6 common bathroom renovation mistakes & how to avoid them

When renovating, it’s incredibly important to have a plan. It doesn’t matter what your space is, a plan will help you figure out exactly what it is you need to achieve your ideal space. Without a plan, mistakes can happen. Even with a plan sometimes mistakes can happen! To help you be prepared, here are six common bathroom renovation mistakes and how to best avoid them.

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1. Spending too much money.

The first and most important area to consider in any renovation is your budget. You might have found your dream bathroom in your favourite home design magazine or Pinterest board however if you can’t afford it, it’s not going to work for you. However, fear not! There are ways to achieve your dream space and all within budget. Visit your local trade stores with magazine clippings and online images of your ideal space and see what is possible within your budget. If there are features that really can’t be achieved within budget, find an alternative or give them a miss, if they’re not essential. The most important thing is not to spend too much and overcapitalise at the risk that you won’t make the money back if you eventually sell. Take a look at this worksheet to help you budget.

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2. Hire licensed tradespeople – don’t just DIY it!

You might be tempted to save money by DIYing certain parts of your bathroom, however, unless you’re a tradesperson, there are certain aspects that you definitely shouldn’t DIY! One of these is your plumbing. Hiring a licensed professional might be a little more costly in the short-term, but it ensures that your job is done right the first time and will save you money in the long-term by avoiding costly fixes or a water damage disaster. Of course, professionals can still make errors, so be sure to read their online reviews, ask your friends and family for suggestions and speak with the tradespeople before hiring to be comfortable that they understand what you’re trying to achieve.

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3. Thinking the location of your bathroom is impossible.

When planning the location of your bathroom, it’s easy to think that some areas will be impossible for your new bathroom. Maybe your dream space is underground as a basement turned guest space with ensuite, maybe it’s in the garden as a beautiful alfresco shower, maybe it’s just too far from the sewerage mains, or maybe your home is built on a concrete slab. Whatever the reason, Saniflo can help you achieve your dream space wherever you want it. Saniflo’s macerator and grey water pumps are an alternative solution that allow home and business owners to install bathrooms where traditional plumbing won’t work. They are minimally invasive, saving you time and money in labour costs, and they have the ability to pump up to 100m (depending on the product) back to the sewerage mains to achieve amazing bathrooms far away.

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4. Overlooking the bathroom layout.

The layout of your space is incredibly important. If you don’t plan this aspect correctly, chances are you’ll find yourself unable to get out of the shower without walking into something, not being able to comfortably sit on the toilet and unable to reach the sink to wash your hands. To avoid this error, plan, plan, plan! It is possible to plan your space yourself however if you don’t feel 100% confident, hire an expert. You can also visit your local trade store and speak with people there, or even a trip to IKEA can be great to help you plan your space.

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5. Inadequate storage.

Storage in a bathroom is really important and not something that should be overlooked. It can be easy to miss as it’s often not something that people think about, however, you can avoid this mistake by taking time to plan your storage. It’s a good idea to have eye-level cupboards for those often-used items like your toothbrush, toothpaste, make-up, men’s grooming products, etc, then under counter storage for the not as frequently used (not daily) items like spare shampoo, extra toilet paper and so on.

6. Having mixed styles.

Finding a style and sticking with it is incredibly important. The one style ensures consistency throughout your bathroom, avoiding any potential style clashes. It’s also important to consider the style and colour scheme used in the rest of your home, as you’ll want to have consistency throughout. When walking between rooms, they should feel like they belong in the same home and not like a collection of interior trends from different decades.

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We hope these tips put you on a path to bathroom reno success. Feel free to share any other mistakes or hurdles you’ve come across in our comments section below.