Bathroom Remodeling: Design Ideas & Renovation Tips

Renovating your bathroom can change the entire dynamic of your home. Bathrooms are more than functional rooms; they are places of renewal. Investing in a bathroom renovation will not only make for more enjoyable use, it will increase the value of your home. An HGTV estimate found that the addition of an entirely new bathroom will allow owners to recoup as much as 130 percent of the initial investment. Numbers like this show the increasing importance and financial value of functional, modern, and well-organized bathrooms.

If you’ve done all of your initial research and are getting ready to start a bathroom remodel or addition of your own, take a look at these tips for the best bathroom for your investment.

Caulk correctly.

Be sure that your caulk has five year mildewcide protection and that you pick out an acrylic or hybrid formula. This type of caulk is easier to remove and replace later on.

Replace wiring.

If you are going through the trouble of updating your bathroom, you should really go the extra step to replace electrical wiring with at least the 20-amp circuit type. It’s also a good time to add more electrical outlets if you need them. Any bathrooms that are more than 20 years old will be outdated when it comes to a realistic number of electrical outlets.

Build in toiletry shelving.

Rather than purchasing shower caddies or accessories that connect via suction cup, decide to install these permanently in your shower. Consider what the adults and kids in the house will need to get cleaned up in a more organized fashion.

Choose your floor strategically.

If you value easy-care flooring, pick out glazed tile or porcelain. It is much more difficult to clean materials like limestone, even if you like the initial aesthetic. If you are looking for nonslip flooring, go with smaller tile that has more grout and less tile surface space to become slippery. Look at function, more than aesthetic, when it comes to countertops.

While natural stone lends itself to a stunning bathroom statement, it is not the easiest to care for and should only be chosen by customers who don’t mind the extra cost and maintenance. Resin-based countertops work well if your surface area has an unusual dimension or shape. Laminate countertops are great for consumers with a smaller budget or window of time to complete a project. They are also scratch and stain resistant, but tend to look less expensive (because they are) and do not have the capability to support undermount sinks.

Add luxurious extras.

You may not be able to afford a completely spa-like bathroom renovation, but set aside at least a little of your budget for some upgrades. A few popular add-ons include:

• Radiant heat floors. You don’t need to have this installed throughout your home to make use of it in your new bathroom floor. No more cold feet when stepping out of a steamy shower!
• Dual workstations. Make room for two in the bathroom with double sinks that are placed at least 36 inches apart.
• Comfortable seating. Consider a plush loveseat or designer chair to hold your towels or you, while you are waiting for a facial mask to set or painting your nails. Seating is also nice for parents who are watching over kids in a tub—no need for the toilet to double as a chair.
• Entertainment features. Install a wall mounted television set and consider surround sound audio that can pipe in your favorite tunes.
• Luxury showers. Consider dual showerheads or even wall-mounted showerheads if you really want a spa-like shower experience.

You can make your bathroom as simple or decked-out as you want. The trick is to find the right balance between what you can afford, what you plan to recoup when you sell the home and what is on your personal must-have list.

Image courtesy of chokphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net