Renovating a bathroom is a great way to boost your home’s resale value without committing to a large, daunting project like a kitchen renovation. After all, when you give your bathroom a facelift, it makes an important room in your home feel more modern. It can also make your bathroom more functional and convenient for your family.
Like any home renovation project, however, bathroom renovations can get complicated and pricey if you make rookie mistakes or don’t plan in advance. What are some of the most common errors homeowners make when renovating a bathroom? Here are 5 key items most people forget about when planning a bathroom renovation:
1. Leaving enough space
When you’re eagerly planning your bathroom renovation, it can be easy to get caught up in thinking about all of the items and features that you want to add to your bathroom. As a result, there’s something you might not think about: leaving enough empty space.
You may be dreaming of finally having double sinks in your master ensuite so that you and your partner can get ready at the same time in the morning. But if a large vanity isn’t going to leave you with enough space between your toilet and shower, it’s time to rethink your wish list.
A cramped bathroom is less comfortable and convenient to use and harder to clean. It’ll also be less appealing to potential buyers when you put your home on the market.
2. Ensuring proper ventilation
Many bathrooms are small spaces without any windows. And even if your bathroom does have a window, you might not be keen on keeping it open while you shower on a cold winter morning. This is why it’s important to ensure adequate ventilation when planning your bathroom renovation.
A bathroom without proper ventilation can accumulate moisture, which can eventually cause mold. To prevent this problem, be sure to install an exhaust fan that’s the right size for your bathroom. It’ll help you air out steam and moisture long before they can cause problems in your bathroom.
3. Adding enough lighting
A bathroom with small or nonexistent windows doesn’t just create a ventilation problem. It also limits the amount of light you have in it. You may think you can solve this problem by installing a single strip of lights over the vanity. But if you’ve ever tried to shave in the shower or put on makeup in front of your mirror, you know that this amount of lighting often doesn’t cut it.
When planning your bathroom renovation, be sure to account for enough lighting, including above your shower or tub. It’ll make your new bathroom feel brighter, and it’ll reduce the risk of falls in the shower.
4. Choosing a nonslip floor
Poor lighting isn’t the only bathroom renovation mistake that can make you take a nasty spill while showering or getting ready for work. Choosing a slippery floor can do the trick too.
When you’re planning a bathroom renovation, it can be easy to fall in love with a tile floor based solely on its looks. But because bathroom floors tend to get wet, choosing a nonslip floor is especially important. This applies both to the main floor in your bathroom and the shower floor (if you have a standing shower).
5. Creating sufficient storage
Because it’s a smaller space, it’s easy to forget about all the things you store in your bathroom. This includes the extra toiletries you buy in bulk and a full pack’s worth of toilet paper.
When planning your bathroom renovation, make sure that you’ll have enough space for everything you want to store in your bathroom. Sure, you may have found a pedestal sink that would look gorgeous with the new shower fixtures you picked out. But if it’s going to mean storing extra toilet paper in your laundry room, you may want to think twice about it.
Take your time when planning your bathroom renovation
Renovating a bathroom can be an exciting project to take on. But if you rush the planning process, you can end up spending more money and waiting longer for your bathroom to be complete. That’s why it’s handy to plan carefully and consider the aspects of a bathroom renovation that most homeowners forget. It may mean kicking off the demolition process a bit later, but it’ll put you in a much better position to end up with a functional bathroom that looks great too.
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