There are many ways to improve the look and value of your home such as window and siding replacement, finishing your basement and remodeling your kitchen and bathroom. Remodeling your bathroom is a very cost efficient and effective way in increasing the value of your home and making it a much more pleasant place to live. You probably don’t realize how much quality time you spend in the bathroom, but take a minute to reflect on all that you do in there and you will realize the importance in upgrading a much used room in the house. Here are some simple steps to help you complete your bathroom project…

1. Conceptualize:

The first thing you want to do is visit all your local hardware stores, flip through magazines and search the net to research ideas, colors and layouts that fit your lifestyle. Take your time doing this…the last thing you want to do is rush a project like this and be unhappy with the end result.

2. Plans/ Layout:

After you have decided what kind of materials you want to use and the sizes of your vanity, toilet, shower etc, you will need to draw up plans that are as detail as possible so your contractor will have an easier time completing the remodel. You can also have your contractor devise these plans up for you on a design program, which is highly recommended.

3. Demolition:

Depending on how drastic of a remodel you are doing, you will need to spend some time taking out any unnecessary walls, removing your shower, toilet, sink and vanity, and reframing accordingly. Make sure your hired contractor obtains all necessary permits and ensures a safe construction project that follows all building codes.

4. Framing/ Drywall/ Paint:
Before you start framing, make sure you have completed moving any pipes or electrical outlets to their new location (you will definitely need permits for this).  You can start framing afterwards for any new doors, the shower, vanity and the sink. After you completed framing, you can put up the new dry wall and any soffits you need to use to cover up the exposed electrical and plumbing. The last step in this process would be painting. Make sure you paint before you put the flooring in and bring in the fixtures. Painting can be something easy and fun that you and your family can enjoy if you feel like saving some money.

5. Fixtures/ Flooring / Finishing Touches:

Bring in your large fixtures such as the shower, toilet and vanity/ sink. Make sure they are all attached properly and are flush with the walls. After this, you can start laying out the tile/ flooring of your choice (you want to hold off on flooring for as long as possible so it does not endure any accidental damage). Once you have laid out the flooring and the paint is dry, you can go ahead and put all the final fixtures in place (shower head, faucet, lighting fixtures etc).  After you have cleaned up the mess left behind, spend some time touching up the paint as there will surely be some scuff marks on the walls.