We all know that when our homes become worn and in need of repair, renovating them is the best option. However, renovating your home can be both stressful and overwhelming, especially when it’s a room that your family uses a lot. For me, having my bathroom renovated was one of the most stressful experiences.
You might be excited to finally have your dream bathroom, but the process it takes to get there could cause all sorts of problems. Aside from the issue of not being able to access your bathroom appliances, you also have the issue of an increasing budget to deal with. With all these things to deal with, it’s easy to let your bathroom renovations get on top of you.
While you can’t completely escape the stress that comes with a major bathroom renovation, you can make things less stressful. Intrigued? Yes – then keep reading below, for all my top tips.
Set a budget
When it comes to renovations, one factor that causes a lot of stress is money. Often, renovation projects end up being more expensive than you planned them to be, which can cause a lot of stress if you can’t afford the extra costs.
The best thing to do to avoid this stress is to set yourself a budget that is 10 percent lower than the amount that you can afford to spend. This is important because most renovation projects go over their original budget by 10 percent.
By setting your budget lower than the amount that you can afford, this means that if your project goes over budget, you will be able to cover the costs. This will help to reduce your stress levels, as you will know that no matter what, you can afford your renovations.
Hire a good contractor
The key to ensuring that your bathroom renovations are as stress-free as possible is choosing a good contractor. Ask friends and relatives for recommendations, and use the internet to find all the best local contractors.
As well as researching the quality of a contractor’s work, it’s also a good idea to find out how reliable they are. If you have a friend, relative or co-worker who used the contractor that you are considering using, ask them about them.
Did the contractor start work on time each day? Did they return your phone calls as soon as possible? Did they do everything that they could to keep your project on budget? These are all important questions to ask, to ensure that you are choosing the perfect contractor.
If you are looking at hiring general contractors, make sure to ask how much experience they have with bathrooms. While some contractors choose to specialize in one area, others prefer to work in all areas of renovations. Ideally, you want to hire a contractor who has lots of experience with bathroom renovations.
If you know that the contractor is reliable and experienced, you will feel less stressed. There is something relaxing about knowing that your home is in good hands – that’s why hiring a good contractor is a must.
Be realistic about your expectations
Don’t expect too much from your bathroom renovations, be realistic about what you should expect. If you have a tiny bathroom, don’t expect a renovation to transform it into spa-style retreat. Be realistic about what you can and can’t do with your bathroom – renovation or not.
If you ask for too much when it comes to your bathroom renovations, you will end up feeling more stressed out. Work with the bathroom that you have and use design magazines to get an idea of what you can do with your bathroom.
Having an area of your home is stressful, there are no two ways about it. But by following my tips above, you can reduce the amount of stress that comes with your renovations.
