Remodeling your bathroom is an exciting project – but when homeowners start getting down to the details, it can also feel a little overwhelming. What goes into a remodel? What should be changed? Where should the remodel begin?

For those who want to bring their bathroom remodel out of the “Wouldn’t it be nice” stage, we have a quick guide to help you get started. Take a look and start your planning process!

Choose A Bathroom to Remodel

Your first step should be to choose a bathroom to remodel. Sounds simple, right? You probably only have a few choices, after all. But this question can quickly get complicated. Do you need to remodel the guest bathroom in your home, since that’s the bathroom that people will most often see? Do you need to start off small and try remodeling a half-bath? Or should you remodel your master bathroom where you get the highest return on investment?

When possible, we suggest tackling a master bathroom renovation first. These bathrooms are larger and have more potential for useful changes. They also tend to be the bathrooms that you use the most, so you’ll get the most personal value out of your remodeling decisions.

Think About How You Use Your Bathroom Space

This may seem a little strange, but it’s a very important step! How often do you take baths? Do you get dressed in the bathroom? What’s your cosmetic routine like? What do you store in your bathroom, and what would you like to store elsewhere? As you ask these questions about using your bathroom, you’ll probably come up with several “wants” for a remodel. Write all these wants down, even if they’re just casual daydreams. Later on, you can use this list to start making more concrete plans.

When possible, we suggest tackling a master bathroom renovation first. These bathrooms are larger and have more potential for useful changes. They also tend to be the bathrooms that you use the most, so you'll get the most personal value out of your remodeling decisions.

Consider the “Cosmetics vs. Surgery” Question

Cosmetics refers to replacing the vanity, bathroom fixtures, tubs, and other important things that are still surface level. Surgery refers to making deeper changes to walls, doorways, and structural components of your bathroom – surgery is more common when you want to expand a shower, add a sink, put in another closet, change the layout, or something similar. As you decide on your goals, think which type of project is more suitable for you. Structural change is a larger, longer type of renovation, so it’s an important decision to make! It’s also important to consider aging in place, safety, and ease of maintenance as we age.

Find Your Budget and Time Frame

You should now have enough information to start setting a budget and a time frame for the remodel. Remember to plan for enough time, especially for larger projects, and make plans for when your bathroom may not be available for use.

If you’re on a smaller budget with a tighter timeframe for completion, renovations, including tub to shower conversions and bathtub replacements can be completed in as little as a day with pricing starting at $5,900 through Bath Express By Quality Craftsmen. If you’re looking for a complete remodel including moving walls, decorative tile flooring or walls, and more, our design and installation experts at Quality Craftsmen can help! We are the top local choice for bathroom remodeling projects in the East Cobb area. Schedule an appointment today to learn more. We’ll go into more detail on the next blog on some of the features of our Bath Express installations.