Top 6 Signs You Need a Bathroom Remodel
If you CONSTANTLY find yourself underwhelmed with your master bathroom, or if you’re noticing one thing after another that grosses you out or drives you CRAZY…you might be seeing a sign! To “read the signs” right, however, you need to know whether you should call your handyman or your remodeler.
Is it time for a bathroom upgrade?
Or is there just a thing or two you could fix to make your bathroom the relaxing place it should be?
Years of constant use will CLEARLY take a toll on your bathroom…but if you don’t make the right choices now, it could also take a toll on your sanity!
This week, I’m diving into the 6 telltale signs that it’s time to pull stuff out and remodel your bathroom for real! A master bath remodel brings a HUGE return on enjoyment along with it. At the same time, it’s also an investment you want to justify!
So how do you know? Check your bathroom against these 6 signs, and you’ll know right away if it’s time!
Sign 1: Mold that you can’t keep cleaning fast enough
This telltale sign usually comes with regular, heavy humidity in the bathroom. If it generally feels like a sauna, you might just have an exhaust fan issue.
But how do you know if it’s more serious than that? …Check for mold. If anything moldy either can’t be salvaged or constantly gets moldy again right after you’ve cleaned it, there’s something else at work. Issues we’ve seen include ventilation problems, improper building techniques with showers, a cracked or leaking fiberglass pan, and tile applied incorrectly (like directly on drywall).
A professional bathroom remodel takes all these technical challenges into account. It’s not the glamorous part of a bathroom remodel, but believe me, it’s a crucial part…
Sign 2: Unattractive bathroom design
You’ll know RIGHT away if this is the case!!
If you have an outdated (or just-plain-unattractive) bathroom design, then you’re selling yourself short. Your bathroom should be beautiful. The space should be a place of calm and comfort. You start and end your day there, and it should be one of the most stunning parts of your home in look AND feel.
Keep tab on bathroom remodeling trends to see if anything inspires you, or take our interior design style quiz to see what style is “the one” for you.
And then, ask yourself: how does your bathroom stack up?
Sign 3: Your needs are changing…
Start a list of all the luxuries and comforts you want in your master bathroom. Forget “need”—this list is about your deepest desires! Do you want a bigger mirror? More storage? A more practical vanity? How about to age in place in your home?
There are lots of reasons why our needs change. Perhaps you get married and your partner is a lover of long baths. Perhaps there was a hospitalization and someone at home has new safety needs. Or perhaps what was a family of two just became three!
Whatever the case, changing lifestyle needs is an automatic sign that your bathroom needs an update, because the bathroom is a central part of your daily routine. Make sure it serves YOU the way YOU want to live!!
Sign 4: Odors coming from the plumbing
If your bathroom can’t pass the sniff test, you’ll know something is up. You shouldn’t have to walk in and crinkle your nose every time…
If you can’t identify where the smell comes from, then there are real structural integrity issues that you’ll be best to address in a remodel.
Besides the obvious unpleasantness of this issue, the smell of sewage can ALSO mean that methane gas is accumulating in your bathroom…which is not only health-hazardous, but flammable. (So much for candlelight during a long bath!) This problem jumps right out at you, though, so once the sniffer starts sniffing smells consistently…it’s time for a bathroom remodel!!
Sign 5: Faucets that are leaky, broken or have significant corrosion
You’ve seen it before…the leaky faucet that never stops dripping…the toilet that ALWAYS runs…and those mysterious sounds of water with inexplicably high water bills!
Sometimes, you don’t even SEE where the leak goes!
How can it be that no water is visible?!
Whether it’s the obvious leak or the one with no visible source, water line damage can become serious if you don’t break some walls or floors and properly update and remodel your bathroom. We’ve seen it where an old countertop was removed and black mold was discovered throughout the cabinetry…and when something like that could be the case, you shouldn’t even need to ask if it’s time for a remodel! Just make the call to the design/build remodeling expert that you trust.
Sign 6: Poor lighting…
If the lights in your bathroom are so dim that you constantly squint (or even slip or trip), that’s a recipe for disaster. The most important thing to think about in bathroom design is your safety, and even an acrobat with world-class coordination will have trouble in a poorly-lit bathroom with slick tile and moisture everywhere!!
Proper lighting is not only crucial for safety, either! It’s also central in reinventing the look and feel of the room.
You want to see yourself in the best lighting in that vanity, don’t you? And as we age, it’s even MORE important to have good lighting…I mean really…you don’t want to have to pull out your cell phone and use the flashlight, do you? I mean, you’re in your bathroom…not a dimly lit restaurant!
And you want to illuminate the more beautiful, decorative elements, right? One of those being your lovely face!!!
Then it’s time for a bathroom remodel!
A final word…
Perhaps you’re overdue for a bathroom remodel. And maybe it’s the smells, or the lighting, or the fixtures that clued you in…or your bathroom doesn’t have the relaxing/spa feel that you wish it had…your personal retreat…your place where you take time for yourself…
A bonus factor to consider now is the layout, because this is your chance to improve it in a big way.
I remember the bathroom we remodeled where our client had spent YEARS pulling hair from her hairbrush and dumping it down the toilet…and you know what we found when we pulled that plumbing out? A hairball the size of a cat!!
And here’s the thing…if it’s more convenient to dump your loose hair into the toilet than it is to drop it in the waste bin, that’s ANOTHER sign that it’s time to remodel!! Your bathroom should work for you functionally in such a way that everything is easier. After all, it’s one of the two most functionally-important rooms in your home!!
Pay attention to these warning signs that your bathroom is NOT serving you like it should. These will clue you in so you’re not shocked when a routine handyman visit turns into a recommendation for bigger work!
With some creative solutions, your bathroom could offer the beauty and luxury you deserve…get in touch with us if you’ve seen the signs and you’re ready to get started!!
