What to Think About When Planning Bathroom Remodels in Kansas City
Did you know that the average person will spend over 800 days of their life in their bathroom?
813 days, to be exact, which comes out to be two years and 83 days. That’s a lot of time spent in one room!
With so much time spent in the bathroom (doing a wide variety of different things), bathrooms are arguably one of the most important rooms in your entire house.
It’s no surprise, then, that the comfort, aesthetic, utility, and even value of a house is strongly impacted by its bathrooms, making them one of the most popular targets for remodeling. A bathroom remodel in Kansas City can be an excellent investment and can go a long way in adding to the long-term value of your home. But before you dive in, there are some important things to consider that will help make your bathroom remodeling project go as smooth as possible.
Budget
Dun, dun, DUUUUUUN! We all love talking about money, right? **insert cringe** Alas, it’s something that has to be carefully considered for bathroom remodels in Kansas City (and anywhere else, for that matter).
In fact, the biggest consideration in any home remodeling project is your budget. Because of all the wiring, plumbing, and need for waterproofing in a bathroom, even smaller projects can be thousands of dollars. The cost of the average full bathroom remodel in the US starts at $10,000 to $15,000, and typically only goes up from there depending on the furnishings you want, the quality of the materials you choose, and the expertise of the crew executing the project.
Carefully consider your goals for this project, as well as how much money you’re comfortable spending. Be sure to pick a top dollar amount, and then stick to it. Any good bathroom remodeling contractor is going to do everything they can to help you stay within that budget, while still bringing your dream bathroom to life.
Wants vs. Needs and Your Personal Style
Once you have your budget in place, it’s time to narrow down your remodeling priorities to fit your budget. (Again, a good Kansas City bathroom remodeling contractor can help you do this.) Identifying your personal design style can be very helpful in this. For example, if you absolutely love open space, then you might select a less expensive shower and vanity to free up more money to change the layout or size of the bathroom. If you adore the ornate, antique, or eclectic, then you might opt for simpler tiles and a prefabricated shower floor so you can splurge on a few high-end fixtures. You might even find that your personal style doesn’t deviate too far from what your current bathroom looks like, so rather than totally gutting the bathroom and starting from scratch, you can stick with minor upgrades – like repainting the vanity and replacing the faucets – so you have the funds for that jetted, free-standing soaker tub you’ve always wanted.
Many people look at home improvement magazines or websites like Pinterest to try and identify their personal style, but be aware that some of the beautiful or exotic bathrooms you see in pictures aren’t actually very practical. Those clear-glass vessel sinks are eye-catching, but even the smallest grime or hard water will be very noticeable. The marble shower screams luxury, but marble is also very porous and therefore stains and dents easily. The giant tiles may give that shower a minimalistic appeal, but they can be a serious slipping hazard. It’s important to work with an experienced bathroom designer, like the home design experts we have on-staff at NextGen. Thanks to their combined experience in design and project management, they can help you design a bathroom that fits your style and practical needs.
Bathtubs and Showers
The range of options for bathtubs and showers can get overwhelming. Beyond the dollar signs, you must consider what will fit in your bathroom, the style, what features you need, and what you will actually use. Showers and bathtubs can be separate or combined, or you may opt out of having a bathtub altogether in favor of a larger, more spacious shower.
Options for standalone showers have exploded in the past couple decades. They can be totally enclosed in glass, laminate, or tile; they can be partially partitioned off; or they can be completely open to the rest of the bathroom. Their floors can be slightly sunken or have a raised lip to keep water in, or they can be zero-entry. Be aware that if the floor of the shower isn’t properly sloped, the water won’t drain, so these showers require skilled installation. Both the walls and floors can be fully-prefabricated, fully-tiled, or a mixture of the two. A well-placed grab bar will make for easier and safer use, especially for those with physical impairments or for the elderly, and everyone can benefit from recessed storage and a ledge at just the right height and size for sitting or shaving.
Separate bathtubs come with their own range of possibilities. The two main categories are alcove/drop-in and freestanding. Freestanding tubs include classic clawfoot tubs, but there are modern options that sit flush with the floor. While these can make for gorgeous statement pieces, they can be harder to clean, some find them harder to get in and out of, the water can cool faster, and some, like antique-style iron tubs, can be extremely heavy. Embedded tubs can be part of a shower, in a corner, or flush with a wall. Both embedded and standalone tubs come in jetted and soaker (extra large and deep) varieties.
Toilets
When imagining a new bathroom, many people overlook the toilet. While the range of options is thankfully less complicated, they are nonetheless important. You can now choose between freestanding or embedded toilets, and for smaller spaces you can select a compact model. For master bathrooms, you may opt to place the toilet in a water closet (a small room within the bathroom itself, specifically designated for the toilet) to provide privacy while your partner is using other parts of the bathroom. Installing bidets is now easier than ever, and in colder climates (like what we have here in Kansas City), a heated toilet seat can be an excellent addition to your bathroom remodel.
Sinks and Vanities
The vanity will help set the stylistic tone for your bathroom. Since bathrooms come in all shapes and layouts, highly specialized remodeling companies, like NextGen, can use their custom cabinet makers to ensure your new vanity perfectly fits the space, providing maximum storage without sacrificing style. Not only do we have our own cabinet maker, but NextGen Remodeling also works with a custom local granite and stone company to make sure your custom vanity gets the perfect countertop.
Large-scale Remodels and Limitations
If you want to do a large-scale remodel involving things like changing the layout or size of the bathroom, it’s important to be aware of the limitations of your house. For both kitchen and bathroom remodels in Kansas City, it is vital to never run piping through an exterior wall to prevent the pipes from freezing in the winter, and altering the layout of the bathroom to have the shower, sink, or bathtub away from an exterior wall can be tricky. If you want to increase the size of the bathroom by removing walls and partitions, you need to make sure your project won’t compromise a load-bearing wall or stud. In these cases, it’s critical to use a skilled remodeler and designer like NextGen Remodeling. We can help you design a new bathroom within the constraints of your home and budget.
Bath Remodeling in Kansas City
Such a long list of considerations and decisions can easily discourage or derail a bathroom remodel in Kansas City, but an experienced remodeler can simplify and streamline much of this. NextGen Remodeling’s designers can help you design the perfect bathroom for your budget, even offering 3D modeling to help you visualize the new space. If you’re looking to do a bathroom remodel in Kansas City, click here to get started with an online estimate. Let’s start turning your boring bathroom into an opulent oasis.