Unplanned Expenses During a Small Bathroom Remodel

All bathroom remodeling projects face the potential for unplanned expenses. Whether you’re budgeting for a large or a small bathroom, a basement bathroom, or even just a place to go when you’re in your Man-Cave, throughout the renovation you will be checking for mold, rotten wood, the plumbing issues and the electrical capacity. Just like unplanned kitchen remodeling expenses, problems encountered in the smaller bathroom will stand out more, and attention to detail and planning is a must when working in tight spaces.

In this Complete Home Remodeling Guide we will point out some of the more overlooked problems of a small bathroom remodeling job, and how you can effectively deal with them with the smallest amount of disruption.

Work from a Well Planned, Plan!

The first thing you must do in a small bathroom renovation is create a floor plan that is drawn to scale. This is very important and it must be to scale because with tight spaces you will not have any extra squeeze room. Make sure everything fits before deciding on the vanity size, or other fixtures that you may not be able to return.

Next, you need to visualize the measurements of everything with all the doors open. Does the main entryway door hit or cover the sink when open? Does the vanity door hit the toilet? Also make sure the toilet paper holder fits to the side or front and is not directly behind the toilet. Always check your space as if you were using it and make sure any new items you are bringing in will actually fit down your hallway and through your door.

When planning your finishes, remember that a bright room looks bigger so pick a light or bright color that can hold up to the moisture.  Also check the light fixtures and maybe put in recessed fixtures that will give the room a bigger look and lots of light. These two steps will really brighten the room and the last thing you want is a small dark room bathroom.

Another great idea when planning a small bathroom is to consider removing the tub and just using a shower. This step may add to the cost of ceramic bathroom tile, but could give you a little more room and a cleaner look.

Whichever you choose you will have to check your HVAC requirements for the remodeled space. Will the heat and A/C vents be clear and able to keep the room comfortable? How about an exhaust fan? Moisture build up in a small bathroom is a big problem and within a short period of time moisture can wreak havoc and create problems with paint, walls, mold and rotten wood. In a tight space proper ventilation is a must.

Now make sure any new items you are purchasing will fit through the doorway and while shopping for items do not buy the cheapest thing available. Just because the room is small does not mean you can cut down on quality. Look for quality items on sale and remember you do get what you pay for.

Are Small Bathrooms a DIY Project?

The last thing to consider is what jobs you want to do, can do and will do. If DIY bathroom remodeling is your goal make sure you are going to do these jobs. Check our Directory of Bathroom Remodeling Websites to locate suppliers and other information.Figuring you will save money by doing part of the work and then not doing it will only kick up the price of your remodel. So understand your participation in the project and then call for some estimates.

We recommend at least three estimates as each will give you the opportunity to talk to the contractor, and avoid common scams. You may discover potential problems that you had not thought about. Ask a lot of questions and get all estimates in writing and cover everything that the contractor is going to do, everything.