What questions should you ask yourself before starting a bathroom remodel?

When you decide to live in a home for the long term, it makes sense that you would want to tailor it to suite your personal needs, styles and tastes. It can be great fun going from room to room and updating it so it truly feels like home. After all, the happier you are here, the more comfortable you will be and the longer you’ll want to stay. Whether you spent years moving from rental to rental or began in a starter home and are ready to settle into your forever home, remodeling rooms that aren’t quite your taste are a great way to achieve a bathroom that perfectly suits you.
The bathroom is likely one of the first rooms in your home that you’ll want to tackle. It might have outdated pastel fixtures or it may be too modern for your vintage tastes. Whatever the case, bathrooms are often high on the to-do list for updates.
Before diving right into a total gut job, it’s important to make a plan, so be sure to ask yourself these questions prior to starting construction in
the bathroom:

How do you plan to use the space?
The obvious answer is: as a bathroom. But consider this for a moment because this is a personal space, so it needs to be treated as such.
“If the bathroom is a place where you quickly shower, brush your teeth and go, the materials and colors will be different than if it is a place where you go to spend a couple hours with candles and soft music so you can unwind from the week,” Cameron Snyder, president, Roomscapes Luxury Design Center, Boston, Mass., and past-president of the National Kitchen & Bath Association, told HGTV.
Some things to consider about how you use this space include if you enjoy soaking in a clawfoot tub, if you share a bathroom with others (or have more than one person in the bathroom at a time) if this is an adult-only bathroom or if it will be shared with children.

What will you require?
This question will tie into how you’ll use the bathroom. Of course, you’ll need a toilet, sink and a place to get clean, but there are plenty of options when it comes to bathroom parts. If it’s a master bath, you might consider double sinks, or if you love old-world charm, you may be interested in installing antique brass bathroom faucets. People who prefer to soak will want their tub and shower separate while those who prefer a quick daily rinse won’t mind if the two are combined. In a household that experiences busy mornings, it could be useful to have the toilet in a separate, private area in case another family member needs to brush their teeth.

What’s the budget and timeline?
Though less fun to think about, these are necessary questions to answer. You need to determine how long you (and your family) can go without a bathroom (if you only have one) and how much money you have available to complete the renovation. Your budget might determine if you can complete a gut job or if you’d be better off updating only certain aspects.