11 Planning Essentials For Your Bathroom Renovation

There are a ton of things to consider when remodelling a bathroom. It’s not just an ordinary room in your DMCI Homes Condo, it’s one of the most frequently used and an often criticized area.

Doesn't it always impress you when you walk into somebody else's bathroom and it looks amazing? Well, this is your chance to impress the ones who walk into yours. The bathroom is also a space of serenity, a place for relaxation. It’s where you can enjoy a hot and relaxing bath after a grueling day of work, it’s your own personal studio where you can sing your heart out without anyone listening, and it plays a big part in setting your mood at the beginning and end of your day. So it’s only natural that you put a lot of attention into its renovation. You could potentially be using the finished bathroom for the rest of your life so don’t take it lightly.

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If you’re still just planning the bathroom renovation, you need to cover all bases. Ideally you should consult an expert in doing condo renovation in the Philippines – someone who can give you practical and functional renovation suggestions.

But before you talk to him, it’s also a good idea to already know what you want. To help you out, here are 11 things that you might want to consider first before you set up a consultation meeting.

How much are you willing to spend?

Every renovation has a matching cost attached to it and the expense scales depending on the size of the renovation required and the cost of materials.

So before you start renovating or before you hire someone to do it for you, make sure you already have a price point in mind.

Take note that normally, the bathroom remodelling cost will be cheaper if you have less floor space to work on. But it can still go up by a lot depending on the materials used and any additional feature that you want installed. It’s also possible that you’ll discover something that needs repair or replacement.

So always budget for the unexpected. Hopefully you won't need to touch the extra budget, but it's very good to have if something unexpected occurs.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to renovations, being cheap will hurt you in the long run. Something might break months or years down the road and you're going to have to spend even more money just to fix it.

Don't skimp on quality materials and expert services just because you don't want to shell out the money. If you can't afford a proper renovation then maybe it's not yet time to have one.

Are you thinking of making it bigger?

Decide early if you want the renovation to increase the floor space of the bathroom or not. There are a lot of bathroom remodeling ideas that will drastically improve the look, feel, and use of your bathroom without actually making it bigger.

This is also closely tied with the cost of the whole renovation because ultimately, expanding a bathroom is going to cost more money. Chances are an expansion project will involve demolishing and rebuilding one of the walls and that’s not going to be cheap.

How many people will be using the bathroom?

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Do you live alone or with a partner? Do you have roommates maybe? Is someone going to move in with you at some future time?

His and hers sinks are great for two person residents, for example. Or you might want to stick to one sink but just expand the mirror and the table area. Usually, two people can make do with just one faucet for so long as there’s enough table space for the both of them.

Two shower heads is another consideration if you’re living with your partner. It’ll save a lot of time in the morning when you’re both rushing to get ready for work.

Do you need a tub or would you rather have a larger shower space?

Modern bathroom design in condos come with pre-built tubs. The question is do you really need them? Not everyone enjoys tub baths, a lot of people actually prefer just taking long and warm showers.

Decide if you’re a tub or shower person. If you’re not a tub person then you might want to just use the space to create a larger shower area. If you are, then you might want to make the tub a little bigger or move it to another area.

Think of how to light your new bathroom.

Is it possible to let natural light in? If it is, then you might want to maximize that option in order to save on electricity during the day.

If there’s no natural light, you’ll want your bathroom to have comfortably bright light. If it’s a small bathroom, then one light source at the center is usually enough.

If you have a large bathroom then you’ll want to strategically install multiple light sources to eliminate the dark areas.

Another option is installing dimmers for those who like to enjoy a hot bath under slightly darker conditions.

Be water-efficient and eco-friendly.

If you’re renovating anyway, then you might want to opt for incorporating water-efficient systems into your bathroom design.

Low flow shower heads, for example, will save you a lot of water without much difference in the actual experience.

Another thing to consider are toilets with water efficient flushing. You can save tens of thousands of gallons a year with an efficient flushing system.

Properly ventilate your new bathroom.

This is often overlooked by most owners, but proper ventilation is very important in keeping your bathroom mold and mildew free. If it becomes too humid then molds will start to grow and you’re going to have a hard time cleaning them. They’ll cause the surface they grow on to become slippery as well.

Go automated.

If you have the extra cash to impress, then you might want to consider adding automated systems to your bathroom.

Your ventilation can be automated to activate once a certain humidity is reached. The lights can also be controlled by sensors so that it knows when to turn itself on and to shut off. The same motion sensors can also be installed in the faucet and the toilet.

Use large tiles.

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If you want your small bathroom look and feel larger, then using large tiles will help. Bigger tiles feel less constricting. Small ones create so many grout lines that you end up feeling boxed up. This doesn’t happen with large tiles.

Optimize storage space.

Another tip if you’re renovating a small bathroom is to create as much storage space as possible.

So this means a shelf above the door, a bathroom vanity, space behind the mirror if possible, racks for hanging clothes towels, towel rods, and any other convenient storage space for your condo bathroom essentials.

Plan for old age.

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Even if you’re still young, it’s always a good idea to plan for old age. There’s a chance that you’ll still be using the same bathroom when you grow old after all.

So consider making the shower area bigger, adding grab bars instead of towel rods, using curved edges on the vanity, and ensuring that the floors are non-slip.

These 11 considerations should be enough to help you better plan your bathroom renovation. Again, make sure you consult an expert before you finalize your plan and hire professionals to do the work.

You don’t want problems to pop up after just several months of renovation, so plan wisely and get it right the first time.