The bathroom is among the most important rooms in any modern home. It’s where you’ll perform your essential daily cleaning rituals, and thus it’s a significant source of self-worth. Getting ready for the day in pristine surroundings is better than doing so in a grubby-looking environment. The functionality of the bathroom matters, too; when the bath, shower, or toilet isn’t available, you’ll quickly notice the difference in daily life!
The bathroom can also exert a big influence on the value of your home. Buyers tend to be willing to pay for a good one.
All of this makes the occasional bathroom renovation a worthwhile exercise, particularly for families with growing bathroom needs. Let’s take a look at how to get the best from this process.
Planning Your Family Bathroom Upgrade
A good bathroom upgrade should start with an assessment of the existing space. What does your bathroom lack, as it stands? It might be that your concerns are purely aesthetic. You might want to swap dated beige tiling for a more modern grey look. On the other hand, you might want to improve the way that the bathroom functions by bringing in new smart technologies, or even by rearranging the appliances themselves.
In some cases, you might want to do away with the bath entirely, so as to limit your water consumption, and get more from a smaller room. This tends to be workable in houses with many different bathrooms to choose from, so that you aren’t giving up on the bath entirely.
Choosing the Right Materials and Finishes
The look of your bathroom will be, for the most part, determined by your choice of materials and finishes. Some bathrooms will be entirely covered in tiles, and it’s vital that you choose the right ones.
But even if your tiling is limited, you’ll need to think about the walls.What really matters is that you think not just about how your bathroom looks when everything is new, but how it might look after the room has undergone several months of heavy use. Think about how easily the tiles can be cleaned, and whether the paint will repel the moisture.
Hiring Professionals and DIY Tips
As ever, you can limit your costs by taking a DIY approach. However, certain tasks, like electrical work and plumbing, are best outsourced to professionals. You might learn to do basic tasks, like repairing a dripping tap, yourself. Paintwork can also be updated by a DIYer with the right skillset. If you want to make your bathroom cost-effective in the long run, it’s worth updating not just your skills and knowledge, but also your toolkit. Plumbing press tools, for example, can make connecting new fittings easy.
Incorporating Smart Bathroom Features
A good modern bathroom is one that’s filled with compelling modern features. These include smart fixtures and appliances, which can help you save water and thereby lower your household bills. If you want your space to be as eco-friendly as possible, you might also think about how to reclaim water from your bath using a greywater system. Other features, like smart mirrors and motion-sensitive taps, can improve your quality of life when you’re getting ready in the morning.