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When Is The Right Time To Renovate Your Bathroom?

09.10.2023

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Renovating a bathroom is exciting! Whether you’re tearing down an older-style bathroom and replacing all of the plumbing like toilets, showers, bathtubs and sinks, or are just doing some simple touch-ups to a previous bathroom renovation job. Or perhaps you’ve decided that renovating your bathroom is a great first step to rejuvenating your entire home.

To have a functional and aesthetically pleasing bathroom space, you’ll want to update your bathroom fixtures to improve their functionality or add different technology to make your water usage more efficient. But when is the right time to do bathroom renovations? Let’s take a look at the importance of having a functional and good-looking bathroom space and the best time to start renovating your bathroom.

Signs That Your Bathroom Needs Renovation 

Homeowners often put off bathroom renovations as they don’t have time or the funds to do so, or their bathroom doesn’t look “that bad.” However, there are a few key signs that it may be time to bite the bullet and start your bathroom renovation in Sydney. 

The Aesthetics No Longer Match Your Vision 

Sometimes, new homeowners will put up with a colour on a bathroom wall or the way that the vanity is small and box-like with a small sink. Or, they’d like a larger cupboard for towels and toiletries but don’t want to deal with the hassle of going through bathroom renovations. One of the key signs that you need to renovate your bathroom is when you just can’t stand certain things anymore. If the colour of the walls, or the fact that there is wallpaper, is starting to get on your nerves, it’s time for a change. 

Things Are Starting to Break 

This may be particularly true if you’ve bought an older home, but you should definitely commence bathroom renovations if things are starting to break in your bathroom. Whether that’s if the bathtub is starting to peel, or flecks of paint are starting to come off the taps, or the ceiling fan isn’t doing as well at absorbing moisture, causing your ‘real wood’ cabinetry to become damp and smell of mould.

If you’re noticing that things are starting to break or lose their original aesthetic appeal because of their age or environmental factors, it’s time for those items to go! Newer items with longer lifespans can replace these during your bathroom renovation. 

Failing Appliances 

Maybe you’re noticing that your showerhead isn’t spraying at the same rate it once did, or there’s a near-constant ‘drip, drip, drip’ sound after the shower has been turned off, despite your best efforts with plumbing tape. Perhaps that rickety old exhaust fan is just too loud when you’re trying to enjoy the peace of a shower, away from the usual day-to-day rumblings of the household. 

If you notice certain appliances are failing, it’s time for a bathroom renovation.

Functional Considerations 

Speaking of functionality, it’s one of the primary reasons people change anything in their home to get better use out of the space. This is true of the bathroom as well. Perhaps your bathroom is small, and you have to settle for using an overhead shower in a small bathtub rather than a walk-in shower you’d really like. 

One functional consideration that families and individuals need to make as they get older is the accessibility of a space. During a bathroom renovation, you may want to include a walk-in/roll-in shower so that individuals in wheelchairs can use them if you have a family member in a wheelchair who sometimes visits. Other accessibility considerations are low-rise toilet seats or lower-than-usual vanity countertops for the same reason. Building accessibility into your bathroom renovations shows a level of planning for the future and considering the present if you have a disabled family member or friend.

Aesthetic Updates and Trends 

As the saying goes, “Out with the old, in with the new!” Keeping up with the aesthetic trends in a bathroom space and replacing older styles with newer ones is as good a reason as any to do a bathroom renovation! These can include installing a window in the bathroom to let in more natural light in combination with an all-white look. 

Other aesthetic updates could include the use of metal cabinetry and granite or marble countertops rather than traditional lumber cabinetry and perhaps old vinyl coverings for vanity counters. Additionally, waterproof vinyl flooring works fantastically well and comes in a variety of wood-like patterns, replacing old and ragged linoleum floor. If you’re starting your linoleum cracking or peeling, then it’s time to add flooring to the bathroom renovation to-do list.

Budget & Financial Preparedness

When planning any renovation, you must ensure that you have the budget to see things through. You don’t want to run out of money and need to stop halfway through! When planning your bathroom renovation in Sydney, consider the following: 

How Much Money You Have 

Create a realistic picture of your available funds and how they’ll be used during the bathroom renovation. This should be as detailed as possible and map out where nearly every penny will be spent. However, if you plan on hiring a Sydney bathroom renovation company to do the work for you, include their total estimate for the work you want done and a windfall for material cost increases. 

Do You Need to Buy Brand New? 

With online shopping, it’s fairly easy to find like-new materials cheaply. Whether you’re shopping in the IKEA Clearance section or Facebook Marketplace, desirable cabinetry, sinks, bathtubs, and even bathroom floor tiling can be found at a significant discount. If you’re satisfied with not buying brand new and are trying to save money, then buying used is a great option. 

All in all, setting a realistic budget for your bathroom renovation is essential to planning the project. You’ll need to consult with the firm conducting the renovation at every stage of the financial planning process to see if they can work within your budget.

Seasonal Considerations 

No, we aren’t talking about cold weather climates causing freezing waterpipes but rather planning your bathroom renovation to coincide with seasonal promotions on material costs. Or avoiding peak construction times (summer and autumn) to avoid having difficulties finding a bathroom renovation licensed contractor in Sydney. If you’re not in a rush, it might behove you to wait until the off-season for your bathroom renovation.

Planning and Permits 

Many Sydney bathroom renovations will not need a building permit, providing they are only aesthetic changes. However, some changes will require building permits that can be obtained through the Department of Planning, mainly structural changes. For example, if you’re going to knocking down a wall to expand your bathroom space, you’ll need to ensure that your bathroom renovation company has acquired the necessary building permits.

You’ll also want to ensure that a licensed and reputable plumber does any plumbing work. 

Expert Consultation 

Before you begin any major bathroom renovations, you’ll need to consult with bathroom renovation experts and contractors for their advice and input on your bathroom renovation plans. This will provide you with insights into problems that may arise that you hadn’t thought of or alternative options for materials that you hadn’t considered. 

In any case, consultation with professionals with years of experience renovating bathrooms is always a good idea for your first bathroom renovation.

Impact on Daily Life 

One of the lesser-talked-about things that happens during a bathroom renovation is that your bathroom becomes an unusable space that may even be hazardous to brush your teeth in, depending on the scale of the bathroom renovation. 

Plan for this! See if you can use a family member, friend or neighbour’s bathroom space for the duration of the renovation. Ensure that all of your toothbrushes, toothpaste, and any other exposed items (like towels) are covered or packed away for the duration of the dirtiest parts of the renovations.

Having any renovations done on your home will impact your daily routine; simply expect this (temporary) interruption and plan accordingly. 

Final Thoughts

Deciding to do a bathroom renovation can be a tricky thing to plan for, as there is so much to consider. But, with careful forethought given to every aspect, including finding the properly licensed bathroom renovation professionals, you’ll have a new bathroom that’s shiny, modern and exactly as you want it.  

If you’ve been pacing the bathroom floor, trying to decide what to do about that awful wallpaper, those dated cabinets or that peeling bathtub, give Crystal Bathrooms a call and set up an initial consultation. After that, we can discuss your bathroom renovation options and start giving you the bathroom of your dreams.

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