I want to start by sharing a story: There once was a couple, Mary and Peter, who wanted to do a bathroom renovation. But this was their first renovation, and they had no idea where to start. They did not understand the process, or how much a bathroom renovation would cost. What was involved, and how long was it going to take? I find that this is a familiar situation that a lot of couples have in common when I meet with them for the first time. They are uncertain about whether they are asking the right questions, starting in the right place. Does this sound familiar? For the people out there who are frustrated, and feel like they’re spinning their wheels, let’s see if I can help you out with your bathroom renovation.
Typically, clients focus on the bathroom ideas or bathroom design. This is not a bad idea, but I find that when they visit the bathroom stores, they are not prepared with the information that they need in order to make informed decisions. I find that bathroom stores and bathroom shops are happy to oblige in focusing on whatever the customer is focused on, and happy to sell them the product that they like. You would think that this would be helping you to move forward to reach your dream bathroom, but what a lot of clients and bathroom renovators are forgetting, is that while it may work in their current situation, there may be other options. Maybe a fresh pair of eyes can help you to determine what kind of renovation services are available, or necessary, to achieve what you want, within your space. Although you have accomplished crossing something off your list, you should be sure that it will work with the rest of the bathroom. Will it fit with the design that you are after? Will everything function together? Maybe, but would it not make sense to see it all together, and make your decisions with everything present that will be necessary to finish the project? Wouldn’t you prefer that your floor tile complement your vanity and countertop?
For a space that may get renovated once every 25-30 years, whatever you decide to put into it should be what you love! What I hear from clients, over and over again, is that they wish that the (fill in the blank) had told them about the different options that were possible, and could be explored. Too many times I hear of these things being left to chance or last minute pressure decisions, because their contractor needs it tomorrow or it will slow down the job. I am sure that you would want the person who built your home to be fully prepared, before they started building. I understand that some circumstances may be out of your control, which could affect your ideal bathroom, but wouldn’t you want to be prepared as much as possible? Wouldn’t you want to be able to see a detailed list of step by step processes to get you to your dream bathroom? I understand that a step by step process is not for everyone, but I find it helpful in keeping everything organized, and running smoothly.
It is important to take responsibility up front for your bathroom. To find out the real costs, the time it takes to plan your bathroom renovation, design the proper layout for your space, select all of the products, fixtures, and fittings. It is possible to find out during the installation process that there is an unexpected situation, where we may not be able to do something that was planned, but if you knew in advance that this might happen, you would have a back-up plan in place. Wouldn’t it be better later on when you are enjoying the finished product? Or would you rather leave things up to chance, and figure it out along the way?
There are many ways to achieve the result you want, you can try and learn from your experience and say, “wow, that worked!” or “I will never do that again!” Or you can find professional bathroom advisors that have heard, seen, and learned from, mistakes of their own, or those that former clients have made along the way.
The bathroom is one of the most used rooms in the home and should not be left to chance. So before you invest thousands of dollars to achieve your dream bathroom, come into Elegant Bathrooms, where we can help you to avoid costly mistakes, and achieve your ultimate goal of your dream bathroom.
Call us, visit the showroom, or fill out a form to meet with a bathroom advisor.
