Renovating your bathroom can be an exciting project, but it can also be an overwhelming one. You often hear stories of nightmare renovations that end up a time-consuming and costly mess.
While it might be tempting to skip ahead and start picking out colour schemes, tiles, and even bathtubs, there are a number of more mundane things to check before you do so, to avoid becoming one of these nightmare stories.
Our simple 4-point checklist covers the essential things to consider beforehand, to ensure your bathroom is renovated to plan.
1. Have I Got a Big Enough Budget?
Before we go any further into our checks to ensure your bathroom renovation runs smooth, let’s discuss cost. Although having a big enough budget to complete your bathroom renovation may seem like a fairly obvious check, it is arguably the most important.
One thing you can always count on in any renovation is an unexpected glitch.
How much is your average bathroom renovation?
Providing that any glitches that occur are minor and that you are using standard fittings and existing pipework, a bathroom renovation can be completed for around £4,500.
That seems like a fairly decent budget right? While you may think it should be easy to stick to a figure such as this, it’s very easy to get carried away and many people find that whatever they grant initially ends up being nowhere near enough to complete their dream design.
More often than not it becomes a toss-up between seeing your dream design plan come to life, or staying within your budget.
Whilst it can be difficult to decide what aspects of your design to keep and cut, an easy way to avoid this is by having a big enough budget to start with. Your budget should be one that allows for a few glitches and expenses that will inevitable arise along the way.
2. Have I Considered Planning Permission & Regulations?
If you’re confident you have a big enough budget to complete your bathroom renovation, the next important check to make surrounds planning permission and regulations.
It is always a good idea to check regulations and if you will require planning permission, before starting any renovation or construction project. You may be thinking, but surely I won’t need planning permission for a new bathroom?
The answer to this is it depends. If you are just renovating your bathroom and have existing electrics, plumbing and waste connected, then you are not likely to require any planning permission.
If however you are changing the bathroom fittings or fixtures, or adding a bathroom to your property, things can become a little more complicated.
Often extra wiring or pipework may be needed to install your fixtures, which may be required to conform to building regulations, especially if it expands on or alters an existing drainage system.
Regardless of where you are in the UK; should a problem arise after your renovation and you need someone to fix blocked drains in Southampton, London, Bristol, or Scotland, it is vital that your drainage system can still be accessed, should it need to be.
Apart from planning permission, you should also consider what measures need to be taken to ensure the working environment is safe and that any water and electricity you will need is also safe and unaffected.
3. Have I Got a Good Contractor?
It is a common misconception that all general contractors are the same. Contractors not only come with varying degrees of experience and specialities but also numbers of staff and on-site designers, which you can expect to pay more for.
You may find that some contractors come in at almost three times the price of others, however, by paying extra, general project management and any extra subcontractors or materials will also often be sourced for you.
This brings us back to our first checkpoint of budget. If you are willing to pay more, your bathroom renovation may be a relatively stress-free and straightforward process.
If you don’t have the budget to hire a more expensive contractor, you need to consider if extras like project management and the sourcing of extras, is something you are willing to do.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that depending on the size of your bathroom and the design specifics, renovation can take over a month to complete. During this time your home will be invaded by contractors, mess and noise.
Whilst your renovation is being completed, you will often be left with the inconvenience of bathroom pieces all over your house to be stored until they are needed or taken away from removal.
Although you are unlikely to find a contractor who can complete your bathroom renovation without any disruption, it is key you check that your contractor and the way they work is a good fit for you and anyone else you are living with. This will mean that the inconvenience caused is as manageable as possible.
4. Are There Any Issues with My Current Plumbing Fixtures?
Before going ahead and planning there is one final thing to check and that is if there are any issues with the existing plumbing fixtures that need to be addressed.
It is a good idea to consider the existing layout of your bathroom. What works? What doesn’t? Unlike renovating other rooms in your home, bathrooms have to function practically, as well as looking aesthetically pleasing and suiting your design taste.
This can make the technical aspect of the renovation somewhat complicated. By looking at where existing pipework is and where electrics are based, you can make determining the best position for each fixture a lot easier, including everything from the basin to a shower, bath, radiator, or other accessories.
The positioning of each feature will also depend on the look you’re going for. If you are going for something clean and modern a good plumber should be able to conceal pipework in flooring, ceilings and boxes.
Completed Our 4 Point Checklist?
If you’re confident you’ve considered each of our 4 checks you can start looking at bathroom finishes and planning your renovation!
