The day is finally here, you have made up your mind and you are going to renovate your bathroom. But you are not really sure what the cost of it will be. You are looking at contractors and taking bids on the labor and you know you have some variables to think about; How old are the pipes? Will I need new plumbing? Would it be more cost effective in the long run to replace the copper lines? How do I plan a budget?

First things first, decide if you are going to do a full remodel by taking the walls down to the studs and changing the lay out or do you simply want to replace the tile, tub and vanity, give it some new paint and new light? Now comes the painful part the budget, the typical amount you would want to budget is about 10% of the home’s value. So if it is worth $500,000, then you will budget for $50,000.

If you are still not sure what type of renovation you are interested in here are a few things to think about:

• Do you want to keep the layout of the space and still love your tile? Then a basic remodel is for you. You will keep the existing layout and flooring but change the paint, vanity, faucets, and toilet.
• Do you love the space but hate everything else? Then a mid-range remodel is the ticket. With this type of remodel, you will up your game by using higher end materials and do everything you would in a basic remodel plus look at replacing the flooring. You might even want to add a few extras such as a spa tub or a shower system. Zuma offers some beautiful tubs that would be the perfect touch in any bathroom.
• Do you hate the space, the layout and everything in it? Well then knock it out and start over! A full renovation is for you. With a full renovation, you take everything down to the studs, replace the electrical and plumbing and you can also change the layout and make it more user friendly for you and your family.

As with most things the more money you can put into the budget and the better the materials, the bigger and better the renovation. You can do this but don’t get bogged down with the budget. There are ways you can save money without cutting the quality of the materials.

• Buy materials on sale
• Ask for discounts on bulk items
• Put some sweat equity in the project
• Shop around for a good contractor and the best bid

Now that you have an overview on the project go out and have fun the hard part starts tomorrow!