Apart from the kitchen, the bathroom renovation is one of the most commonly renovated rooms in Melbourne properties. It’s a valued room in the house, and when structured properly, can be a place of solitude, and relaxation from the day. The bathroom needs to be functional, but also tick all your boxes in terms of what will make you happy.
Your dream bathroom might just be a renovation away, but can quickly turn into a nightmare if it’s not managed correctly. Careful planning is important for the success of any home bathroom renovations. There are a few things you want to consider, and important steps to take to make your project flow smoothly. Fortunately, our team here at Dymond Homes and Renovations have renovated bathrooms and en-suites of all shapes and sizes! So, let us take you through just a few of our bathroom remodel and renovation tips to help you get it done right the first time, and to your budget.
Creating a Bathroom Renovation Checklist
The first thing you’ll want to do is create yourself a renovation checklist. Creating a checklist for your bathroom renovation project is a must if you don’t want to renovate twice. It’s important to make sure your finished renovation lives up to your expectations and budget. Here are some elements to consider first before starting your bathroom renovation in Melbourne.
- Expectations and priorities. What do you want from the bathroom renovation and when do you want to finish it?
- Setting a budget. How much do you want to spend and what can you expect to get for that – new tiles or knocking walls down for more space and doing a complete floor to ceiling remodel?
- Choosing the design or color palette. Consistency with the materials and color choices across tiles, paint, window furnishings and taps are key.
- Sourcing materials and permits. Get required permits ahead of time to save headaches and talk with suppliers and manufacturers for the materials options.
- Planning the logistics. Will you be using existing pipes or new ones and ensure sure your schedule is aligned with your builders and trades.
- Expect obstacles. The devil is in the detail – there may be unexpected things you need to consider such as subfloor replacement, using existing wiring, or fitting a new tub or shower screens.
- Creating a timeline. This one is best left to your builder, but you should still have a say on the schedules. As builders do this all the time, they should be able to provide you with a checklist of activities and a logical timeline associated with each stage.
- Get creative. It’s your bathroom after all, so it should reflect your own personality and style. Classy and stylish doesn’t always have to be expensive. Think outside the box when planning that unique look for your bathroom.
Managing Your Bathroom Renovation Cost
Once you have the ideal bathroom renovation checklist completed, it’s now time to decide how much money you’re going to put into your bathroom renovation project. This part will test your control because it’s easy to get enticed by those Pinterest photos! At the end of the day, your bathroom renovation needs to be something that makes you happy, not stress you out because you’ve spent too much.
- Research. There are a lot of options out there so you can begin by browsing through magazines, going to trade shows, and checking bathroom ideas on the Internet. Once you have a list of the things you want to include in your new bathroom, you can begin putting price tags on them. If you’re on a tighter budget, then keep an eye out for upcoming sales and trade show deals so you can plan ahead.
- Be realistic. When you’re getting quotes from building and renovation companies, make sure that you’re getting realistic numbers. Be wary of contractors or designers who say they can do the same project at half the price of a competitor – often if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Use your research to come up with ballpark figures and make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Our homes are one of our biggest investments and we don’t want to cut corners, as this often leads to having to pay someone else to fix up errors because we wanted to save a few dollars.
The good news when working with a custom home builder in Melbourne, is we can help you with your bathroom renovation project from beginning to end. We will be clear about your planned and unplanned costs upfront, so there will be a lot less surprises when it comes to unexpected costs.
What to Consider When Choosing Your Bathroom Fitout
Now that you have the thinking and planning out of the way, it’s time to plan the general layout and fit out of your bathroom. This is where it gets really exciting, and where your bathroom vision starts to come together. Here are things to consider when planning your bathroom fitout.
- Usage. You should consider the number of people in the household who will be using the bathroom. Are you a family of 4 sharing the one bathroom? Or will you have your own private ensuite? For example, if you have young kids, then a shallower bath may be more practical. Or if you are building yourself a bathroom oasis, then a nice deep bath tub for relaxation is more appropriate.
- Basin and vanity. There are endless options when it comes to choosing vanities. It all comes down to how you tend to use your vanity and sink. There are free-standing sinks, free-standing vanity units, wall-mounted sinks, and vessel sink and vanity (for a bit of extra space). Do you want more bench room? Then make sure you choose a vanity with a good-sized counter area.
- Bath and shower. If your bathroom is small, then it’s not always practical to install a bath. However there is the option to combine bath and shower into one. Again, think about the needs of the people in the household when considering the size and accessibility of your shower.
- Toilet. Where do you put your toilet? Most Melbourne bathrooms have the toilet in the bathroom, but have a think about what you want (and what is structurally feasible). Will your toilet be in its own powder room or inside the bathroom?
- Storage. Make sure there’s suitable storage for your household needs when it comes to storing toiletries, a trash bin, bathroom scales, medicine cabinet and dirty laundry. Have a think about how much space you need in your bathroom, and how you can keep your bathroom looking clutter free and functional.
- Taps and Fittings. Do you want a rain shower or a traditional shower head? Do you want hot and cold taps or mixer taps? How many towel rails and robe hooks do you need to cater for everyone who will be using the bathroom?
- Power and heating. Power outlets should be easily accessible and safely positioned. There should be ample lighting and if you want heating – do you want a gas or electric heater, or is there existing heating installed in your property?.
- Ventilation. Since the bathroom is a damp space (and Melbourne isn’t exactly the warmest of places!), proper ventilation is important to allow the towels to dry and to help prevent mold from growing in your bathroom.
- Finishes. The finishes you use really helps to define your bathroom style. Take the time to have a think about the colours you want to use, appropriate window dressings, choice of paint, and the tapware that will fit your bathroom style.
Choosing Your Ideal Bathroom Tiles
When most Melbournians think of their bathroom renovation, the first thing that comes to mind is tiles! We thought we’d cover this in it’s own little section because let’s be honest – this is the fun part and what will give your bathroom renovation it’s own look and feel. Here are some tips to choosing the ideal bathroom tiles.
- The dream tile. Before you even started this renovation project, there was one type of tile that you’ve always wanted, right? It can be a simple white tile or a really unique or special accent tile.
- Keep the list short. Remove overwhelm by rationalising your options. Using a smaller list of tile options you love will help you narrow down that finished look a lot easier. Start by choosing your dream tile first, then choose two more to complete the look. Most feature tiles can be expensive, so use it wisely and you’ll be surprised how far your budget can stretch.
- Consider maintenance. How much time and effort do you want to spend cleaning your tiles? Natural stone tiles can require more maintenance and attract more dirt and grime than ceramic or porcelain. Alternatively, there are also glass tiles that look great as a wall feature.
- Tile size. Large tiles are the current trend on bathroom floors but smaller ones provide more grip and less accidents. Also, consider the size of your bathroom when choosing your tile size. When it comes to small bathroom renovations, you don’t necessarily want a tile that’s too large which will dominate your bathroom space.
Why Choose a Custom Home Builder for Your Melbourne Bathroom Renovation
Unless you’re a professional builder yourself, bathroom renovations are better left to the experts. They’re trained for this kind of job, and can work with whatever you have in mind.
Getting a custom home builder for your Melbourne bathroom renovation project helps to minimise the stress which often comes from home renovations. Most homeowners who want to save money doing these types of renovations themselves, end up paying more because of mis-managed DIY renovations.
While you can do some simple installations or even paint walls in your home, a bathroom makeover requires the guidance of experienced professionals. And, no, just because it’s a wet area – a plumber won’t do as they can really only help with the fixtures and the pipes. However, when working with a custom home builder, you can have peace of mind that your bathroom renovation ideas will be heard, and your project will be completed to your needs and to a high standard.
Dymond Homes and Renovations have over 30 years of experience and helped hundreds of families across South East Melbourne and the wider Melbourne area build, renovate or extend their homes into ones they love even more.
We work with you from start-to-finish for your bathroom renovation project. Using a custom home builder helps take away the stress and hassle that normally comes from coordinating trades, managing timelines and sticking to budgets.
With proper planning, ample budget and a little help from Dymond Homes and Renovations, you can turn that dream bathroom into reality. Get in touch with our friendly team today to see how we can help you get your bathroom renovation project started.