There are no shortage of home improvement shows on television, in fact there is a whole network devoted to them. Not only are they entertaining, they provide some great design ideas for when you want to do renovations on your own home. What they don’t do…is show you what a home renovation is really like. The truth is bathroom renovations are nothing like you see on TV.
We are all entertained when a home renovation falls completely apart because of poor planning or because you have taken an instant dislike to the homeowner featured on the program. Bear in mind next time you watch that bathroom remodeling is a big project and when it is your own money on the line it’s no longer a laughing matter. So you need to plan and plan well for your renovation.
Reality Versus Television
When you watch a home improvement show they often start with the “vision”, that is the homeowner’s wish list of things they would like to have when the renovation is over. Big ostentatious projects make for good television, but in the real world the project is going to start with the budget. Every home reno project is determined by how much money you have to spend. Start with what you need before looking at what you want. Here is some help in determining your renovation budget.
Marketability
When you watch home reno shows they tend to renovate a space with trendy and edgy styles. It looks good and was done by a professional designer but if you’re looking to sell your home in the future this may not work for you. When you renovate to sell you need to keep future buyers in mind and make sure that the home appeals to the widest audience possible. Remember it is kitchens and bathrooms that sell houses. So renovate your bathroom to sell.
Working with Contractors
Most home improvement shows have their own contractors on staff and one guy seems to handle all aspects of the renovation. In the real world that is rarely the case. You will usually have to hire a plumber, a general contractor and a tile guy. You may have one general contractor overseeing everything but there will be more than one crew working on your bathroom. Coordinating all of this is no easy task either, and working with that many contractors may leave you wanting to tear your hair out.
While TV can give you some great ideas for renovating your bathroom, the shows are a far cry from reality. If you want a quality bathroom remodel, hire a solid contractor and work with them closely.