Updating a residential bath has always been very high on a home owner’s to-do list. According to Michelle Menotti in the Huffington Post “The National Association of Home Builders released its 2012 Remodeling Market Index, in which they surveyed a panel of approximately 2,000 professional remodelers across the country on which home renovation projects were most popular by their customers. Bathroom remodeling, at a staggering 78 percent, was the most requested home renovation.” With that said, here are few tips for renovating the luxury bath.
1. Have a personal plan.
Assuming you are going to continue to live in the home, have a common-sense approach. If this is the master bath, what alternative do you have for your basic needs during the project? Make sure it is viable and be prepared when and if the project timeline gets extended. Likewise, if this is a child bath, have a solid idea on alternatives. Workmen will invade your space, whether you like it or not. Demolition of the existing area will be loud and dirty despite the best efforts of even the finest professionals. Be ready for this mentally!
2. Get professional expertise.
Take great care in picking the team that will help you with your project. As far as selecting a contractor is concerned, nothing beats a great referral from someone you trust. Absent that, NARI is a great organization to make a selection from as is NAHB. More and more focus is put on sites like Angie’s List in terms of home improvement provider credibility. In terms of design, pick an architect or interior designer with tremendous care. Again, referrals are best but two solid organizations are AIA and ASID. An added bonus for you is if the builder and the design professional have worked together before.
3. Know the budget process.
There is no overstating the care that must be taken here. Understand the details, in a line item fashion, of what labor and materials will cost you. For example, an under-mount sink versus an overmount sink may have different material costs and different installation costs. Ultimately, there will come a time in the project when something that was originally selected must be re-selected or swapped out. If you knew the exact “scheduled value” of item “A” you are in a better position to select item “B”. Be diligent here no matter how extensive your budget may be!
4. Be involved in the construction.
This is your home and your money. The worker’s on-site work for you in a very, very real sense. If you see something that you don’t like or didn’t expect, be brave! Speak up and find out what is going on. It is a fine line between interference and involvement, but don’t be intimidated by the construction process. After all, you are paying for that process.
It would be easy to go on forever here but this is, after all, a blog post and not a full-blown how-to manual. As always, we appreciate your attention. Marble Systems has showrooms across America and also now in Puerto Rico. We have stone and tile design professionals that will add their expertise to the body of knowledge that you need to complete a wonderful luxury bath renovation.