Bathrooms and kitchens can be the most expensive rooms to renovate, even though they don’t represent the most spacious or glamorous rooms in a house.
Determining the best renovation strategy to get the most out of a significant renovation expense can be difficult. Outlook Project Management’s “Proven Process” can help ensure both quality-of-life and value are enhanced.
Why are you renovating your bathroom?
Maybe it is a new family member or an older, poorly-functioning bathroom in desperate need of upgrading or an elderly parent has moved into the home: there are many possible changes in circumstances prompting the need for a bathroom renovation. Determining the best renovation strategy is crucial.
Things to consider before moving forward
As with most construction, finishing costs represent the most significant part of the overall costs. This includes plumbing, tubs, sinks, faucets, tiles, lighting and heating. How we interact with the space, the touch, feel and function and how the space “works” is key.
These specific needs and tastes matter and must contribute to how final renovation decisions are made. However, these needs can profoundly impact costs and other elements in the house. For example, add or change a window and the building envelope is affected. Add a fan, change a light fixture, install floor warming and now its electrical. It is highly unlikely a bathroom renovation is done without opening a wall, ceiling, or floor so insulation, plumbing is changed out and drywall work is required as is paint, trim, vanity, tile, etc. This may lead to additional trade and supplier requirements, therefore, determining bathroom renovation finishes is key.
Outlook Project Management starts with the bathroom finishes
The enormous number of bathroom fixtures available and their specific forms and functions can be overwhelming. The finishes and where they start and stop, such as how much tile on the walls? what tile to use on the floors? whether to use a tile base, preformed base, acrylic base, etc. What about storage? Depending on the overall space available, the vanity may or may not need to incorporate storage. And, of course, what will the finish of the vanity be; ensuring it harmonizes with the tile, counter top, paint, etc.? What accessories are needed?
Outlook Project Management considers the bathroom layout
It might make sense to consider a change to the bathroom layout. Sometimes it’s about creating more space for a vanity, or a new style of tub or shower is desired. Outlook Project Management will always consider the purpose of the bathroom renovation when determining layout changes: is it aging in place? Is it to create a barrier free bathroom? Also consider the long-term: maybe the immediate need is more space, but is the goal to stay in the home for as long as physically possible? If so, consider future-mobility requirements when changing a bathroom layout.
Outlook PM will work to ensure clients achieve the greatest value for the money spent on a bathroom renovation. That means looking at numerous options to achieve bathroom renovation objectives. Those objectives are established with Outlook Project Management’s “Proven Process”.
