Handy Guide for Kitchen and Bathroom Remodels
While you are thinking about fancy fixtures and finishes for your planned remodel of your kitchen or bathroom, don’t forget to have a professional look at your plumbing.
Does your existing plumbing support your plans, or will you need to add to it?
Furthermore, have you had problems with leaks over the years? Best to see if there has been water damage under the floors and behind the walls before you install everything. You want to start off with a clean slate.
Have you begun your planning yet? We’ve put together a step-by-step guide to help.
Eco-Friendly Fixtures and Plumbing
Since you are replacing fixtures during your remodel anyways, why not make them eco-friendly? They are chic and stylish, but also save you money on your water bills. They also give you the chance to reduce your carbon footprint.
Inquire about low-flow showerheads, motion sensor taps or putting aerators inside taps. Do you know all of the benefits of dual flush toilets? Do you drink bottled water?
Think about putting in a filtration system right on your tap in the kitchen.
Questions for Your Contractor
There are a lot of contractors out there to choose from, so it is important that you select one that meets all of your needs, in addition to getting a fair price.
Here are some things that you’ll want to ask the candidates on your short list: 
- What kind of experience do they have?
- Are there past customers that are willing to give referrals?
- What kind of payment schedule is required?
- How long do they think that the job will take?
- How do they go about cleaning up the job site?
- What work hours do they keep?
- What kind of insurance coverage do they have?
These are all important questions that will give you a well-rounded idea of each candidate.
Things to Consider in Planning
What sort of budget can you manage for this project? Reconcile your budget with your wish list.
Look at your current kitchen and bathroom. Does the layout make sense for the traffic that you have in your home? How can you improve it?
It can really cut down on costs and shorten the timeline if you can use the existing footprint. For example, could you boost the functionality of the space with storage, rather than knocking down walls?
Choose your fixtures, tiles, colours, vanities, sinks etc. before the project starts and order them so they are on hand when installation should happen.
