You woke up one morning and realized that your bathroom was badly in need of a remodel. Well, you have known for a while now, but somehow, things look much worse on this particular morning. Aside from the falling tiles, the stained bathtub and the black mold spots on the walls, you cannot stand another second of that knocking sound whenever the shower is running.
So, you do what all prudent homeowners do and start looking into a local Anchorage AK contractor that is seasoned in residential bathroom remodel.
From your research, you figure that hiring a contractor costs way too much, so why not DIY the remodel by taking up the role of a general contractor? After all, it is such a small space, and there are tutorials all over YouTube. What could possibly go wrong?
Two and a half months later, the remodel is finally done, but you do not have a beaming smile on your face. The past two and a half months have been pure hell.
Tearing something down always revealed a new problem, and the total bill ended up being way more than what you were willing to spend. In fact, the final figure comes close to the quotes given to you by several contractors earlier on when you were still weighing your options.
Not to mention that at some point, you had to call in favors from friends and family to enable you to complete the project to avoid it running into its third month.
You started with the idea of having a zhooshed-up space, but now, the room looks pretty basic and you are not at all happy with how it all went down. So, where did you go wrong?
- You Didn’t Hire A Bathroom Remodeling Contractor
Well, needless to say, the first thing which went wrong was not hiring a professional for the job.
Working with a contractor feels like a pricey move. It is worth it though because they bring much more to the table than merely laying down tiles. A professional will go over your budget and ideas and assess how best you can realize your bathroom remodel and in the shortest time possible.
As a homeowner, you can undertake minor improvements such as replacing a faucet or installing a shower door. When it comes to intensive bathroom remodels; however, these require higher levels of skills and perhaps its best to leave that to the professionals.
Better yet, you forget that a qualified contractor has done this much longer than you have. So, they are more conversant with what to expect, what to avoid, and generally just how to go about the remodel for optimum efficiency and speedy completion of the project.
If you’ve had bad encounters with previous contractors, then consider asking around for recommendations. Your friends, family, or neighbors who have recently had their bathrooms remodeled might know of a competent guy for the job. This will save you from yet another contractor-inflicted headache.
- You Didn’t Start with A Plan
A lot of elements interact in a room and more so in the bathroom where you have electrical, plumbing, and heating. As a result, therefore, it is always best to start with a detailed floor plan of the bathroom. This will not only help you get a better perspective of the remodel, but it will also help you take note of possible problems well in advance.
Besides that, working with a plan helps you better schedule the remodeling works. This way, you can create a timeline for the entire project and work by that. A program keeps you on track, preventing a scenario where the project frustratingly ends up taking months to complete.
Additionally, a plan ensures that you have the necessary tools needed to undertake the remodel seeing as this is often an overlooked aspect of DIY projects.
Once the project is complete, the homeowner may find that their total bill shoots up because they had to buy some tools to get the job done.
What do you want to achieve? How best do you think you can go about it? What is your estimated budget? How realistic are your budget and expectations? Have you put some contingency money aside for unforeseen issues? Working with a plan will keep you focused, time-conscious, and accountable while working on the bathroom remodel.
- You Bought Your Own Materials
Even when working with a hired contractor, buying your own materials always feels like an obvious way to save money, but that may not necessarily be the case.
To begin with, a contractor might get a better deal than what you would get on the same materials. They know the suppliers, and more often than not, they might have a working relationship with them. This allows them to buy the materials at a lower price than would you would get for the same materials.
A contractor who knows his stuff will know the right materials for the job. They will know the good brands from the bad ones, and they will also know which materials would give value for your money. At the end of the day, the difference between a $2 tile and a $20 tile is a bit more nuanced than you would think.
Sprinting for cheap materials will end up doing you more harm than good.
To make informed material choices, you will need to invest a lot of time researching different fixtures and fittings and finding good deals for high-quality items. If you are not prepared to go through this kind of trouble, then save yourself the headache and hire a qualified contractor who has a proven track record.
- You Overlooked Lighting
Second, only to ventilation, lighting is a huge factor when it comes to a bathroom design. After all, nobody wants to take a look in the mirror only to see shadows. So much that you have to keep turning your head trying to find the angle where the light hits your face just right.
During a remodel, adding plenty of light fixtures is one way to spruce up the bathroom instantly. Better yet, this does not need to be an expensive venture as you can get efficient, beautiful pieces at a pretty good bargain.
However, do not go all out, buying all your light fixtures from an online supplier. These might get shipped to you with insufficient or improper mounting hardware such as brackets and screws.
Proper bathroom lighting almost comes down to a science, and if you had hired a contractor, to begin with, they would have advised you better on this matter. If after a remodel your bathroom still looks pretty drab, then lighting might be one area you did not consider.
Conclusion
When it comes to bathroom renovations, there is always more to it than meets the eye. If you jump the gun and go into it without a plan of action, then at the end you will have spent a lot of time and money which might not be worth the final product.
Taking on a DIY bathroom remodel project is tasking. Just because your neighbor did it successfully doesn’t mean you will have the same luck. Carefully think of all your options, assess your pros and cons, and look at the type of renovation required. All these factors will influence your decision, whether this is a project worth tackling on your own or if you would rather have a general contractor do it.
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