Bathroom renovations look so easy on TV – you simply imagine your dream bathroom, place some tile or paint an accent wall yourself, go shopping for glamourous finishes, and then you’re all done! Easy breezy, right? Well, not quite! There are a lot of mistakes that can happen along the way (which can end up being costly and potentially dangerous) if you don’t take the time to do everything right. Here are the top bathroom renovation mistakes you might encounter:
- Skipping the Planning Stage
Even if you’re not doing a complete bathroom overhaul, you still need to plan everything that you’re doing down to the last detail. Without laying everything out ahead of time and giving careful consideration to the choices that you’re making, you’re bound to end up with a situation where your shower door opens into your toilet, your new vessel sink runs into your existing cabinetry, or something else–. You want to ensure maximum functionality with your bathroom remodel.
It’s also important to budget appropriately for the work that needs to be done. While planning, you should decide what you want to do now and what can wait until later. Figure out which upgrades will be most cost-effective to do all at once time instead of needing to have trades come out more than once. Finally, leave an emergency fund to cover and surprises that you may encounter.
- Trying to Do It All Yourself
Doing the work yourself might seem more budget-friendly, but doing the job right the first time will always be less expensive. That’s why it’s so critical to bring in professional plumbers and electricians that know what they’re doing! Instead of tackling the biggest and most difficult things yourself, hire the pros – they’ll do the job safely and likely finish more quickly than you could on your own. Plus, they’re work will be guaranteed in a way that your own sweat equity won’t be.
- Ignoring Water Damage
Many older bathrooms have at least some amount of water damage from leaks or overflows that’s gone unresolved for some time. If you find any water damage, stop immediately and bring in a restoration expert or disaster clean up company to assess the damage and clean it up properly. Where there’s water damage there’s likely also mold. If not cleaned up properly, mold can spread quickly and make you and your family sick. More serious water damage can also cause structural damage, leaving your bathroom unsafe to use. You may end up having to dip into your emergency fund to get water damage fixed, but this is one area that you can’t afford to skip.
- Overspending on Finishes
Bathroom finishes (cabinets, hardware, sinks, tile, etc.) can vary widely in prices. Just selecting the first thing that catches your eye is a common remodeling mistake that can result in blowing your budget. Instead of just shopping with your heart, shop your brain as well. Look for deals and less expensive alternatives to your dream finishes to save some money and keep your remodel budget on track.
- Not Having a Backup Bathroom
A lot of times people will undertake a bathroom renovation and overlook how being short a bathroom will affect their families’ lives during the process. This is especially true when it comes to renovating a master bathroom. Sure, you may have another full bathroom where everyone can get showered and you can bathe the kids, but forcing the whole family to share is a recipe for disaster. Loud messy kids, family members that take forever getting ready in the morning, and normal bathroom smells are bound to be amplified when extra people share. Instead of driving your family crazy, rent a master bathroom trailer to keep everyone happy. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did! Our master bathroom model of luxury restroom trailer comes with separate bathroom stalls that each have sinks, toilets, and showers so that multiple people can get ready at the same time.
Kerkstra Luxury Portable Restroom Service Inc. provides portable restroom service across Michigan and luxury restroom trailers for all of the states surrounding the Great Lakes. Take a look at our mobile restroom trailers and request a quote today!
