How to Plan and Budget for Successful Bathroom Remodeling

One of the most effective home upgrades you can make is bathroom remodeling. The bathroom is one of the key features that sell a house—or drive away potential buyers. A nice bathroom that fits your needs can also make your home a much more enjoyable place to live. Next to the kitchen, though, the bathroom is the most expensive room to remodel, so it’s worth taking care to make sure you get the job done right, and plan it well from the start.

Looking at the Big Picture Is the Key to Successful Bathroom Remodeling

Cost management depends on getting it right the first time. Understanding what needs to be done, and making all the major decisions before work commences, is important. The first thing to consider is whether the bathroom remodel is all you need to do or whether it is one step in a whole-house makeover. If it is the only room you will be remodeling, there are fewer decisions to be made.

If you will be doing any major changes in the rest of the house, it is a good idea to meet with a remodeling contractor early in the process. By including your current project in a master plan, you may save time and money later on. For example, if you need to have plumbing or electrical work done, it may be best to have it done first, and would certainly be best to at least do the parts that are adjacent to the bathroom at the same time. The amount of money that you will add on to the basic job will be much less than what a general contractor would have to charge later to deconstruct and reconstruct your new shower tiling in order to access the pipes behind them.

Another reason it is important to make a master plan is if you are adding a bathroom, wet bar, or laundry room, or renovating an existing one. If there are going to be common walls, then there will likely be common plumbing and electrical work that can be done during the bathroom remodel, and by doing it all in one job, it saves labor and cuts overall costs.

Consider Future Needs

TWD has certified universal design specialists on staff so that we can offer our customers best-practice solutions for meeting the needs of all household residents, now and in the future. Phoenix and the surrounding area has become well known throughout the entire country as a desirable place to retire, and many of our customers would like to live in the home they own now for the rest of their lives. That’s why we make such a point of staying on top of the latest innovations for aging in place. Whether you are over 65 or not, you may have an older family member who will need to come stay with you, and it’s always nice to have a home that can accommodate the needs of friends and family—especially those with special needs who may have difficulty in most houses.

Incorporating universal design elements in your remodeling allows you to update the look of your home and make the necessary accommodations in a stylish way. Accessible cabinetry, bathroom fixtures, kitchen appliances, and even handrails are available in styles that blend with the rest of the décor so well that no one would think about them as “handicap” accessories when they see them, yet the function is extremely valuable to those who need it.

How to Plan a Budget for a Bathroom Remodel

Once you have determined that a bathroom remodel is needed, the big question becomes, “How much is it going to cost?” It’s a good question—kitchens and bathrooms are the most expensive rooms in the house to remodel, but upgrading these two rooms does wonders for the resale value of a house, in addition to making it much more pleasant to live in.

Every job is different, depending not only on what needs to be done, but what kind of house it is, and which fixtures are appropriate. Here are the basic aspects that will affect the cost of a bathroom remodel, so you can start honing in on what you should expect to spend.

The Remodel Price Relates to the Home’s Overall Value

A good rule of thumb is to expect the cost of remodeling a bathroom to be five to ten percent of your home’s value. Unlike most things, the percentage has to be higher for the lower-cost homes. For those valued at less than $100,000, expect to spend 10 percent, or $10,000. That figure is the lowest you should expect for a remodeling job that will leave you with a bathroom that is functional and comfortable for years to come.

On the other hand, if you are remodeling a bathroom in one of the high-end Scottsdale neighborhoods, where homes have average values of $5 million and up, you certainly don’t have to spend even five percent, or $250,000, to remodel a bathroom—though of course, that kind of home is going to have several bathrooms to remodel, and the luxurious fixtures that are appropriate to these homes can get pretty pricey. Most bathroom remodeling can be done for under $13,000, and even the more expensive remodels top out at about $20,000 unless particularly expensive fixtures are installed.

Decide What Can Stay and What Has to Go

Bathroom remodeling can be as simple as replacing the shower enclosure and flooring, or can be as extensive as ripping everything out and even moving the location of the plumbing. If you don’t need a new toilet, you can save several hundred dollars, simply by leaving the throne alone. On the other hand, if you have one that just seems to always be running, is cracked, stained, or otherwise unattractive, it has to go. The perpetual annoyance of a running toilet will drain the joy right out of your remodel.

Keeping the sink can save anywhere from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars. Countertops are more in the range of starting near a thousand and going up to about $6,500, so if you have cabinets and counters that are in good shape, it may make sense to work around them.

The bathtub and shower are widely variable in price because there is so much variety available. Prices start at about $400 each and go up to $10,000.

Will You Do Some Work Yourself?

If you are physically capable, you may be able to save money by doing some of the work yourself. It’s always tempting to cut costs this way, but be realistic about your abilities. Demolition doesn’t require a lot of skill, but it is hard work, and if you can’t do the work you planned to, you could jeopardize the schedule for the entire job. Be sure to discuss any plans you have to work on the project with your general contractor, so they know what to expect from you and can inform you of any problems with your plan.

Choose Your Contractor Carefully

Bathroom remodeling means one of the most-used rooms of your house will have limited availability for at least a couple of weeks. Working with an experienced and skillful contractor is important to make sure the job runs smoothly and you don’t encounter avoidable delays.

You will also be having people in and out of your home, which can be stressful, so it’s important to make sure you are dealing with someone you trust, and are comfortable talking to when you have concerns.

Take Advantage of the Showroom to Determine What You Want

TWD has a full home showroom so you can come in and literally get the feel of different materials and design elements. It can really help to narrow down what you want, and help you see the difference between fixtures in different price ranges.

As a professional remodeling contractor that has been in business in Phoenix for 20 years, TWD knows the local market, and has relationships with the best vendors so we can make sure we have the right materials on hand for each job, and get fair prices for our customers. Whether it’s bathroom remodeling, or a whole-house update you are looking for, give us a call to find out how we can make the job easier on you, and assure that you get the results you are looking for.