Are you thinking about renovating your home but are just not sure where to start?
With so many television programs glorifying DIY renovations, many of us have probably watched one and thought, “Wow they just remodelled their entire bathroom in two days, I’m sure I can do that, only better!!”. Firstly, let’s face a few realities. In the normal one hour of viewing of one of these shows, producers usually have crammed at minimum 1 weeks’ worth of expert builders to DO the work, with competitors floating around giving opinions. They also do not show the extremely long days the professional team are working, nor mention the fact that everyone usually gets to return to their own homes or hotel rooms at the end of the day to get proper some rest. So, if you are planning on living in the house throughout the renovation, as many people think they can do you are probably in for a big surprise!
Plan carefully – If you can, envisage a general concept of what you would like to do and then consult the experts, to find out exactly what is possible. They tell exactly what can and cannot be done, or a work around and compromise if need be for the latter. They should also be able to give you some ideas of the costs involved.
Once you have finalised idea of what you want, you’ll need to get it an architect or draftsman to write up the details of the build with all the exact measurements. It’s also important that you carefully consider every material that is to be used for all components of your bathroom renovation, as having to make changes mid-build can really be quite expensive, not to mention the time delays this can cause.
Know your budget
If you have a set budget in mind then you need to figure out realistically what your budget can achieve. Are you going to do one bathroom with expensive fixtures, or two with cheaper elements? Do you want your bathrooms to match, or can they be different themes? If you are planning to renovate two areas, is one more important to you than the other? A clever idea is to create a list of all the items you will need for the renovation and break this down into a Wish-list and Must-have items. Then you can put prices next to these and see what will fit into your overall budget. It’s also important not to assign every last dollar in this budget, as there are always unforeseen issues that can arise with a build. A smart approach is to factor in contingency budget, for just this purpose.
Get council approval
A key factor before beginning any actual building work or demolition is the need to obtain council approval. Regulations can vary immensely from council to council, and they will consider things such as changing the use of the room, building a deck over a certain size, making changes to a buildings structure, or even changing the outward appearance such as the exterior colour of your home.
For some councils the removal of trees can also sometimes become an issue so make sure you check out clearly what can be done, and that the right permits are obtained before any works proceed!
Consider other works
If you know you are going ahead with the renovation of your bathroom, have you considered other areas of your home that might also need attention? A great idea is simultaneously renovating your kitchen, or laundry. Like bathrooms these rooms also need more attention to wet areas, and it might be worth renovating these all at the same time. The tradesmen you will require will often be the same, so with a bit of co-ordination you can ensure all these areas are taken care of all at once.
Engage a project manager
Ensuring that the right tradesmen appear in the correct order is extremely important. You wouldn’t want to have a plasterer install walls before all the plumbing and wiring is completed correctly, else you’d likely be having to pay for the plasterer twice! This is why a building project manager really is worth their weight in gold!
Engaging the services of someone who knows the best way in which to order the progress of your build and not to mention how to overcome so of the issues you might encounter along the way can be a godsend. The services of these experts can also provide you comprehensive and affordable quotes for the entire renovation of your bathroom. They can guide you through the whole process and ensure that the quality of work is completed by experienced local contractors.
