Thinking about Changing Your Bathroom?

by Murray Anderson

Bathrooms have come a long way from the tiny, cramped literally ‘water closets’ of yesteryear. Today bathrooms can be as beautiful and elegant as a high priced spa and contain all kinds of luxurious features to spoil you and your family – whirlpool tubs, steam showers and heated floors to name just a few of the more common ‘luxuries’ often included in an updated bathroom.

It’s easy to get carried away imagining yourself relaxing in your new bathroom. However, the world has some harsh realities ands you need to answer some questions before you even start thinking about colors, fixtures and appliances – things like what can you afford, will your bathroom upgrade really pay for itself, how long do you plan on staying in your home and finally, who’s going to do all the work - you or a contractor.

Money

Let’s start with the big one – money. The average bathroom in a North American home is 40 square feet, while the average cost to update a bathroom ranges between $7000 and $12000. This is for a fairly basic upgrade and includes a new tub, sink, toilet, wall tiles, flooring and lighting. More extensive changes, specialized fixtures or increasing the size of the room will obviously cost more.

Plus an extra word of caution - knowledgeable contractors will tell you that if your home is more than 30 years old, you will quite likely find out that you need more work than you planned. Old drywall literally absorbed moisture and you may not realize it but tile grout is porous and water can seep in behind. When you open up the walls you may find structural work needs to be done that can ad to your renovation costs. Make sure your budget contains an extra 10 to 15% contingency provision to deal with unforeseen things.

Know what to expect

Lots of real estate agents will tell you that a redone bathroom will literally pay for itself since you’ll get all your money back when you sell your home. The reality is you may get all your money back (however, worst case you will certainly get at least some back).

If your renovations turn your home into the most expensive house on the block, potential buyers just might opt for the slightly less expensive home down the street rather than paying the whole premium to get yours – even with your newly upgraded bathroom. You don’t want to end up having the most expensive home on the street. However, if you’re planning on staying in your home for the foreseeable future, by all means renovate and enjoy it, just don’t consider an expensive renovation to be an guaranteed money maker.

Understand the process

Renovating a bathroom isn’t just about drywalling, tiling, plumbing and electrical work, it’s also about dealing with bureaucracy. You or you contractor need to get planning approvals, permits and arrange for inspections to ensure your new bathroom is finished according to local building codes. In some cases, you may also need to get permission from a HomeOwner’s or Community Association as well.

Don’t figure these are niceties that you don’t need to worry about since non-compliance could mean your new bathroom would need to be torn apart. Take the time to talk to your city’s planning department to find out what permits and inspections are required to ensure your renovation will conform to local building codes.

(A extra word of caution. If you are having the work done by a contractor, some less than honest contractors will tell you that permits are just a waste of time and unnecessary paper work. Don’t believe them. Permits and inspections are your guarantee that the work has been done according to code and is protection for you as a homeowner).

Who does the work – you or a contractor?

Doing the job yourself will obviously cost less than if you hire a professional. However, you won’t be saving any money if you're taking on a job that is beyond your skill level and you end up botching the whole thing.

If you do choose a professional check him out carefully. It’s unfortunate but the home contracting and renovation business has a number of unqualified contractors who don’t do quality work. Get at least three quotes from contractors and check out their references (don't just ask them if they’ve done this kind of work). Make sure they have adequate insurance to protect you form liability and workman’s compensation coverage so you won’t get sued for an accident to a worker in your home (ask to see the certificates).

A new bathroom can truly change a home and make it a joy to live in. Just don’t get carried away by the pretty pictures in a brochure and jump right in. Take the time to do your homework up front so your new bathroom is never a source of aggravation and bad memories.

Murray Anderson is an experienced freelance writer and frequent contributor to DoItYourself.com. He has numerous articles published on the web as well as in print magazines and newspapers in both the United States and Canada.