So, you've finally decided that it's time to remodel your bathroom, and you want to make sure you've got enough to do it. You've found the items you want, and set aside the money for those, and it seems all in all a lot cheaper than people have been telling you. Why is that?
Well, it's quite possible that you've forgotten to factor in some of the 'hidden' costs of remodelling a bathroom. It's not that these costs are secret, it's just that it's easy for you to forget to factor them into the costs of renovating, when in actual fact this is where most of the cost comes from:
Fitting
This is the most obvious cost, but it's important to note that many bathroom suppliers don't cover the cost of installation, just the cost of the products. Similarly, if you have started by asking a tradesman to install a bathroom for you, you should make sure you know who's paying for the products themselves.
Typically, you will have to pay for both products and installation of products separately, so don't get caught out by thinking that your new bathroom suite will only cost £200 or so, because there's a much larger cost to pay a plumber to do the installation for you.
Preparation Work - Walls, Floors & Waterproofing
Depending on the extent of the remodel, the age of the bathroom and its general condition, you might have to spend a lot on fixing or preparing your walls and floor. You might not.
Assuming that you are having the floors and walls re-done at all, frequently for the purpose of re-tiling, you're probably going to find some extra work to be done here. The walls around a shower or bath will need to be waterproofed, if they aren't already, and if you're tiling the floor then you should be waterproofing this as well.
For more extensive jobs, such as turning your bathroom into a wet room, you've almost certainly considered these costs, but you should be prepared for them no matter what remodel you're going through.
Removals
Who's getting rid of the old stuff, and how? If your plumber is taking care of this, it should be included in their quote, but make sure you ask if this is the case. In a lot of cases, you will be responsible for getting rid of the items, even if you're not responsible for directly removing them.
This might mean hiring a skip, especially if you have other things to dispose of anyway, or transporting things to the local dump yourself. In any case, this will incur an extra cost, as well as extra time and considerations, so make sure you've accounted for it.
Electrics
If you're having anything electric added or changed, you're going to have to get an electrician in to upgrade the wiring. This might be as simple a change as moving the light switch, to a seemingly small one, such as adding lights to your bathroom mirror, or as complex as adding a new digital shower and changing the placement of all the lights in the bathroom.
Obviously, the complexity of the work will change how much this costs for you, so a small change shouldn't cost you too much. If you are planning on making major changes, though, don't forget the cost of rewiring.
Misquoting
If you're very unlucky, or haven't done your research well, a dishonest plumber or other tradesperson will find a way to charge you extra money for the job they've done, often a job they've done badly. This is very rare, though, and if your final cost doesn't exactly match your quote, it shouldn't be the first assumption you make.
Frequently, during the course of a bathroom renovation, complications will arise, or extra costs will be discovered which your plumber hasn't foreseen. Most of the time, they will make you aware of these when they happen, and will also have made sure to factor in a few unhappy circumstances in the original quote.
Nonetheless, when it comes time to pay the plumber, your actual invoice might be a little higher than your original quote. Hopefully, you've discussed this with them beforehand.
Plans Changing
Similar to misquoting, you may find that extra costs are incurred when you begin to change your mind about the remodel. Perhaps the shower enclosure should be in another corner, or maybe you do actually want to tile the floors after all. If this is the case, you may find that you need to get your plumber in for a little longer than planned, and of course that will cost more. It may also mean getting extra materials, with all the costs that come with that.
Just as your bathroom fitter might come across complications in their work, you might come across complications in your design. If you make sure you have your design well planned out ahead of time, this shouldn't be an issue, but it's worth considering that this could cost you more.
Redecorating & Extra Features
So the bathroom is finally done, the tiles are laid and the toilet, basin and bath are all in place. Even the taps and fittings a freshly added and polished to perfection. Now you just need to add those final ingredients that bring it all together.
From towels and toilet brushes to a fresh lick of paint on the door, the final, little details are the easiest to miss, but perhaps some of the most important. Don't forget to account for all the little things that you'll need to add at the end, or else you may feel like you're living in a half-finished bathroom.
For advice on the best products to remodel your bathroom with, get in touch with UK Bathroom Store on 01524 841087 today.
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