5 essential tips for a smooth bathroom remodel

You walk into your bathroom, and something feels off. It’s lost its touch and doesn’t look the same anymore.

It’s no longer your own special space.

Your idea of a perfect bathroom has changed, and the bathroom itself has gotten old in your eyes.

You need a change, something different.

You want to remodel your bathroom. You want to make it modern, whether you want that special feeling back or you’re looking to sell the house soon.

But you don’t know where to start.

Remodelling seems like an intimidating project. So much to do, so much energy and money to spend.

We’re here to tell you not to worry. It doesn’t have to be as daunting as you think it is.

In fact, with a few simple tips and tricks, you can make your life a lot easier. You can reduce the amount of energy you plan to spend and learn how much remodelling costs.

Here are five tips and tricks to help you in your remodelling process.

Plan Well

Before you do anything, it’s important to plan. You need to know every detail about your remodelling process to save you any doubts and anxiety. Spare yourself the trouble of having to rethink things in the middle of the process. Create a plan and stick to it.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” – Benjamin Franklin

The good thing about renovating your bathroom is you have the basic structure. You can work with the existing layout, knowing you won’t have to make significant changes to it.

Try as much as possible to stick to your original blueprint. Fewer alterations mean fewer costs of remodelling.

Keep the structure of your sanitaryware as it is. Sanitaryware is any fixture in your bathroom that’s part of the plumbing. These fixtures include:

• Toilets
• Sinks
• Basins
• Baths
• Showers

So, the fewer changes you make to these items and their pipes, the less you spend on plumbing.

When planning, it’s also important to ensure that the materials you want to use are ideal for bathrooms. You want to use materials that do well against moisture and a high quantity of water every day.

Another important step in the planning process is coming up with a team. One which you can leave everything to, knowing they have it under control. One that gives you peace of mind.

In a renovation project, there are different types of tradespeople involved. These tradies have skills in their own areas of expertise.

Tradespeople can include:

• General renovation contractors
• Plumbers
• House painters
• Carpenters
• Waterproof specialists
• Tilers
• Electricians

Depending on your remodelling plans, you may need some or all these types of tradies.

When approaching your preferred tradespeople, make sure they’re licensed. You should also check that they’re insured. You want to protect yourself if anything goes wrong during the renovation.

Making sure they’re available when you need them is also very important.

Once you’ve designed the plans for what needs remodelling, run it by the tradies before you start. You want to make sure they all agree on the plans and there won’t be any issues.

Keep It Simple

The simpler your remodelling design, the less you spend on it. It makes sense and saves you cents. Okay, that was a corny joke.

But in all honesty, not making extravagant changes to your bathroom is a good thing.

You can do without the extra mouldings and other decorations if you think about it.

Unless you need to have them, but still, think about it.

Think about the right sanitaryware you want to use before you start tiling or plastering, whether you’re using the existing sanitaryware or getting new ones.

The simple aspects you need to consider when selecting sanitaryware include:

• Price
• Colour
• Size
• Design

Try to salvage your sanitaryware as much as possible. You can do this by re-enamelling fixtures like your bathtub to protect it. It’s a smart, simple and affordable solution.

When it comes to selecting sanitaryware, stick to one colour, like white. This allows you to mix and match fixtures from different manufacturers. Enabling you to save by looking for the best deals per item.

However, this doesn’t mean hat you should settle for cheap fixes like plastic items. No, it’s better to invest in sanitaryware you can seal and tighten to prevent water leakages. Plastic items are flexible, and this may make it harder to seal them.

Stick to deck-mounted taps and other sanitaryware that isn’t mounted to your walls.

Wall-mounted fixtures tend to complicate things and increase the price of your renovation. You’d need specialist fixing and complex plumbing, which means extra costs and extra work.

Invest in Brassware

Another important investment when making remodelling decisions is your choice of brassware.

Brassware is any item made out of brass. In a bathroom, brassware also refers to tapware. Meaning the different types of taps you use.

These types may include:

• Ball taps
• Compression washer taps
• Cartridge taps
• Disk taps

Tapware consists of a few parts:

• The tubes where the water comes from, also known as spouts
• The visible handles we use to turn the water on and off
• The hidden valves that adjust the water’s temperature

Ball taps are also known as mixer taps and are popular in many Australian homes. Mixer taps allow you to regulate the amounts of hot and cold water with a single handle.

Compression washer taps are the ones often found in gardens and traditional homes. They have simple handles that allow you to control the flow of water by turning them on or off.

Cartridge taps are another type of mixer taps. They consist of hidden cartridges which help control the water temperature and intensity.

Disk taps differ from ball taps in their shape. They are wider than ball taps and have a cylinder frame. Disk taps are also more common in Australian households than ball taps.

We use tapware every day, so it’s important not to opt for cheap items.

You don’t want limescale to build up on them, so it’s best to find easy-to-clean showerheads.

Learn about the best tapware brands in Australia worth investing in.

Minimise Moisture

Moisture is inevitable in a bathroom, but you’ll want to reduce its amount for long periods on a daily basis.

Moisture can lead to mould forming. No one wants that in their bathroom.

There are many ways to minimise moisture:

• Cleaning your bathroom: Doing so on a regular basis removes the moisture. Wipe everything down.
• Washing your bathroom mat and towels: Damp fabric can carry mould spores. Consider drying any cloth outside of the bathroom in the open air.
• Fixing leaks: Check for leaks on a regular basis, as they can cause puddles of water, which lead to mould.
• Improving ventilation: Leave windows wide open for most of the day to let air in. Also, consider installing a fan and turning it on for 20 minutes after your shower or bathe.
• Using plants: Plants like cactuses are natural dehumidifiers.
• Using other dehumidifiers: You can use electric dehumidifiers or other moisture absorbers. Desiccant trays are a good option.
• Taking shorter and cooler showers: The longer you take in the shower, the more humid it gets.
• Waterproofing your bathroom: Install tile backer boards to prevent water from seeping through.

Get Quotes

Learning how much a bathroom renovation will cost you isn’t as complicated as you’d think.

You need a website that gives you quotes and more. One that allows you to read about other homeowners’ experiences. You need to find out which tradespeople offer what services.

Get your quotes today for your bathroom remodel. Start putting our tips and tricks into practice!