Yahoo Autos 11 Mistakes to Avoid During Your Bathroom Renovation, According to Interior Designers
Although it's a smaller area of your home, your bathroom is a workhorse. It's where you shower, do your skin care routine, and store essentials—from towels and toiletries to makeup and medicine. But if your bathroom isn't living up to its potential, you may be considering a renovation. From small tasks (like installing more light fixtures) to bigger ones (like adding an antique clawfoot tub), there are several common pitfalls homeowners run into during bathroom renovations. Being aware of those common bathroom renovation mistakes will ensure you pull off the project stress-free.
Related: 10 Mistakes to Avoid During Your Kitchen Renovation, According to Interior Designers
1. Not Setting a Budget
Setting a budget is the first thing you should do before starting any home renovation project. "Having a budget will help you make many of your design decisions, decide which elements you are willing to spend money on, and overall feel happy with your project," says Tamara Hubinsky, interior designer and founder of Tamara Hubinsky Interiors. Ideally, your budget will include a contingency for cost overruns or unexpected expenses. But if you don't have that flexibility, a budget also helps you decide where to cut costs if needed mid-project." If you're working on a tight budget, focus on design details with the most impact, like fresh paint and layered lighting.
2. Not Having a Plan
Planning ahead will prevent you from running into workflow-disrupting issues later. "A bathroom is a puzzle made up of functional and decorative plumbing, heating, ventilation, electrical, finish materials, accessories, and more," says Hubinsky. "Most of the renovation work happens in a specific order and not having the right item available at a certain time delays the entire project." Because the project is so time consuming, planning ahead will help you minimize the amount of time your bathroom is out of commission.
Bethany Nauert
3. Not Adding Storage Space
Adding some type of storage space in your bathroom is a must, so prioritize this during a renovation. "We spend a lot of time in the bathroom so it's important to take full advantage of the space available," says Kerrie Kelly, creative director of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. "Skimping on storage can make your bathroom less functional."
Make sure you add enough storage space to hold things you often keep in the bathroom, like cosmetics, toiletries, towels, and medications. Storage can be as simple as installing hooks on walls to keep towels off the floor—or as high-quality as well-lit medicine cabinets.
4. Forgetting to Install Ventilation
Don't forget to consider ventilation when planning your bathroom renovation. "Ventilation ensures good air exchange, which transports unpleasant odors, moisture, harmful particles, and fine dust out of the room quickly and easily," says Kelly. "Good ventilation brings in fresh air and prevents mold growth."
5. Renovating Alone
Some bathroom renovation projects will require a professional, especially when it comes to tiling. "While installing tile may look easy, leave it to the professionals," says Kelly. "A DIY job will be much more expensive to fix than letting the professionals do it right the first time." A good installer will tell you how much tile you should order, so you don't get too much or too little and will also lay the tiles out before grouting them in place to adjust the layout if needed. "Having the tile cut at an awkward point or size is a mistake hard to rectify once the grout is set," says Hubinsky, which is why this task is best left to a pro.
