Things You Can Do to Prepare for a Bathroom Remodel

A bathroom remodel is a big undertaking. Whether you’re about to replace your bathtub, install a curbless shower, or completely redo the entire room, it’s important to be prepared.

You can prepare to handle the chaos of a remodel when you stay organized, know what to expect, create a budget and take some other steps. If you’re about to start on a big bathroom remodel, these tips can help you throughout the process.

Create Your Budget

Remodels can get costly. Create a budget before finalizing plans with a contractor to help keep costs under control. To begin budgeting, do some research online and in material supply stores. Find out how much you can expect to spend on materials and labor. Next, meet with contractors to get bids for your project.

Once you have some idea about how much the job will cost, get a loan that will cover your anticipated costs. Once you’ve secured financing, then you can sign a contract and lock in prices. Communicate with your contractor about your budget to ensure that all parties are aware of any financial limitations.

Read the Contract

For a major home construction project like a remodel, your contractor will deliver a contract. Read through the whole contract to ensure you understand its terms. What is the payment schedule? Is there a warranty? Who is responsible for cleaning up?

This information should be clearly outlined in the documentation. Read it carefully and talk to your contractor with questions or concerns before signing on the dotted line.

Know Your Responsibilities

Your contractor may require things of you before the project begins. For example, your contractor may need you to buy materials, contact 8-1-1, or make arrangements for someone to let in the crew at a specific time.

Find out all of your responsibilities in advance. Much of this information should be in the contract, but just to be sure, ask the contractor in advance what you need to do in order to facilitate a smooth process.

Know When You’ll Have Water

Many bathroom remodels will require the water to be shut off at various times. Know in advance when this will happen so you can make plans. If possible, find out which days and for how long the water will be unavailable. Ask your contractor whether the water will be turned off at a local valve or if the water will be off in the entire house.

Depending on what you find out, you may need to make alternative bathroom arrangements. Hopefully, your home has more than one bathroom, but if it doesn’t, you may need to find another bathroom to use for short bursts of time.

If your bathroom will be unavailable overnight or for multiple days in a row, ask your contractor to pin down a date, then make arrangements to stay somewhere else. If staying in a hotel or with friends isn’t an option, contact a company to deliver a portable toilet to your home.

Protect the Kids and Pets

Construction zones aren’t appropriate places for children or pets, especially small children. But you can do several things to protect your children and pets from injury during your bathroom remodel, including:

• Communicate with your contractor to ensure workers know that there are children on the premises.
• Close doors or put up a baby gate to prevent children and pets from accessing the bathroom.
• Make arrangements for children to be out of the house during construction.
• Establish clear rules for older children to prevent them from getting in the way.

If you’re not able to send your kids to be with friends or family during the remodel, consider hiring a babysitter to keep your kids occupied either in the yard or offsite while you work with the contractors.

Consider Going Away

Some people leave town while their remodel is taking place. After all, what better time to be out of the house than when your bathroom is unavailable? If you do plan to go on vacation while your bathroom is being remodeled, work with your contractor to ensure that they will be able to access your bathroom and water shut off valves while you’re gone.

Planning becomes even more important if you won’t be around to answer questions during the remodel. If you want to leave town, give your contractor the heads-up and make sure your contractor has all of your contact information.

Answer all of your contractor’s questions before leaving for your break. Do not plan to make major decisions about your remodel remotely; finalize all details before you go.

Work With a Contractor

If you’re planning a bathroom remodel, work with your contractor during the planning and preparation stages. At Four Seasons Home Products, we’re happy to answer any questions you might have about remodeling your bathroom. Call us today to find out more.