4 expert tips to make your bathroom reno easier

Many people put off bathroom renovations because it can all feel like too much hassle. After all, the bathroom isn’t a space you can simply choose not to use while renovations are taking place.

But the truth is that these projects don’t need to be as disruptive as they might seem. With some careful planning and a few simple hacks, you can radically reduce the impact that a bathroom renovation has on your day-to-day life. And, ultimately, that shiny new bathroom complete with high-end fixtures and fittings really is worth the effort. Here are our recommendations.

How to make your bathroom renovation less disruptive

1 Plan, plan, plan

Embarking on a bathroom renovation isn’t the same as waking up and deciding that today is the day to mow the lawn. These projects require careful planning. Not only does this give you the chance to select the right products for your renovation – think shower heads. The planning stage also provides the opportunity to think about how you’ll maneuver around the renovation works. 

Crucial elements to nail down when planning a bathroom renovation include:

• Costs: if you’re doing it yourself, this will include appointments, as well as perhaps paint or carpeting. If you’re hiring a renovator, we recommend getting quotes from a variety of providers, as well as reading reviews to check out their reliability. Of course, unit costs will come on top of their labour.
• Timeframes: this is key to minimising disruption. You want to have a clear timeline for how long the project will take, so that you know how long you’ll need to use your work-arounds. Whether you’re doing it yourself or using a contractor, we recommend budgeting a bit longer than you think it will actually take, in case you come across unexpected problems.
• Your options: part of your planning phase should involve thinking about how the renovation will impact your life, and what options you have open to you to make things easier. This is what we’ll focus on for the rest of the article.
  

2 Consider temporary bathroom solutions
If you only have one bathroom in your home, and it’s going to be partly (or totally) out of action for a time, you’ll need to find some alternatives. Depending on the scale and nature of your renovation, this could include:

• Showering at the gym
• Showering at your office
• Showering at a nearby family member’s house, or at a neighbour’s
• Hiring a portable toilet or portable shower.

If you have multiple bathrooms, you might need to equip those that aren’t undergoing renovation with appointments they might not already have. Again, this could be a portable shower or wash basin, for example.

3 Work the renovations around your lifestyle

If you’re hiring a contractor to renovate your bathroom, try to arrange for them to come on days that you’re not going to be at home. For example, if you work from home a couple of days a week, as many Australians now do, try to organise for the tradies to come in on days when you’re in the office – trying to work through the noise of renovations isn’t fun!

However, while being out of the immediate workzone is a good idea, you still need to be easily contactable, in case the contractors bump up against unexpected hurdles. So, we wouldn’t recommend scheduling a bathroom renovation while you’re away on business, or out of the country on holiday.

4 Contain the mess

Renovations are going to create a mess, that’s just part of the process. However, the last thing you want is for that mess to spread into the rest of your house.

In particular, dust can get everywhere, and be a real nightmare to clean, so make sure to seal your bathroom effectively with plastic sheeting. You might also want to think about buying air purifiers for nearby rooms to remove airborne particles. This is particularly important if you or anyone in your household suffers from asthma or other respiratory problems. 

Ready to start planning your bathroom renovation? To get product inspiration, drop into your nearest Abey showroom today or make an appointment to make sure one of our bathroom design experts is available to help.