Guest Bathroom Renovation Plan
The City Cottage (Home) is soon to be “under construction”.
I decided to take you all along with me during this process as it begins and ends. I can guarantee you it will not be a “pretty sight” (until it is completed), my intent is to share the good, the bad and I am sure “the ugly”.
I will give you firsthand knowledge of what a renovation entails. You will see the bathroom (the onion) as we peel layer upon layer back.
I look forward to it with anticipation and excitement. So put your “construction hats” on and join me on this journey……..
Well I have decided how I want the bathroom to look, this is where yours/my renovation begins…..
No one really likes to talk about this first subject, it’s the most uncomfortable part of any renovation. What subject is that you ask……
It is important if you are using contractors to get several quotes. This quote will be based on a specific list of items you are looking to have done. Know what you want before the contractors come out to quote the job. Don’t hurry this process of preparing your itemized list. What I do is:
- Look at the room once to see what is necessary
- Look again second time with the eye of keeping things in their perspective spots (remove and replace)
- Look at the room a third time to see what you would like to add, if the budget allows, to what is necessary or the margin of the unforeseen problems.
- Look at the room a fourth time with specific measurements needed.
You are now ready to call “Registered” Contractors for quotes.
They will all be quoting from your itemized list. Meaning they are all reading from the same sheet of music. Have a figure in mind that you can afford to pay for the renovation.
Do not share that amount with the contractor let them tell you what their final figure is. Maybe you are handy enough to do some of the prep work or areas that can cut your final figure down a little bit. The most important part is not to over extend yourself.
If you do that, you will never enjoy the project when it is completed. It will just be a constant reminder of not sticking to the plan.
Just because something is out of your budget does not mean that you should abandon your design. You can always go for a less expensive without compromising integrity of the item that looks similar or buy the item when it goes on sale.
Current Vanity
Granite Top/Sink $50
Painting Vanity -Black
Today the bare minimum you will pay for granite is $54 a square foot. At that price this granite countertop alone would’ve been $388 and the sink on the low-end would be around $150. See what I mean about compromise and blessings from above. I wanted to do granite, that style sink and top. There it was. Who could pass up that deal? LOL
The Design
The design again is based on the footprint of the room. There are two types of renovations:
Simple
Renovations include things like painting the walls, adding faucets, or changing the towel rack and lights. This sort of work can be done by anyone, and won’t take very long.
Complex
Renovations include things like removing or adding walls, replacing bathtubs, adding a shower, or moving a toilet to another spot.
These sorts of renovations require a contractor to do the work for you and may require some time to complete.
In my case, my renovation of the guest bathroom will be a complex renovation.
Registered/Certified Contractor
I have chosen my contractor and he is a registered contractor. Why do I keep referring to the contractor as registered? What does that mean?
An unregistered or unlicensed contractor may perform subpar work and you will have the recourse to get the problem rectified. No one likes to think about that but I know from experience. I was taken by a contractor who said they were registered and I never followed up. I was lucky the State I lived in had a “no tolerance” rule/policy for unregistered contractors. So I was able to recover damages. Believe me, it is not fun and it is quite stressful. Lesson learned and I swore then, I would always “pay it forward.”
So please, always do your “due diligence”.
To Be Continued..
In future segments I will share with you contractor visit, material purchases, snafus and the fun part “SHOPPING “.
I hope you will continue to follow along with me. My intent is to help smooth out the “bumps” along the way in your now or future remodeling. Saving you wasted time on not being prepared or lack of understanding…. believe me these things are “real”. Lack of knowledge is the #1 Element that causes the most Frustration.
Thanks for joining me and being a part of The City Cottage Family.
Until next time…
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