When we begin discussing remodeling the small bathroom, the first step should be defining just what the small bathroom is, or is not.
The obvious place to start is with the physical size of the space. A cut off of around 55 square feet is a workable limit. In a small home or apartment, this small bath may be the primary and only bathroom. Many of the same rules will apply when remodeling this type of space, but the bathroom we are talking about will go by different names.
The ones we are giving our attention to today is the “extra bathroom”, the “guest bathroom”, or my personal favorite “the powder room”. This is usually a room that doesn’t get a lot of thought. After all, the only time you and your family will use it is if the other facilities are being used, and both you and your guests are probably too embarrassed by their need to use it to worry about it to discuss it.
The powder room may be a decorating after thought, but there are a number of good reasons to take on the project. It is a place that sooner or later your guests will visit, so it pays to make a good impression. Remodeling is a part of home ownership, and a powder room is a great project to get started with.
Remodeling the master bathroom is a good way to increase your enjoyment of the house, as well as its value, but it may be a large project for the first time remodeler. Most of the things you will encounter in remodeling a larger bath will turn up when remodeling the powder room, but on a smaller and less expensive scale.
Something that first time remodelers face is the question whether or not to do the work themselves. Even a small bathroom remodeling job is a big task for a beginning do-it-yourselfer, but if you have some experience taking measurements, using tools, and building things, remodeling the powder room can be a good project to take your handyman skills to the next level.
Not to sound defeatist, but another advantage to a powder room remodeling job is that if you do find that you are in over your head, it won’t be prohibitively expensive to call in the pro’s to fix it.
You may be able to complete the guest bathroom remodel, but decide that bigger projects are beyond your interest or capability. If this happens, you will be in a much better position to understand and evaluate the work that a contractor will be doing on your next project. If you own a home, there is always a next project.
The amount of work and expense required for the smaller bathroom project will of course be smaller because it is a smaller project, but there may be additional savings. You won’t want to use inferior materials just to save a few bucks, but remember that this is the second or extra bath. It is OK to use functional mid-grade fixtures in the guest bathroom and save the shiny and most modern ones for the family’s bathroom.
If you have any questions about bathroom or other remodeling projects, call the professionals at Corvus Construction today!