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One important factor that you may need to consider after buying a new house is the condition of the bathroom. That is when remodelling or renovating your bathroom comes into the picture. Considering the current property prices, you may need to renovate your bathroom in such a way that it will add value to your home.
In this article, we aim to take you through all the costs you would incur in renovating a bathroom and the factors that you would want to consider before you take up a renovation project.
How much would a bathroom renovation cost?
While the cost of renovating a bathroom would vary, on average, individuals owning a property could be expecting to pay anywhere between $18,000 to $25,000 if they are looking at a complete bathroom renovation in Australia. However, there are a number of factors that go into the pricing of a bathroom renovation if you are to achieve the look that you want and refresh your bathroom look in all aspects. These factors depend on a variety of details like the type of renovation you want, the size of your bathroom, the number of bathrooms in your property as well as the company undertaking the project.
Factors to consider before starting a renovation project
While the size of the bathroom is an important factor when budgeting for a bathroom renovation, there are a few things you may want to think about before coming to a concrete decision:
- What are the main characteristics that you are looking for in your bathroom?
- Are you satisfied with the current configuration as well as the current size of the bathroom?
- Are you looking at changing the layout, increasing or decreasing the space?
The answers to the above questions would give you an idea on the scope of the work that would be required and the cost of the entire project. Another aspect you may want to keep in mind is if perhaps your bathroom would require you to completely renovate it, which would include replacements, plumbing installations, and upgrades or it may also require simple replacement and repairs depending on what your answers to the above questions are.
Besides answering the above questions, a few things that you may want to consider when you’re working with any of the bathroom renovators is their service locations and whether or not they are located in Sydney or in your city of residence. You may also want to know if they have previously worked on similar projects.
These upgrades may be catered to luxury purposes, budget-friendly installations or premium fit-outs depending on what your requirements are at the time. To do such renovations, you would need to understand what best fits your requirements.
A lot of the bathroom renovating/remodeling companies like Elev8 have a specific team that would process your requirements at a very early stage and ensure they take a personalised approach to show you multiple options to deliver on what they promise. A business that deals with bathroom renovations would ensure that they use quality materials that would usually come with a warranty or a guarantee that ensures you have all the types of equipment in your bathroom that are backed by certified agencies.
We have discussed some of the factors that would be included in your budget for bathroom renovations. They are a basic set of guidelines that would cater for your requirements.
Estimated budget and the resale value
With the factors being discussed, the next step is to consider the estimated amount that you would be spending on your bathroom. Bathroom renovations (alongside the kitchen) are on average the most effective ways of increasing the value of your property and invariably increasing its resale value.
While bathroom renovation is an important aspect of restructuring the space, it is suggested that the renovation costs should not exceed 2% of the property value if you compare it to the long-term resale value. Therefore, you may want to spend less on the renovation if you are planning on selling the property in future.
Also, choosing a bathroom renovation company should be done by comparing multiple quotes and comparing their rates which would give you more options and a sense of flexibility when it comes to choosing from a perspective of selling the property or staying in the property for the long term.
Methods and tricks to refresh your bathrooms on a budget
There are a few ways in which you can refresh your bathrooms if you are running on an overall budget to do so. They are as below:
- Addition of a bathroom vanity
- Replacing the old mirrors with new ones
- Replacing existing floor tiles with new ones
- Upgrading your bathtubs, toilets and/or sink by installing new finishes
- Adding and/or replacing new light fixtures
- Replacing or adding a bathtub, sink or toilets completely
- Consider changing or adding a new bathroom wallpaper or paint a different color on the walls
- Upgrading your showers, textured tiles and walls which would increase the aesthetics of the space
- Adding new bathroom cabinets or replacing the old ones
- Focus on updating the tapware if they look old and rusty
- Changing the exhaust fan or installing one if it is missing
While you are getting upgrades to your bathroom spaces, it is also important to focus on the materials that are being used. If you intend to stay at the property for long, you can choose the material that best suits your needs. However, if the property is for selling purposes, you may not want to customize or spend on luxurious materials for the fittings as they may not be of the buyer’s choice.
Estimated work involved to complete bathroom renovation
While refreshing your bathroom is an easier bet, complete bathroom renovation would be more expensive as it requires labor, time and more plumbing which may take a longer time to process. You would need to ask yourself the same questions asked earlier in the article where you are considering factors like space, the configuration of your bathroom, or the functionality where these things would require you to undertake a complete bathroom renovation.
A few things that come under this area include the following jobs:
- Leveling the floor
- Installing the toilet
- Building the bathroom walls
- Installing the shower
- Installing the tile flooring
- Installing the tiled walls
- Plumbing and electrical fixtures
There are more aspects that come in depending on what other changes you would require in the bathroom and if you want to go for a luxurious or a premium fit. On average, fixtures, showers electrical costs, lighting, flooring costs, wall tiling, painting, and plumbing would cost you $2500-$4800, $1600-$7000, $1600-$4800, $300-$800, $800-$4800, $600-$1200, and $1200-$2500 respectively. These of course change depending on the company undertaking the renovations and the location of the property along with the quality of the materials used.
Schedule and time estimates
One major thought or question that comes to your mind is how long to complete the bathroom renovation as no one would want to be without a functioning bathroom for a long time especially if your property has only one bathroom.
There are various factors that would determine the exact schedule and the time it would take to renovate your bathroom, including the time it takes for the renovation to be researched, planned, and executed. As a general rule of thumb, a rough estimate could be anywhere between 6-8 weeks for planning, and about 1-4 weeks for the actual renovation.
Tips on saving money on bathroom renovations
A few recommendations that bathroom renovators as professionals would give so it fits your budget are:
- Do not buy a fancy toilet: While bathrooms are an important aspect of a property, investing in a fancy toilet is a luxury and not a necessity, therefore, it is always a good idea to get a budget-friendly standard toilet that would serve its purpose and invest in good quality material to build it. There are toilets which are also known as low-flow toilets which use less water and would invariably reduce your water bill.
- Compare prices with floor tiles: Since there are many floor tiling manufacturers in the market, it is always a good idea to compare prices. You would be able to land on a high-quality tile manufacturer at a price that fits your budget.
- Shopping for bathroom accessories at bigger stores: Bathroom accessories have always been in trend and are handy. Therefore, buying these accessories at bathroom stores would save you your money on items like towel bars, mixers, etc.
How to plan your bathroom renovation budget
Since we have covered the majority of the aspects that you should be considering while investing in a bathroom renovation, it is essential to note that you can still renovate your bathroom on the cheap. Below are key points on how to plan your bathroom renovation budget:
- Determine what part of your bathroom requires renovation while considering the average costs of materials and the necessary labor costs.
- Compare several bathroom renovation quotes and narrow down on one particular company.
- As discussed, the most common areas in a bathroom that would require renovation could be: plumbing elements, waterproofing materials, lighting, floor and wall tiles, shower screens, vanities, showers, exhaust fans, bathtubs, and toilets.
Depending on the aspects you would get renovated, the cost of each aspect would vary significantly depending on the quality of the materials used and the finish of the material that you would invariably choose. This includes labor cost which is something to remember and one which is often forgotten.
Finally, we can say that bathroom renovations are one of the most common types of renovations that people in Australia carry out. The process of renovating a bathroom can significantly vary depending on several factors. These factors include the size of the room, as well as the costs of materials, fittings, labor costs, and several other expenses that come with it, and these are key variables in determining the total costs of any bathroom renovation project. We hope with this article, we have provided you with a comprehensive bathroom renovation cost guide and covered all the important information which would have invariably answered the most commonly asked questions when it comes to renovating your bathroom.
