If you’ve been itching for the opportunity to turn your boring old bathroom into a luxurious, spa-style retreat, it’s crucial to plan ahead before you start making home improvements. From setting your budget and choosing tiles, to vanity countertops and perfect lighting, coming up with a strategy can save you time and money during the remodeling process.

Set Your Budget

Most bathroom makeovers average around $26,000 nationwide, but that figure can vary, depending on the type of remodel you’re doing. To help determine what type of renovation you should be doing and what will work best with your budget, ask yourself several questions:

• Will this be an entire remodel of the room, or just a cosmetic upgrade?
• What type of bathroom (master bath, guest, children’s, half) do I want?
• What type of amenities and functionality do I need?
• Do I need to worry about the resale value of the house, or do I plan on staying here?

Style upgrade

Minor changes to your bathroom’s style can have a big impact on how you enjoy the space, and can even increase your home’s value without a significant up front investment.

Simple style upgrades don’t require you to gut the space or make structural changes, so you can do most of the remodeling yourself which can save on labor costs. Some easy style upgrades for your bathroom include:

• Installing a low-flow shower head or a rainfall shower head for a luxurious spa-style bathroom.
• Changing the hardware on your vanity drawer pulls and knobs and switching out your sink faucet for a sleek modern design.
• Adding a splash of color by repainting your vanity or using peel-and-stick tiles on the walls.
• Re-grouting your tiles. Consider using a contrasting grout color to create a bold, modern look.

Improving functionality

Improvements such as upgrading your toilet or shower, replacing a tired vanity with durable engineered quartz, or cutting an alcove into your wall are renovations designed to improve the way your bathroom functions. These normally cost more than a style upgrade, and can involve considerably more effort and materials.

Improving the functionality in your bathroom can be achieved in numerous ways, including:

• Changing your lighting fixtures can make a bathroom that looks cramped, feel spacious and spa-like by creating a brighter room that’s easier to relax and see in.
• A stylish new vanity or bathroom cabinet with a granite or quartzite top can create the storage you need.
• Replacing your bathtub with a shower can add extra space to your bathroom.
• A simple and functional grab bar is easy to install, and instantly improves safety.
• Replacing your shower tile with a textured tile adds a safe footing option.
• Upgrading your bathroom fan with an inline fan to improve ventilation and reduce noise.

Resale value

Adding to your home’s value is a smart way to increase your selling price if you plan to market it in the future, and a bathroom renovation is the perfect way to do so. While this type of remodel normally costs more than the others, one benefit is the return on your investment when your home is on the market at a higher price.

Bathroom remodels typically have a 60% to 68% ROI on average. There are several bathroom improvements that can increase your home’s appeal to buyers, including:

• A high-quality Delta faucet that reduces lime and calcium buildup.
• Installing heated floor tiles and towel racks.
• Adding more functional cabinetry and storage space like double deep drawers or recessed mirror cabinets.
• Installing a new sink, such as an on-trend farmhouse or vessel style sink.
• Replacing your outdated sliding shower doors with sleek frameless hinged models.

Have a Plan

Planning your renovation can be daunting, but mapping the layout of your bathroom can prevent costly mistakes when the time comes to start demolition and construction.

There are several easy-to-use apps that allow you to create a digital mock-up of your bathroom layout that you can show to contractors to help bring your vision to life. Some of the best room design apps include RoomSketcher, 3D Room Planner by Room Styler, and SmartDraw.

Use the apps to create a 2D floor plan to accurately represent entrances, exits, electrical and plumbing lines, fixtures, and the locations of the shower or tub. You can also use the floor plan to estimate the number of tiles you need and gauge the space around fixtures.

You can also use these apps to develop a 3D representation of your bathroom to show your contractors what you expect the room to look like by the end of the remodel.

Apply for Building Permits

Depending on the extent of the remodel, you may need to apply for building permits from your local municipality to ensure that your bathroom design complies with zoning regulations and building codes.

Generally, if you are changing the layout of the bathroom, opening walls, making significant structural changes, or re-routing plumbing and electrical lines, it is a good idea to fill out and file a permit application. Then post the orange permit in a clearly visible location at the job site and undergo an inspection to ensure that your property still complies with building codes.

Choose Your Materials

Next, it’s time to finalize the materials you’ll be using for your remodel. Choose your major fixtures, like your toilet and Blanco Silgranit sink, vanity countertop and hardware, and details like your bathroom tile, grout color, and shower head. Decide on paint colors, and lighting fixtures before you proceed any further to help you stay on budget and schedule.

Prep Your Space

Bathroom remodels can be tricky, especially if you plan on doing any plumbing. Hiring a professional general contractor from Motor City Granite & Cabinets ensures that your remodel goes smoothly. We can guide you through every step of your bathroom renovation, from project management, fabrication of the bathroom vanities and countertops, to plumbing re-connections and design assistance.

Let Motor City Granite & Cabinets Help

With over 30 years of combined industry experience, Motor City Granite & Cabinets can serve all of your bathroom or kitchen remodeling needs. Top quality fabrication and installation gives you peace of mind knowing that our team has the job covered from start to finish.