Except for redoing a kitchen, nothing can revitalize your home, and increase its resale value, quite like redoing the cheap bathroom suite.
If you have decided to redo your discount bathroom suite, there are a few things to consider before you begin the project.
How much do you want to invest?
You will probably handle an investment property you plan to remodel and flip very differently than a home you plan to live in for many years to come.
If you plan to flip the property, the goal is to make the white bathroom suite look nice. All that may be necessary is a good scrubbing, some new tile on the floor, a fresh coat of paint for the walls and cabinets, and some new fixtures. This alone can transform a dreary tired looking bathroom into one of the highlights of the home.
However, if you’re redoing the corner bathroom suite in a home you plan to live in yourself, you may want to do much more extensive work after taking a few things into consideration.
Who will use it?
If you’re getting a little older and plan on spending the remaining years of your life in your home, you may want to consider installing a walk-in shower instead of a shower-equipped tub. Walk-in showers are easier for older people to enter, and tubs are more likely to result in falls and serious injuries.
Older people also sometimes appreciate toilets that sit higher than the normal toilet, and you can even install safety bars near the toilet and in the shower to help prevent falls. Shower seats that you can install in walk-in showers can also be purchased for less than $40.
On the other hand, if you’re planning to start a family, a tub will come in very handy when bathing your young children. You may even want to consider installing an extra large sink that can serve as the baby’s bathtub during the first few months of its life.
If you have a family, you definitely want to make sure that your tub comes equipped with a shower, because the average shower time is much shorter than the average bath time, which will come in handy as your family grows up and everybody gets busier.
If you plan on sharing the bathroom with a partner or other family members, installing an extra sink can save everyone time by allowing two people to brush their teeth or wash their faces at the same time.
If possible, you might even consider installing a door between the sink area and the toilet and shower area so that one person can shower in private while another can use the sink.
Do it yourself, or hire a professional?
Once you decide what you want to do with your small bathroom suite, you have to decide whether you want to do it yourself or hire someone.
To answer this question, you really have to ask yourself three more. How much money do I want to spent? How extensive are the remodels I want? Do I have the expertise to handle them?
If your remodel requires serious plumbing work, you’re much better going with a professional, at least for that part of the job, unless you have plumbing experience. It’s also a good idea to bring in an electrician if you plan on any rewiring.
Similarly, if you plan a huge remodel, you may not be able to sacrifice the time to the project that it really needs. But, if you’re flipping the house, and the remodel is purely cosmetic, you may be able to handle the minor tile work, painting, and grout and caulk work yourself.
Ultimately, it may come down to a question of money. Obviously, the larger the project and the more experts you need to bring in, the more it’s going to cost. A plumber alone can charge anywhere from $50 to $200 an hour, depending on where you live. Good electricians generally start at around $75 an hour. Once the plumbing and electrical work are done, you can get a good general handyman to do the tiling, painting, and installations, but even they demand $200 to $300 a day.
You also have to take into consideration the cost of the tile, paint, and any new toilets, showers, cabinets, mirrors, and sinks you buy. The prices on these items vary wildly from the truly affordable to the wildly expensive, depending on your tastes and budget.
Redoing your complete bathroom suite is a great way to revitalize your home, but before beginning the project, make sure you’ve truly studied exactly what kind of remodel would best serve you.
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