a lot if all public access establishments would have some ramps for them.
Insuring some ramps for your home renovation might be a big help especially if you have relatives with handicap.