Of all the rooms in your home, your kitchen and bathroom likely see the most traffic. As you are in them they experience the most wear and tear; they tend to look dated more quickly than other rooms.
Is it time to bring your kitchen and bathrooms into the current decade?
Another good reason to remodel is if the current setup of your kitchen or bathroom doesn’t meet your lifestyle or space needs.
No matter why you want to remodel, it is important to make a detailed plan.
Your Planning Checklist
While getting inspiration for your remodel from magazines and T.V., your actual project needs to be a little more rooted in reality.
What that means is that as a first step you need to set a budget and let that dictate the scope.
When you determine what you can afford, you should mock up drawings that include details about the placement of furniture and fixtures, along with measurements.
Drawings are always good because it helps you communicate visually with your contractor. Measurements are key because they help you plan accurately.
Next, decide what kind of materials you want to use for counters, floors and wall tile. Go for something durable as you are doing high traffic rooms.
Pick fixtures that are nice to look at, but are also functional.
You can’t go wrong upgrading with a sleek toilet in your bathroom or with a deep, extra wide sink in your kitchen to make prep easy.
How to Hire the Best Help
Your job won’t be successful without some planning done and without hiring the right contractor to help you.
How to find the best in your area? Start by asking friends, family, and neighbours for referrals.
Visit local design shops and ask them for their favourites.
Go to home shows. Read local design magazines. Search the internet.
When you develop your short list, make sure that your candidates are experienced.
Find out what their track record is with staying on budget and on timeline.
When do they need payment? Are they insured? Is it possible to see examples of their work? Can you rely on them to clean up when the job is done?
Don’t leave this important decision to chance. Ask plenty of questions.
Plumbing and Fixture Updates
If you’ve had a leak in the past, make sure that there isn’t any water damage behind the walls and under the floors when you are updating the plumbing during the remodel.
Also, ensure that existing plumbing will work with your fixture updates before you get too far along in the job.
