How to Prepare for a Residential Bathroom Renovation Project

All home renovation projects can be quite exciting. However, they also come at a price. And this does not simply pertain to the money you have to shell out for the project.

Home renovation projects, especially bathroom-related ones, can be quite messy and highly inconvenient. This is because you won’t be able to do all the activities that you usually do in this very personal part of your house.

Once the project starts, workers and various types of equipment will come and go inside your home, and make it look like a war zone in the process.

As soon as you are ready to turn your amazing bathroom ideas into reality with the help of your contractor, follow these tips so that you and your family can deal with all the chaos that can come from a bathroom renovation project:

1.    Schedule your bathroom renovation project smartly

A full-scale tear-out and reconstruction of a small or medium-sized bathroom can take at least two to four weeks to complete. This type of project also has many components so planning it to fit in your family’s schedule can make things run as smoothly as possible.

This means that you should ideally schedule the project during the summer when your kids don’t have to use the bathroom every day in the morning.

During the holiday, you and your family can even stay at a relative’s house so that no one will be too inconvenienced by the project. You can then visit your home every day to check on the workers and the progress of the project.

2.    Beef up home security during bathroom renovation

If you will be staying in another place while the renovation project is ongoing, make sure you beef up your home security.

Keep in mind that during home renovation projects, a property can be vulnerable to unscrupulous individuals who may want to take advantage of the chaos inside your home. If you are away and the workers are busy with their tasks, it is possible for thieves to do their dirty deed.

As such, do not rely on the workers to look after your home at all times. Install a few extra locks and store your valuables elsewhere.

If you have a CCTV system, check it regularly. You can also consider having one installed before the project if you don’t have one yet.

3.    Set up some measures of privacy if you will be staying at home

In case you can’t live temporarily at a relative’s house and your budget won’t allow you to stay at a hotel or holiday rental, make sure you establish a measure of privacy while there are workers in your property.

Start by making the necessary adjustments for using the bathroom. If the project does not call for a complete tear-out, do all your private business (including taking baths) earlier prior to the arrival of the workers or after they have left.

In addition, consider putting up some dividers or folding screens to demarcate the work and private areas in your home.

4.    Transfer all items/supplies in the bathroom to another room

If you have two or three bathrooms at home and you will only have one renovated, move all the items from this bathroom to the others that aren’t part of the project.

For instance, if you will have the bathroom in the master’s bedroom remodeled, before any work begins, pack all the bathroom essentials you need and store these in the bathroom on the ground floor or near the kitchen. By doing so, you will avoid disturbing the workers whenever you need a bathroom-related item.

5.    Ensure the work area is a kid-free zone

Lastly, the job site can be a dangerous environment, with all the heavy equipment and different hazardous materials found in it. Because of this, you need to take the necessary precautions to keep your kids away from the work area.

Remember that children are naturally curious and may be drawn to the hubbub in the bathroom, or find a particular piece of equipment interesting. By telling your kids they can’t enter this room and setting up some barricades, you will help prevent unnecessary accidents and keep your little ones from distracting the workers.

To have a better, updated bathroom, you need to have a good design and hire the right contractors.

You can also ensure everything will go smoothly, and you will get the results that you are looking for by following the tips above before and during the bathroom renovation project.

AUTHOR BIO

Yahya Zarka is the Managing Director at Concept Bath Trading RAK FZE in Dubai. Backed with 28 years of experience in catering to the Middle Eastern market, the company supplies water-saving bathroom and kitchen solutions as well as tiles and LED light products, all delivered in high quality and stylish designs