When clients decide it’s time to remodel one or more of their home’s bathrooms, they’re usually hoping to improve the way the space functions for their family. Setting remodeling priorities and deciding which bathroom features matter most is important for coming up with a final design that meets all their needs.
How to Prioritize Bathroom Features
Next to the kitchen, no room gets as much daily use as the bathroom. Particularly in older homes, the main and master bathrooms are typically tight spaces. Remodeling these rooms often calls for bumping out the room or taking down one or more interior walls to gain more square footage. But is this something you really need or even want to do? It all depends on what your goals are for the project, the priorities you set, and the budget you want to work with.
Like most things in life, if you have a priority list to work from you have a greater chance of a successful bathroom remodel because you’ll end up with the features you want most. Oftentimes, setting priorities requires you to decide between two features you like because your budget will only allow for one of them. For example, you may choose a less expensive floor tile if it means you can have the spa shower you’ve been dreaming of.
From our first conversation, we suggest to clients that they start making a list of what features are really important to one, the other, or both of them. Some people find it helpful to use a point system – with a “1” being a non-negotiable must have and a “3” a “nice to have but I can live without it.” From a budget point of view, the three categories might be described as:
#1: What I would like to have
#2: The most I am willing to spend to get what I want
#3: The most I can spend no matter how badly I want it
When you set limits on what you can or are willing to spend, it makes it much easier to prioritize. When establishing those priorities, you might ask yourself:
- Do I want the absolute best, no matter the cost, within what I’m willing to spend, or only in certain areas?
- Do I want the best value for my spend? Value here can be defined as your personal ideal balance of quality, service, and desired price.
- Do I want the lowest cost, no matter what problems might arise in the future?
What to Prioritize
Many clients have found it useful to break down a project into “need to have,” “want to have,” and “hope to have” categories. Be sure to share these lists with your design-build team, as you’re much more likely to get what is most important to you in the final design.
J.T. McDermott Remodeling has been designing and building quality bathrooms in the Greater St. Louis area for 25 years. From determining the placement of various elements to building within code, we know what it takes to plan a bathroom remodeling project. But before we get started, we always meet with our clients to talk about their vision and ideas, and we ask very specific questions that are designed to help them articulate their goals.
We believe our process works so well because it does focus on setting priorities. We believe each bathroom remodel we do is unique to the client and our team is committed to creating a design and solutions that work to meet their one-of-a-kind vision. Here are a few of the areas we suggest you think about before starting your design.
- What level of tub do you want? Do you want a tub at all?
- Is your top priority a large walk-in shower with a seat and multiple showerheads and body jets?
- What type of storage do you need? Do you want a vanity with drawers and cabinets or pedestal sinks with a separate linen closet?
- How high-tech do you want to go? Would you like installed speakers in the ceiling? Whole house automation? An exhaust fan that shuts off on its own? Plugs inside drawers and cabinets for items like hairdryers?
- Do you consider a towel warmer the height of luxury?
Going through this process will help you decide what you really want to achieve with your bathroom remodel, and it helps us design and build the bathroom you envision. By setting priorities together, we can accomplish every detail you desire and sometimes give you one or two you hadn’t thought was possible!
Learn More
Ready to get started on your next bathroom remodeling project? Schedule a consultation with us today to learn more about how to prioritize the bathroom features you want most. We look forward to meeting with you!
