Should You Do Bathroom Remodeling on Your Own?  Wanting to update the look of your bathroom can be a hassle. There’s tiles to change, counters to redo, and if you want to change out your shower or toilet, then you have an even bigger project on your hands. More and more people are turning to doing remodeling themselves, but sometimes this can end up being more expensive than they bargain for. Even more so if they don’t do the job properly and screw something up.

Should You Do Bathroom Remodeling on Your Own

But is it really possible to skip the contractor and do the job yourself? In some instances and depending on the job, you can have a new bathroom in no time, and you’ll feel accomplished having taken care of the task yourself. Keep in mind, however, that your job may not look as professional so you have to ask yourself if that’s something you can live with.

 

Having the Connections

Although you may think you’re saving money by doing the job yourself, professionals have more connections than you would have on your own. They know people who sell fixtures, can fix toilets, or are professional tilers, and are able to get you a better deal on a full bathroom remodel than you would making these connections by yourself. In the end, you’re probably going to end up paying a lot more trying to hire these people separately than hiring a professional to do it.

 

Do You Have the Time?

Remodeling a bathroom takes a lot of time and effort; it’s not a project you can put down and pick up again whenever you want. You’ll have to spend even more time getting it done if you only have one bathroom in the house too. Doing the job yourself can take up more time than you realize, but with a professional, he can have employees to help him get the job done effectively and quickly. Especially if you have a full-time job, you’re not going to be able to complete a bathroom remodel in a timely manner.

 

Work on Small Projects

That isn’t to say that you can’t start your remodeling project on your own by starting a few projects. These can end up saving you a lot of money long-term, and they’re not that difficult to do.

Firstly, you can buy your own bathroom fixtures. That way, you’re not paying the contractor to get them for you. Also, by going out and buying your own, you’re guaranteeing that your contractor is installing exactly what you want. If you’re stuck, you could get ideas from Unique Vanities.

Secondly, you can remove your tiles yourself, whether it’s from your floor or your shower. It saves time in the overall process so that your complete remodel will be done more quickly. Do some research in how to remove the tiles, however; you don’t want to end up ruining your entire walls or floor and have to pay more money to fix them.

Lastly, if you want new colours in your bathroom, paint the walls yourself. You may not be a professional painter, but it’s pretty hard to get it wrong. Just invest in good quality brushes and paints and paint one small wall of your bathroom to see how it looks.

 

Saving on More Costs

If you’re truly invested in doing the remodeling yourself, you’ll be surprised to know that on average, a contractor costs about $250 per square foot of remodeling. Doing the project yourself amounts to about $75 per square foot, as long as you do everything right the first time. Keep in mind that this doesn’t include the costs of materials, however, so be prepared to have a bigger budget to cover these costs. Also keep in mind that where there’s a reduction in costs, there’s an increase in labour time to get the project done. So it really depends on which one is more important to you.

 

Hardware Can be Difficult – Should You Do Bathroom Remodeling on Your Own?

You can’t deal with bathrooms without considering all of the pipes and wiring contained in your walls and floors. One screw up, and you could end up with a flooded bathroom or wiring that needs to be replaced. Or worse, you could get electrocuted. Professionals know how to get the job done without risking your pipes or wires, and their job will also be up to code and standard. Getting the job done may seem like a more viable option, but because you haven’t had the training in plumbing and wiring, you can’t guarantee that your remodeling is up to snuff.

 

Cabinets, Countertops and Toilets

Because these projects don’t involve any real hardware such as pipes or wiring, these are installations and remodels that you can make yourself. Installing a countertop directly against the wall will require several helping hands to hold it in place and help you line it up, but it shouldn’t take that much effort to get it installed. Cabinets aren’t also a big feature of bathrooms and shouldn’t be difficult to add as well. If you’re lucky, you can purchase a cabinet-countertop combination for one smooth installation process. If you’re going to for something real large and fancy, however, it’s best if you leave it to the professionals.

Toilets themselves are just heavy, but they’re not that difficult to put in. An easy project you can complete yourself (after getting some friends to help you carry it, of course) but if you’re already having other faucets and fixtures installed, then it may be a better idea to have your professional do it for you to get it out of the way.

 

This isn’t to say that you can’t do a bathroom remodel yourself; it’s entirely viable. What’s important is that you have the time, patience, and effort to see the project through to the end. Can you a remodel a bathroom? Most definitely. The real question is whether you should. It’s not a project you should jump headfirst into without doing the proper research and consideration.

 

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