Remodeling a bathroom not only makes daily routines easier but also can significantly increase the value of your home. While a bathroom gut-and-remodel project can cost as much as $10,000 (as of 2009), you can expect to recoup as much as 85 percent of that investment at sale time, according to the experts at RealEstate.com. Take time to plan a new bathroom that will meet your needs and attract buyers at .
Instructions
1. Create an accurate floor plan of your bathroom space. Locate critical plumbing fixtures like the toilet floor pipe, shower or bath drain and water supply pipes. Be certain to take measurements precisely. In plumbing, inches "count."
2. Evaluate your current layout. Preferences in bathroom designs in 2010 call for double sinks, plenty of counter space, lots of storage and excellent lighting. Many home buyers prefer separate shower stalls and deep soaker tubs. Buyers also appreciate toilets located behind privacy partitions when family members share a bathroom.
3. Establish your remodeling budget. Calculate the costs of floor coverings, shower and bathtub fixtures, toilet upgrades, counters, cabinetry and lighting. Make choices about plumbing fixtures within your budget. Be sure to add the cost of any contractual labor for professional plumbing or electrical work.
4. Design a new bathroom layout based on your floor plan. Determine the location of the largest elements first, including tubs and showers and sinks with countertops and cabinetry. Refer to bathroom fixture dimensions available from manufacturers. A feeling of "spaciousness" in a bathroom is important to home buyers, so accommodate the needs of more than one person at a time in the bathroom if possible.
5. Plan for the construction period and its effect on use of the bathroom. There will be several days during the project when the bathroom may not be accessible. Make sure you have a reasonable alternative available, especially if this is the only bathroom in the house.
6. Gather all your materials, and store them in a convenient place. Prepare a suitable workspace near the bathroom for storing hand tools and mixing grout and paint.
7. Gut the bathroom according to your design. If you are removing major plumbing fixtures, turn off the water supplies. Temporarily cap any drains for bathtubs, toilets and sinks. Rent a small dumpster for refuse removal. Recycle useful fixtures like sinks, toilets and bathtubs.
8. Frame out any new walls or partitions. Install any new plumbing and electrical lines required within the walls. Use proper waterproof tile backer board.
9. Rough in any new plumbing for fixtures. Install any new fixtures. Complete any wall tile work around these new fixtures. Properly seal and caulk joints around the tub, shower, toilet and sinks.
10. Install new cabinetry, including new countertops. Stain, paint, or seal under-sink cabinets if required.
11. Finish the remaining wall treatments with paint or wallpaper. Use semi-gloss paint.
12. Install the new floor treatment.
13. Complete any trim work, and install new accessories like vanity mirrors, towel bars and lighting.
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