If you plan on hosting people at your home, you should do a quick inventory to figure out whether your home is a little too “mannish” for others or whether the man-cave motif is the right fit.
Once you realize what your home is all about, you should consider a possible remodel, or at least an upgrade to what you already have.
Whether you’re considering a new home or upgrading your existing residence, there are a lot more things to consider than you may know.
For example, if you’re looking to upgrade and remodel a bathroom, you need to consider such things as:
Have A Plan
Planning is crucial for any project, especially one that you have for your home.
Think about your house’s decor, will your remodel match it or stick out like a sore thumb?
Are you planning any other future remodels in other parts of the house? How does your bath remodel fit that overall scheme?
What type of materials are you hoping to use? Do you have a contractor in place all ready to assist with planning and construction, or do you think you’ll do it on your own?
Before you create a master plan, there are a few other things to consider:
- What is the primary function, i.e., shower, bath, toilet only?
- Who will be using the bathroom?
- For showers, consider the type of showerhead, tiles, and doors.
- For a bathtub, do you want a vintage feel with a raised tub or more contemporary fixtures?
- What type of vanity for the bathroom makes the most sense?
- How much space do you have for storage, or will you be using bathroom furniture?
- Where in the house is the bathroom located, and what is immediately sharing walls with it? – This is important for sound during use.
- Think about lighting. Do you want natural lighting or prefer high-energy light bulbs?
Interview Contractors
Getting professional feedback shouldn’t cost you anything but time. Getting a pro into your place to walk you through some of your plan’s more elaborate details will help you focus and refine your remodel to a more realistic and manageable project.
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya from PexelsOften contractors have in-house designers who can help you shape your vision for your remodel, complete with material samples and, in some cases, even mock-ups of what the new bathroom, kitchen, or bedroom remodel would look like after completion.
When you interview a contractor, you need to do a little background research on them.
For example, do they have client testimonials and recent reviews? Do they have an active social media or current Yelp page?
You’re looking for someone who is reputable, licensed, have insurance, and appears to be in good standing with previous clients.
Another place to check out your prospective contractors is with the local Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau to see if they’re in good standing and have a history of positive business practices.
Set Your Budget
It’s nice to have “champagne tastes and caviar dreams” as the tagline to the hit show Lifestyles of The Rich and Famous, but those fantasies may not fit your particular budget.
Once you create a concept for your remodel, getting a quote from a couple of different contractors should include the length of time for completion, numbers of the crew that may have access to your home, and the overall cost for labor and materials.
Getting an estimate that details how long the project may take are often overlooked, but it can be costly in time spent working around the work being done.
All these factors go into your overall cost assessment and will be the foundation for creating a budget, both in dollars and in time.
Additional Costs And Features
Getting a remodel done is just the start. You need to consider what extra insurance you may need before starting the project and what coverage you may already have.
Also, you need to consider if replacing some water pipes, electrical lines, or even getting different insulation installation services to help reduce cooling and heating costs are all worthy considerations.
Men, in general, get knocked around for how they decorate their homes, and when considering a remodel on the house, take the professional’s advice. While it’s your home, they may have a much broader perspective that will help you maximize the space you’re upgrading.
Featured Image by Kalila Kal from Pixabay
