When temperatures continue to be in the triple digits, many Arizonans start dreaming about cooler weather and the upcoming holidays. If holidays include out of town guests, homeowners start thinking about remodeling projects that can get done by the holidays. Next to remodeling your kitchen before the holidays arrive, the next big ticket item tends to be bathrooms. Here are a few helpful hints about renovating your bathrooms before the holidays.
Decide which bathroom(s) you want done by the holidays
Assuming you have more than one bathroom in your home that needs updating, take a moment to decide which bathroom(s) you want done. Master bathrooms will likely take the most amount of work, with guest bathrooms next in line, and powder rooms first. Look at all your bathrooms in need of remodeling and prioritize what “must” get done before the holidays, and which one(s) can wait until later. Next, do a quick “wish list” of what you want for each bathroom you’re remodeling. Items to consider may include:
- Bathtub
- Shower
- Sinks
- Faucets
- Lighting
- Mirrors
- Flooring
- Hardware
- Cabinets
It might be a good idea to create a master list with what you need for any bathrooms you’re remodeling to see if you can get all the materials at once, which will help you decide what can be done within a realistic timeline before the holidays.
How long it takes to remodel a bathroom
Obviously, the timeline to renovate a bathroom depends on what you’re having done. A simple coat or two of paint and swapping out fixtures is a fairly quick upgrade, but assuming you’re going for the whole enchilada, that timeline can increase extensively. Let’s take remodeling a master bathroom as an example. For the work alone, you can expect a bathroom to be fully remodeled in no less than 23 working days. Assuming that no work is done on weekends, this translates to 4½ weeks. Before you get too excited, let’s take a closer look at that. That’s assuming that work is being done in 23 consecutive working days (excluding weekends). Since you’re likely working with more than one resource to get work done (plumbers, electricians, flooring, etc.) the chances of a flawless, consecutive schedule are unlikely. Even with the best bathroom renovation company, it’s nearly impossible to line up all the workers’ schedules seamlessly. And that is just the work itself. You also need to consider permits, demolition, ordering of parts and materials, and other unseen delays. When it’s all said and done, you’re looking at closer to 8 weeks minimum realistically. Keep that in mind when considering renovating your bathrooms before the holidays.
Should you do more than one bathroom at once?
If you’ve ever lived through any kind of major renovation, you know they can be messy and inconvenient. Assuming you don’t have the luxury of moving out while demolition happens, you’ll need to plan on having at least one functional bathroom that has a toilet, sink and shower or tub.
The pros of doing more than one bathroom at a time include:
- Only living through renovations once instead of twice
- Cost savings for labor
- Cost savings for dumpster and other demo-related costs
- Potential cost savings on buying multiple items for bathrooms (sinks, hardware, etc.)
The cons of doing more than one bathroom at a time include:
- More cost at once instead of spreading it out
- Added inconvenience of multiple bathrooms out of commission
- More time to get project done than if only one bathroom was being renovated
What to consider when preparing for a bathroom renovation before the holidays
Let’s go back to that timeline we discussed earlier. Many homeowners fail to plan on how long it takes for certain materials to come in, especially if they’re looking for upgrades that aren’t off the shelf. Want that cool soaker tub? It might be special order, which can take 2-6 weeks. How about that beautiful Italian tile you saw when you were on vacation? Also special order. Same with lighting, fixtures, etc. If you want to go unique and different, you’ll need to take that into consideration as well as how the arrival of your products impacts worker timelines.
Those special surprises no one plans for during a bathroom renovation
So far, we’ve described a bathroom renovation without any surprises. Ever done a remodeling job before? There’s always at least one surprise delay in bathroom remodeling, including:
- Delays in permits
- Approvals from homeowner’s association
- Backorder of products
- Products coming in damaged or incomplete orders
- Electrical issues, such as getting wiring up to code
- Weather-related delays
- Structural issues – slab leaks or mold found upon demo, necessity to move support beams, rerouting plumbing lines, etc.
End of summer is a good time to schedule your bathroom renovation for the holidays
By late August/early September, we’re already telling people that renovating your bathrooms before the holidays is tight. Aside from product ordering, worker schedules and surprises to take into consideration, interior design companies schedules for new projects fill up quickly for pre-holiday work. If you’re looking to renovate your bathroom for the holidays, reach out to a renovation design specialist now and get the process started for a beautiful new bathroom by the holiday season.
