By making compromises, you will be able to bring down the cost of remodeling your bathroom considerably, and a professional bathroom remodeling contractor will be able to give you some sensible advice.
Reducing the cost of a home renovation or remodeling project may seem difficult, but if you contract a home improvement service with plenty of experience, you end up with the right result.
Floor Plan
Homeowners are often tempted to change the floor plan, or the entire layout, of the bathroom. However, this is one of the costliest mistakes you can make. Changing the floor plan of a bathroom means moving pipe work and ceiling lights. This is an expensive and time consuming exercise, and should be avoided.
Instead take a look at the existing floor plan with your contractor, and see if a new shower stall or bathtub would have a positive impact. Investing in new fixtures is often a better option.
A new toilet may only cost you $125 whilst installing a new toilet and moving pipe work could cost at least $500.
Tiling
Tiling can quickly start to look dated, so when you plan your new color scheme try to go for colors that are transitional. Transitional colors for a bathroom include white, light yellow, blue and turquoise. These four colors will help to keep your bathroom looking fresh for longer, and can be easily matched with towels and mats.
Tiling can eat up a big part of the budget, using expensive tiles to accent cheaper ones, is an option and will lift the entire feel of the bathroom.
Labor
Labor will be the biggest cost of the project, and you need to make sure your estimate includes all the labor to complete the project. A bathroom project budget can easily go off the rails, and all costs should be included in the estimate.
The costs for tiling, plumbing, removal of old fixtures and installation of new ones, should clearly be broken down in the estimate. It is essential to identify the costliest part of the project before your decide to go ahead, this is when you can identify savings.
Fixtures
Focusing on investing in fixtures, will serve your family well for a long time, and include water saving devices. A low flow toilet can save you several hundreds of dollars per year, and the right faucets and shower head can cut down on utility costs.
Yes, you want your bathroom to look good but today's utility costs make it essential for us to invest in fixtures that will save us money for years to come.
Recommendations and references
Knowing that you can trust your bathroom remodeling contractor is crucial to a good working relationship. If, your contractor has been recommended to you, find out why the homeowner recommended him.
References are important, if you have no previous experience when finding a contractor in your area. Ask to speak to previous clients, and make sure they are happy.
Bathroom remodeling projects may need some special licenses. Your house remodeling contractor should be able to obtain those for you, and give warranties for his work along with proof of insurance. If work goes wrong and your contractor is not insured, you will end up picking up the tab.
