Upgrading and renovating your bathroom will provide a return on investment. A new bathroom will increase the value of your home, as well as provide a relaxing and comfortable retreat to start or end your day. While you may think a bathroom remodel is expensive, if you’re not moving plumbing, wiring, or walls, there is a remarkable “bang for your buck.” Whether you’re looking to create a full-on spa experience or simply upgrade your dated and dirty space, the expert team at Diamond Hill Builders suggest your consider some important decisions.
Shower and Bath
When installing a new shower and bath, it’s important to think about what works for you, but also what future buyers of your home may desire.
If it’s a shared bathroom and you choose to forgo a tub installation you may be limiting the pool of future buyers by excluding those with children who take baths.
You also need to plan ahead for your own life. If this is a home you’re planning to grow old in, think about about the functionality of your shower and bath and ask yourself if you should be adding a built-in seat or bench as part of your renovation.
Flooring
Because a bathroom is an isolated space that stands out on its own, the flooring you choose to install as part of your renovation does not need to match the other areas of the house. As a smaller space, you can choose a higher quality (and more expensive) material or one that makes a statement on its own. As you’re thinking about flooring options, consider the possibility of installing radiant heating in your bathroom. While installing radiant heat under your floors has a heftier price tag, let your mind wander to a cold winter morning where you don’t want to get out of bed and step on a frigid bathroom tile first thing in the morning and weigh the cost/benefit. When making a final decision on flooring, consider cost, design, and functionality.
Fixtures
When discussing fixtures, we’re broadly speaking about the permanent parts of your bathroom—tub, toilet, sink, mirror, doorknobs, cabinet handles, shower and sink hardware, lighting fixtures, shower heads, and towel hooks.
The selection of fixtures is both a matter of functionality as well as aesthetics; you have the option to go ultra-modern, traditional, or somewhere in-between based on what you choose for your bathroom fixtures. And as with flooring, you don’t need to match the overall style of your home.
Storage
Bathrooms do not need to sacrifice storage space for function or for design. Under sink storage, built in cabinets, or closets can and should be incorporated into your bathroom redesign; no homeowner has ever thought to themself, “we have too much closet space.”
Lighting
Options for lighting in your bathroom have greatly expanded in recent years. Many new or renovated bathrooms include shower-specific lights or skylights or windows when design allows. A bright and stylish bathroom may include can lights, vanity lights, and dimmer switches to create separate spaces and moods.
Everything Else
Invest in a solid ventilation fan in your bathroom to prevent moisture build-up and mold from growing. If you’re looking for that spa-like appeal in your bathroom, consider adding a built-in sound system. And before settling on a final design talk to your build about interesting projects they’ve recently worked on to help inspire you.
If you’re ready to build the bathroom of your dreams in Exeter, Portsmouth, Kensington, Stratham, or elsewhere on the Seacoast, let us know. We’d love to work with you!
