The WoW Style

Your bathroom is a personal, intimate place. It’s where you go to begin your day and, oftentimes, where you perform rituals before you retire for the night. So it’s only natural to want to make it as refreshing as possible. Other than that, a beautiful bathroom is also a great feature that will impress potential buyers if you’re looking to sell.

But regardless of your reasons to renovate, know that, between picking a Pinterest inspiration and turning it into an actual, working personal space, there’s the huge amount of work that requires careful planning.

Before you call the contractor or embark on your own bathroom DIY experience, there are some things you need to do first to make sure your bathroom remodel goes along smoothly.

The following is a guide that will help you make the process breezy.

Planning Priorities

• Identify what’s wrong with your current bathroom, and work your remodel plan from here.
• Ask yourself when you’d want the whole remodel to be done (e.g., before winter).
• How much are you willing to shell out? Set a tentative budget, and set the maximum limit that you are willing to appropriate for extra costs.
• Choose a color palette. This will dictate the rest of the materials and additional fixtures that you should buy to keep a harmonious bathroom design.
• Identify where you will be buying your materials, including the alternatives.
• See to it to purchase as much as you can.
• Check the shipping times so you can ensure that all the materials you’ll need for the initial work will be available in time.
• Consider how the renovation will affect the family and other rooms of the house.
• Consider what obstacles will be in the way, like existing wiring or pipings, the size of the new fixtures, if the floor needs replacing, etc.
• Create a tentative timeline of the entire project, accounting for the availability of materials, monetary resources, and your target date of completion.
• Consider buying from thrift stores.

Actual Checklist

• Paperwork Requirements
  • Building permit
  • Electrical permit
  • Plumbing permit
  • Possible asbestos testing, which depends on how old your house is

• Demolition Concerns
  • Consider the possibility of hiring a skip to remove the rubbish from demolition.
  • Consider fees to be paid for the demolition.

• Framing and Preparation Work
  • Insulation
  • Sealants
  • Drywall
  • Doors and windows
  • Waterproofing material for both wall and floor
  • Vapor barriers
  • Wood

• Plumbing Considerations
  • Plumbing tools if you’re doing the plumbing work on your own
  • Cost of plumbing materials
  • Cost of plumbing work if hiring professionals

• Electrical Considerations
  • Electrical tools if you’re doing the electrical work on your own
  • Lighting materials (above the shower, on the ceiling, around the sink)
  • Heating materials
  • Ventilation materials
  • Electrical outlets and switches
  • Exhaust fan and related materials

• Bathroom Materials
  • Sink
  • Vanity
  • Faucet
  • Toilet (macerating toilets are highly recommended because they are easier to install and relatively cheaper)
  • Toilet seat
  • Shower screen
  • Towel rails
  • Bathroom storage
  • Medicine storage
  • Soap dish
  • Hooks

• Finishing Concerns
  • Floor tiles and required grouts
  • Wall tiles and required grouts
  • Shower pan tiles and required grouts
  • Mortar
  • Sealers
  • Bullnose
  • Toothbrush holders
  • Recessed shelvings
  • Tile-in soap dish
  • Wood or aluminum trimmings and required primers
  • Primer for the drywall
  • Stain treatment for trimmings
  • Covers for ventilation

• Decor
  • Paint
  • Wallpaper (be sure to measure your wall size first)
  • Vanity trimmings
  • Window treatments
  • Bins
  • Plants
  • Soap dishes
  • Stool
  • Rugs
  • Plants or other preferred decors

• Miscellaneous Expenses
  • Reinstallation of bad wiring
  • Addressing molds
  • Pest control
  • Replacing rotting wood
  • Bad flooring reinstallations
  • Other unexpected encounters that will have to be addressed first before the process can proceed

Additional Tips

• Be sure to measure the sizes of all your fittings and fixtures, taking into account the size of your bathroom, before purchasing them.
• Choose bathroom decorative materials that are durable and definitely water-resistant.
• See to it that all the shelves, storage, cabinets, and soap recesses are functional, are within your reach, and can accommodate your things reasonably.
• A typical bathroom renovation can last anywhere between three and eight weeks. Be realistic in your timeline.
• Separate items that you need to have from those that you think are nice to have. Then, prioritize.
• Maximize your bathroom space. A clean and organized space looks better than a stuffed place.
• Choose comfort over style. Explore style options before finalizing a style decision.

Final Thoughts

A lot of the success of a bathroom remodel is determined by good planning. By planning carefully, you will be able to mitigate potential problems, provide a list of alternatives in case a certain material is not available, and determine the timeline so you can distribute your resources properly.

So feel free to copy this list as you see fit, and build your personal bathroom renovation checklist today.

Share your personal bathroom renovation tips below!