For what is probably the smallest room in the house, bathrooms are notoriously tricky and expensive to renovate. Today, there is an ongoing trend of creating big, spacious and luxurious bathrooms. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that bathroom revamps rank highly on many property owners’ remodeling priority lists. Just like any other home renovation, refurbishment of your bathroom can get tricky and overwhelming at times. With bathroom reno’s, you can always anticipate that unexpected costs will add to your overall renovation budget.
From years of experience and plenty of bathroom reno’s under our belts, as one of the leading interior design Dublin studios, we have detected the 5 most common hidden costs when it comes to the bathroom renovations. We wanted to share with you some of our tips and tricks on how to avoid them. Read on if you’d like to find out!
- Removal of existing finishes, fixtures and furniture
Just like when remodelling and refurbishing your kitchen, you need to plan the actual removal of bathroom finishes and sanitary ware, or even dated bathroom furniture. Make sure you know who is responsible for taking leftover material after demolition to your local landfill.
If your contractor has agreed to be responsible for this phase of the project, make sure it is included in the quote. On the other hand, if you are the person in charge for this task, budget for it well ahead, so this step doesn’t catch you by surprise.
- Measurements and dimensions
Always double or even triple-check measurements and dimensions of bathroom furniture and the bathroom itself. Short selling yourself on the ordering of wall and floor tiles is a common mistake, which can lead to delays and eventual hidden costs.
When you are ready to select and order tiles, always add about 10% more. Tiles can break or even get lost. By following this rule of thumb, you can be sure that you won’t run out of materials and have to reorder.
- Water damage
Water damage can be invisible up to the point when the demolition starts. From the toilet to the bathtub, the number of places where leaking and water damage can occur is quite large. If this happens to you, in order to proceed with your renovation, you will need to do some repairing first.
As this is an unexpected situation, you can be sure that it will add to your overall costs. To minimise this unpleasant circumstance, make sure to add 20% on top of your remodelling budget before you actually start working, just in case!
- Plan your electrics
If you are planning on changing the layout of your bathroom, it is very likely that lighting fixtures and switches will need to be relocated. What that means is a new design wiring scheme, and contracting an electrician. This will create additional costs, of course. How great your expenses will be, depends on the complexity of the tasks. Contact the electrician to get a quote well before starting the bathroom remodelling. By doing so, you will be completely aware of all the expenses for this crucial phase of your bathroom renovation right from the start.
- Waterproofing is important
Investing in waterproof materials for your walls, especially where the shower and toilet is located, is important when designing a functional bathroom. Covering these areas with tiles, or mosaics, or perhaps choosing moisture resistant plasterboards, or even fibreglass are a good practice. Though, you should know that these materials are on the pricier side and will affect your budget. Therefore, you should factor these items in right from the start of your remodeling project.
Bonus tip: To reduce the level of stress and cost any home renovation project brings, consider working with professionals like us, top interior designers Ireland has. We are experienced in this field, and have a great understanding of each phase of the remodelling process and can plan ahead and avoid common mistakes that often come up. We also possess an extended network of trusted contacts from electricians and plumbers all the way through to suppliers.
