8 Tips for a Successful Bathroom Remodel
After completion of hundreds of remodel projects there is one thing that is glaringly obvious. It is that proper planning for your future remodel will make all the difference. This post will give you inside information on how professionals organize their projects to complete them on time and on budget. So to save money and time read the entire post before embarking on your bathroom remodel project.
1) Determine the room you want to remodel
Take a little time to really think this through. What room/area do you really want to remodel? If there is more than one of you involved, spouses, partners, family, significant others, everyone needs to be part of the conversation and all in on the decision. In this post, we’ll focus specifically on the bathroom as area of interest.
Bathrooms in particular have a lot of parts to them. So to organize my thinking for a typical full bathroom I break it into 4 areas (or options): vanity area, tub/shower area, general face-lift, or entire room.
2) Determine the project overview.
Will you remodel the entire bathroom or just a portion of it? Define the word remodel. To some, it means take everything back to the studs. To others it may mean apply a new coat of paint. So be specific.
If you are looking for options on how to tackle the bathroom remodel just know it is possible to update just the vanity area or just the shower area. Or maybe you want to give the bathroom a face-lift with flooring, paint, and accessories. How much you do in the project is truly up to you, just be specific to avoid frustration and misunderstandings.
3) Determine a realistic budget for the project.
A realistic budget is important so do some research. What does a typical bathroom project cost? In starting this process I want to caution you here. The shows that you see on television are seldom an accurate depiction of the real project costs. So look up projects in your area, talk to neighbors and friends, get a quote from a contractor.
Check out a report called Cost vs Value to learn about project costs in your area. This report is published annually and can be broken down into geographic areas. For each project type described there is a definition of what has been included to come up with that price. These are projects that have completed by remodeling companies with data including costs provided to compile this report. As a DIYer you’ll generally be able to do the project a much less, providing you avoid making costly mistakes.
One last note about budget, the dollar amount that you say you want to spend is in no way associated with your initial description of what you want to do. For example, you tell me that you have $10 for dinner. Then you tell me you would like to go to Ruth Chris Steakhouse for dinner. These two statements have no connection to each other what so ever, other than you said one after the other. This is true of your upcoming remodel. What you say you hope to spend is not at all related to actual project at this point. So don’t plan your project around your available cash for the project until you complete item 4 below, which I believe is they most critical step to a successful remodel.
4) Define the full scope of the project – bathroom remodel.
Step 1 – Break Down the Project
To accomplish this part of the project break your project into 2 separate pieces: Finishes & Fixtures and construction/installation. This little organizational tool has been used for years by professional design/build firms to accurately define and cost out projects for customers. This will allow you to accurately budget your bathroom remodel project, determine exactly whats needs to be done and create a realistic timeline.
Step 2 – Create Finishes & Fixture List
The easiest way to start is make a list of all of the items that you want to replace in the bathroom. For example, cabinets, knobs/pulls, countertop, sink, faucet etc. If more than one person is involved, go ahead with one of you making the list. Then the other person can read the list while looking through the bathroom to make sure you haven’t missed anything. You’ll be surprised at how many items are part of a bathroom remodel.
This Finish & Fixture list will be the starting point of what needs to be purchased. But before buying you’ll add budget numbers to each time on the list. Online access today makes this part of the project much easier. Just spend sometime online selecting preliminary items and making a note of the price.
Some items like a faucet will be easy. Look for one you like and make note of the price. But items like flooring or wall tile are based on square footage so you’ll first need to calculate the quantity needed. Don’t worry though with diligence you should be able to get this done over the weekend. But, if you want to get some exercise, don’t hesitate to hit a couple of stores to gather your pricing information.
Step 3 – Installation Scope of Work
Now that you have your finish and fixture list, you have what is needed to create your Scope of Work or installation list. This is usually the area of the project where the DIYer stumbles because they overlooked something that needed to be done so tools didn’t get purchased, they didn’t realize it needed to be done, or time wasn’t allocated for it. Every remodel needs a clearly defined scope of work.
Each item on the finishes and fixture list needs to be installed. Determine what is needed to install each item: tools, materials, time, expertise. Nothing worse than needing the special wrench to install the sink faucet (faucet and sink wrench) only to realize at 9pm you don’t have it and can’t finish until you go buy one.
Always assume that for each item to be installed there will be a tool or rough material that needs to be purchased. For example, when installing tile you first install cement board at the shower area, then you’ll waterproof the seams, and then apply thinset to set the tile. So you’ll need cement board, waterproofing liquid for the seams and thinset plus the tools to install/apply (screws, drill, bits, brush, roller, thinset, trowel, etc).
Step 4 – Create the Project Budget
So now that you have your installation scope of work it is time to figure out how much these items will cost. As before, you can hop online to find most of the information you need. Then, a quick review of this scope of work against the finishes and fixture list will ensure nothing is missed. Then finally, add up all the cost of the items on this list to come up with the installation materials and labor cost.
Now take a couple of minutes to add together your Finishes & Fixtures cost and the installation materials cost to see where you are. Then from here you determine if you are below budget, over budget or at budget. Just remember to add demolition and cleanup costs especially if you will be renting a dumpster or making trips to the dump yourself. There may be code or permit related items but that is talked about in another blog post.
If you are over budget then you have 3 options. The first is to increase your budget to match the bathroom remodel you have just outlined. A second option is to scale back the remodel work to match your desired budget amount. Lastly, you could not do the remodel. But do not, I mean do not, head into your project telling yourself you know you can do it for less. It will not end well.
Insider Tip: This is the most important part of the project. I know it may seem daunting, unfun, or just like homework. But it is the most critical step in your DIY project. Successful professionals who master this part of the project develop have very successful projects that turn out beautiful on time and on budget. If you don’t want to do it yourself, hire someone to do it. It is that important.
5) Create a realistic schedule for the project.
Now that you have the Finishes & Fixture list and the Scope of Work or installation portion figured out you can create a preliminary project time line. No doubt, as you researched installation methods for the various items you saw that each one gave some indication of how long it would take. By making note of these on a separate list you can now calculate how long it would take someone with experience to complete the installations.
A remodel project moves through various phases in order of the work to be completed. Below is an abbreviated list for a bathroom.
- Purchasing & Receiving products (done and all received before start of project)
- Demolition of the existing remodel area materials (considered the start of the project)
- Electrical and plumbing rough work
- Drywall and paint
- Installation of cabinets
- Installation of tub/shower tile
- Countertop and sink installation
- Installation of flooring material
- Electrical and plumbing finishes installation
- Installation of accessories and other items
- Clean up and move in
- Bathroom remodel completed
6) Determine who will be responsible for which portions of the project.
As with all projects everyone has their role. So be specific, clearly define who is doing which item for the bathroom remodel. Most importantly, get their buy in. For example, telling your busy partner that they are going to do the flooring and paint isn’t the same as them taking on the responsibility of flooring and paint.
Same goes for purchasing of finish materials and fixtures. Someone has to be responsible to select them, order them, pay for them, and make sure they arrive. It is strongly recommended that you have all your finishes and fixtures before the bathroom project starts. Remember, the bathroom will most likely not be usable during this project. So a delay can make living quite uncomfortable.
If you will be utilizing the services of a friend for some of the work, be specific on what you will need them to do. Start by letting them know how much time they will have to complete the work when they start. Then be sure to get a verbal confirmation that they are willing and able to complete the work based on your schedule. Finally, above all be open about your expectations.
7) Be honest about your limitations
This is probably one of the most important aspects of the bathroom remodel. It is best to know and acknowledge your limitations. Some people are extremely handy, while others think they are. I have met people with a lot of patience who can work through a problem, while others resort to using a hammer to solve the issue. Be as realistic as possible when entering into a remodeling project.
8) Create an realistic project timeline
Do some research about your type of project to better acquaint yourself with a realistic timeline. This is an area that DIYers miscalculate most often. For example, a contractor may indicate a two week time frame to complete the bathroom remodel work. Now being realistic they may not be working 8 hours every day. But they are taking into account minor delays for items that take longer than expected, time for drywall mud to dry between sanding, time for paint to dry before the next coat, and tile to set before grouting. It also assumes that all products are onsite and ready for delivery.
This doesn’t mean that one person runs out to get the new vanity cabinet while another person takes out the old one. Bad planning, but it happens all the time. There is no guarantee that you will be able to go to the store, find a cabinet you like in the style, color and size you like at the price you want. As a matter of fact it is most unlikely. Time and time again when I talk to DIYers about their projects they tell me that this really wasn’t what they wanted but it was the only thing available when they needed it. FYI, cabinets can take two weeks to 6 weeks to arrive; even if you only want one vanity cabinet.
Also, be careful not to assume that you can complete the project faster than a contractor just because you believe you can work faster and longer. Remember, they have experience that has been gained by working on many bathroom remodel projects just like yours over the years, and they have the right tools for the job with them. From experience they know, most importantly, that installation takes a certain amount of time just because it does.
8) Plan an exit strategy for your bathroom remodel
Even the best plans can run into road blocks because sometimes life happens that throws you a curve. Emergencies can arise that take you off course. Job related responsibilities change. Or maybe the project becomes to big or complicated to handle. So being able to acknowledge that there are many possible events that can occur that can derail a project will give you the ability to consider an exit strategy.
An exit strategy is your plan B for your bathroom remodel or maybe plan C. It is the solution to ‘what if the project just gets out of hand and becomes too complicated or overwhelming?” At least talk about bringing in the needed resources to complete the project. What if the financial resources you expected to use, get diverted or dry up? You’ll at least be able to discuss some options for emergency funds. Sometimes a project just takes way longer than you expected, you no longer can or want to finish it. Think through some points in the project where you can stop and still be happy.
Plan for success. But be open to alternatives options should life or the project take a different direction. Stay Calm & Remodel.
If you are looking for some ideas on what cabinet layouts might work best for you, check out my post Vanity Cabinets Made Simple. Or if you have some unanswered questions about bathroom remodeling take a look at questions answered for other homeowners. And, if you have questions that remain unanswered after reading my post please include them in the comments. Still eager to learn, then check out my other blog topics from my home page at DIYRemodelGuy.com
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