Remodeling Guides
Bathroom Design
How to Prepare for a Bathroom Remodel
Ease the disruption of a bathroom renovation with these 10 tips
Enduring a bathroom remodel can be a challenge, especially in a busy household where parents used to having a primary bathroom of their own have to share with the kids. But if you know what to expect and do some planning, organizing, readjusting and scheduling ahead of time, you can ease the process. Here are 10 things you can do to make things go as smoothly as possible.
If you’re on a tight timetable, you’ll want items that are kept in stock rather than made to order or are shipped from other countries. Your design pro will help you navigate which brands can deliver quickly and which ones will throw you off schedule. If your heart is set on something that has a long lead time, plan your start date around it.
Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
2. Have a Thorough Talk With Your Contractor About the Construction Process
Make your wellness a priority during a remodel. Talk to your contractor about dust control — ask if there will be plastic sheeting and whether the crew cleans up each day. Ask how they’ll protect flooring and carpeting along the route to the room. Figure out where the staging area will be when materials arrive, and prep this area by clearing it out and protecting the floors and any remaining furniture. Discuss child and pet safety.
Inquire about how trash will be taken off site, as you may need to provide room for a dumpster. Figure out where the workers will park. And make sure there will be a portable toilet, where it will be placed (consider the neighbors) and how often it will be serviced. The cost of things like daily cleanup, dumpster fees and a portable toilet should appear in the estimate.
Make your wellness a priority during a remodel. Talk to your contractor about dust control — ask if there will be plastic sheeting and whether the crew cleans up each day. Ask how they’ll protect flooring and carpeting along the route to the room. Figure out where the staging area will be when materials arrive, and prep this area by clearing it out and protecting the floors and any remaining furniture. Discuss child and pet safety.
Inquire about how trash will be taken off site, as you may need to provide room for a dumpster. Figure out where the workers will park. And make sure there will be a portable toilet, where it will be placed (consider the neighbors) and how often it will be serviced. The cost of things like daily cleanup, dumpster fees and a portable toilet should appear in the estimate.
3. Streamline Shower and Bath Products
If you’re renovating one of two full baths in your home, the number of people using the available bathroom may double or triple. This will take some planning for how everyone will function while sharing the space. Slim down the number of products used by agreeing to share shampoo, conditioner and body wash. This will cut down on the number of bottles you’ll need to store in a shower’s limited space.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
If you’re renovating one of two full baths in your home, the number of people using the available bathroom may double or triple. This will take some planning for how everyone will function while sharing the space. Slim down the number of products used by agreeing to share shampoo, conditioner and body wash. This will cut down on the number of bottles you’ll need to store in a shower’s limited space.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
4. Schedule Everyone’s Bathroom Routines
Think about what everyone’s bathroom habits are. Mornings are especially busy, so some people may need to wake up a little earlier than usual to allow everyone the time and hot water they need. You may decide to take turns waking up at dawn.
Hire a bathroom designer
Think about what everyone’s bathroom habits are. Mornings are especially busy, so some people may need to wake up a little earlier than usual to allow everyone the time and hot water they need. You may decide to take turns waking up at dawn.
Hire a bathroom designer
5. Spread Out
Prevent bathroom traffic jams by moving some of the bathroom functions to other spaces. Transform a bedroom desk or table into a dressing table for hair and makeup. And if there’s a powder room, make that the designated teeth-brushing and face-shaving space.
Prevent bathroom traffic jams by moving some of the bathroom functions to other spaces. Transform a bedroom desk or table into a dressing table for hair and makeup. And if there’s a powder room, make that the designated teeth-brushing and face-shaving space.
6. Shower at the Gym
It may sound extreme, but if you’ve been planning to join a gym, now’s the time. Not only will it motivate you to work out, but you can grab your shower there afterward. This will help prevent shower scheduling conflicts. It will also be a good chance to get away from the construction noise and activity at home.
It may sound extreme, but if you’ve been planning to join a gym, now’s the time. Not only will it motivate you to work out, but you can grab your shower there afterward. This will help prevent shower scheduling conflicts. It will also be a good chance to get away from the construction noise and activity at home.
7. Sort and Organize Your Toiletries
Often by the time people get around to a remodel, the bathroom cabinets are overflowing with products no one ever uses. Bring three boxes, two bins and a stool to sit on into the bathroom. Pitch old items no one will use into one bin and recyclables into the other. Use the three boxes to separate:
Everyday items. Place the everyday toiletries you’ll need during the remodel into the first box.
Extras and seldom-used items. Face masks, deep-conditioning treatments, special makeup, and extra razors, shaving cream, lotions, shampoos and soaps go in the next box.
Unopened items. Think hard about those samples from hotels and gifts-with-purchase from department stores. Chances are if you haven’t opened them yet, you never will. Place the unopened items in a donation bin for a homeless shelter or other charitable organization that desperately needs toiletries.
Often by the time people get around to a remodel, the bathroom cabinets are overflowing with products no one ever uses. Bring three boxes, two bins and a stool to sit on into the bathroom. Pitch old items no one will use into one bin and recyclables into the other. Use the three boxes to separate:
Everyday items. Place the everyday toiletries you’ll need during the remodel into the first box.
Extras and seldom-used items. Face masks, deep-conditioning treatments, special makeup, and extra razors, shaving cream, lotions, shampoos and soaps go in the next box.
Unopened items. Think hard about those samples from hotels and gifts-with-purchase from department stores. Chances are if you haven’t opened them yet, you never will. Place the unopened items in a donation bin for a homeless shelter or other charitable organization that desperately needs toiletries.
Go through this exercise in the bathroom that will be renovated as well as the bathroom that the family will be sharing. (Once the renovations are done, do it again once a year to keep things organized.)
A handy item to have is an over-the-door travel cosmetic bag. Use it for everyday items you’ll need during the remodel, then continue to make use of it after things are finished. Separate the little shampoo, conditioner and lotion bottles by compartment. This will make it easy to find and use them every day rather than sorting through the jumbled drawer where they used to live. You may find you don’t need to buy any of these items for months, which is good because you just spent a big chunk of money on a bathroom remodel.
A handy item to have is an over-the-door travel cosmetic bag. Use it for everyday items you’ll need during the remodel, then continue to make use of it after things are finished. Separate the little shampoo, conditioner and lotion bottles by compartment. This will make it easy to find and use them every day rather than sorting through the jumbled drawer where they used to live. You may find you don’t need to buy any of these items for months, which is good because you just spent a big chunk of money on a bathroom remodel.
8. Add a Caddy or Carry One
A freestanding shelf or caddy like this one can help give everyone space for their toiletries in a bathroom where the medicine cabinet, shelves and countertops are maxed out. An alternative is to give everyone in the family a shower caddy like the ones college students carry to the dorm bathroom. Each family member can fill their caddy with their everyday items.
If there isn’t room to store the caddies in the bathroom, keep them in the bedrooms, in a nearby linen closet or in the hallway outside the bathroom. It’s a little messy but it’s only temporary. If you’re concerned about buying plastic items for temporary use, shop your house for boxes, baskets or containers that can serve as caddies. A shoebox or a bucket will do.
A freestanding shelf or caddy like this one can help give everyone space for their toiletries in a bathroom where the medicine cabinet, shelves and countertops are maxed out. An alternative is to give everyone in the family a shower caddy like the ones college students carry to the dorm bathroom. Each family member can fill their caddy with their everyday items.
If there isn’t room to store the caddies in the bathroom, keep them in the bedrooms, in a nearby linen closet or in the hallway outside the bathroom. It’s a little messy but it’s only temporary. If you’re concerned about buying plastic items for temporary use, shop your house for boxes, baskets or containers that can serve as caddies. A shoebox or a bucket will do.
9. Slim Down Your Daily Towel Supply
When sharing a bathroom with the rest of the family, there’s going to be a lack of space to store extra towels. Cut down to the bare necessities and store the rest of the towels that are usually kept in the bathroom elsewhere — find space in a closet, a box under the bed or a trunk.
While you’re at it, take a hard look at those towels and decide if they’re too tired or frayed to hang out in your beautiful new bathroom. If so, an animal shelter will probably be happy to take them.
When sharing a bathroom with the rest of the family, there’s going to be a lack of space to store extra towels. Cut down to the bare necessities and store the rest of the towels that are usually kept in the bathroom elsewhere — find space in a closet, a box under the bed or a trunk.
While you’re at it, take a hard look at those towels and decide if they’re too tired or frayed to hang out in your beautiful new bathroom. If so, an animal shelter will probably be happy to take them.
10. Focus on the Result
Renovating a bathroom while living in the house is not for the fainthearted. Construction zones are anything but Zen. But gaze at your ideabooks, mood boards and plans often and know there’s a light at the end of this dusty tunnel. Remember that the discomfort is only temporary and that the results will be worth it.
Your turn: What kinds of planning and strategies helped you survive a bathroom remodel? Please share in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Hire a local general contractor
Shop for your bathroom
Renovating a bathroom while living in the house is not for the fainthearted. Construction zones are anything but Zen. But gaze at your ideabooks, mood boards and plans often and know there’s a light at the end of this dusty tunnel. Remember that the discomfort is only temporary and that the results will be worth it.
Your turn: What kinds of planning and strategies helped you survive a bathroom remodel? Please share in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Hire a local general contractor
Shop for your bathroom
Sponsored
Virginia's Award Winning One Stop Kitchen & Bath Remodeling Resource
The first step is to make sure the renovation won’t take any longer than it has to. A construction schedule is like a house of cards, especially with all of the specialty subcontractors (plumbers, cabinetmakers, carpenters, tile installers, electricians) who will be be blocking out specific times to work on your project. One late arrival can throw the whole thing off.
Early in the design process, talk with the design pro who’s managing the construction about your schedule and lead times. This is the time between when you order items such as faucets, shower heads, toilets, light fixtures, countertops, hardware, cabinetry and tile and when they will arrive.
Find a local bathroom remodeler