What You Can Expect From Your Shower Remodel

When considering selling your home, key areas like the kitchen and bathroom often take priority in renovations to appeal to potential buyers. If your bathroom is nearly perfect but has an outdated or unsightly shower, undertaking a shower remodel can be a game-changer. Knowing how to prepare for renovating a shower, what the process entails, and how to manage the remodel smoothly is crucial before commencing the project. This not only enhances the appeal of your bathroom but also adds significant value to your property.

Plan for Your Shower Remodel

Your design is set, you have negotiated a good quote with the remodeler, and you have even added in that extra 20% contingency line in the budge that experts recommend for the unforeseen issues that might pop up. The big day is coming up for the remodel. What do you do now?

Preparing for a shower remodel involves several key steps to minimize disruption and protect your belongings:

• Clear Out the Bathroom
  • Remove items from drawers and shelves.
  • Relocate any freestanding furniture out of the area.
• Understand Dust Management
  • Be aware that remodeling generates considerable dust.
  • Though contractors use plastic sheeting, expect some dust to spread.
• Plan for Limited Access
  • The bathroom will be temporarily unusable during the remodel.
  • Water and possibly electricity will be turned off, affecting other areas like the kitchen.
• Make Alternative Arrangements
  • Plan to be out of the house when water or power is shut off.
  • Consider alternative accommodations if necessary for convenience.

Taking these steps ensures a smoother remodeling process and helps in managing the temporary inconveniences that come with renovating a shower.

When the Contractor Starts the Work

How the work goes depends upon how extensive the shower remodel is. With a full bathroom remodel, of course, you can expect everything in the room to be involved in some sort of makeover. When the focus is only on the shower, however, the work might be much more contained.

A great deal of that depends upon what you’ve chosen for that remodel. If you just want to switch out the tile, add in a few new fixtures, or improve the area around the shower, it might be a matter of slow, careful work confined to the shower space. But if you’ve chosen to replace a bath and shower combo with a large shower with glass doors, or chosen to create a walk-in shower with various showerheads, you might be looking at some serious construction work that could seem to take over the whole bathroom.

This can obviously also affect the time frame. Your contractor should spell out that timeline in the contract, but if they come across any unforeseen issues during the work, that time frame could drastically change.

Be Prepared for Surprises

Gallons of water pour through the shower every day. And as any homeowner knows, water tends to find even the tiniest little crack or hole to get through. Over time, that dripping of water onto the wood behind the shower or the subfloor underneath it can lead to rotten studs and other problems. If your contractor pulls away tile or a fixture to find soft wood behind it, that means the job just went from simple to more complex – and that means your budget just took a hit.

If something does come up, expect your contractor to immediately stop the work and consult you on what to do. You’ll go into the bathroom and look it over as the contractor explains the problem, how it might have occurred, and the options for fixing it. Then you’ll discuss the new time frame as well as the new cost of the additional work. Keep in mind that there are negotiations possible here, as most contractors understand the stress when unexpected things pop up — especially those that are going to be rather expensive to fix.

When the Shower Remodel is Complete

Most remodels seem to take forever, so there’s often a happy delight when the job is declared over and done! Before the contractor leaves, go over the final work with him or her. Make sure you understand any sort of new maintenance procedures you might need to know to keep it all looking great. For example, are there particular cleaners you should never use on that new grout? Or certain cleaners you should use to clean the new showerheads? Make note of those things to keep the bathroom sparkling clean, not only for your own use before the sale, but for a better look when showing it off to potential buyers.

Many homeowners have turned to Modernize to find the contractor that makes a perfect fit for their unique project, whether it’s a small shower upgrade or a full bathroom remodel. Let us connect you with the contractors in your area who can make your remodel look great and help increase the resale value of your home.