How to Remodel Your Bathroom on a Budget
When it comes to remodeling a bathroom, you want to plan appropriately. Things can get expensive quickly, so you want to keep your budget tight and ensure that you have the best ROI for the projects chosen. If you’re planning to redo your home’s bathrooms, here is what you need to know to get the most from your money.
Think About ROI
One of the big rooms to remodel before putting the house on the market is the bathroom. While building a new bathroom may not give the best return, adding additions and renovating can. Painting, especially a calming color like blue, can show an increase in sale price by over $5,000. It’s inexpensive, and you can do it yourself well. If you get a contractor to redo a bathroom, it may cost almost $20,000, but you’ll see, on average, a 70 percent return. It’s worth doing the bathroom well, but to avoid that hefty price tag, you want to do it smart. Create a budget and stick to it by deciding what you can do by yourself and what you need a professional to manage. A good idea of how to establish the absolute maximum you should spend is to determine the value of your house and divide it by the number of rooms you have. This figure should be no more than the value of a single room.
Make It Efficient
There is almost never enough room for storage in bathrooms. Between chemical storage, shampoos and soaps, and the many towels, we end up needing to be creative. Having additional storage options can see a good ROI, and it doesn’t take much effort to make it happen. You can add or create pullout shelving in your existing cabinets for extra storage. More complex projects could be done to make the room appear larger and offer more space to move about it. A corner sink takes up less room and can allow for further development, such as putting in a towel hamper or a new shelf. You can do other easy installs yourself, such as adding towel bars on the back of the bathroom door to maximize room. Bars and shelving aren’t expensive, especially if you install them yourself to save the cost of additional labor.
What to Do Yourself
Determining what you can do yourself depends on how adventurous you are and your level of experience. If you have done some projects in the past, you may be able to branch out and update your toilet, replace a sink, or even install a shower door. Make sure you do your research before you begin, as there may be permits you need to acquire for bigger projects. You need to really plan before you start, even down to what color scheme you will be choosing, as you certainly don’t want your tile to clash with the countertop. You may find that things like replacing faucets and shower heads are easier than ripping out and laying down a new floor. Adding shelving is less intensive than adjusting plumbing, so think about what effort you’re willing to put into this remodel. You’ll need basic equipment as well, like a safety mask, gloves, electric tools, buckets, and spackle. This is not something to take on lightly, so compare the price of buying tools and taking time to accomplish the remodel with hiring a contractor.
Hiring a Contractor
When it comes to complicated matters, it really is best if you hire a professional. Not only do they have the tools and experience needed, but you can injure yourself if you fiddle with plumbing and wiring and something goes awry. Things like redoing your shower or tub, installing a lighting fixture, or replacing a toilet should be left to those who have ample experience. Only tackle what you are 100 percent certain you can handle with no risk to yourself.
If you are thinking of remodeling, don’t panic. It will be work, but at the end of the day, it can be greatly worth it. Be sure that you plan to get the best ROI possible, and know when you need to hire a professional to keep things safe.
Many thanks to guest writer, Eugene Williams
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*How to Remodel Your Bathroom on a Budget