Phase 1: Information Gathering, Design & Pricing
Gathering information for your bathroom remodeling project
While you are excited at this stage, it is essential for you to take your time and get it right. The choices you make here will start to create the foundation of your bathroom remodeling project, so it is critical that you take your time and consider your options carefully. Rushing too quickly through this process can cause mistakes, missed opportunities and in some cases, additional costs or delays.
The same goes for us. This is where we have to ask the right questions, listen really well, take notes and in all likelihood, ask more questions. It is essential for us to understand the purpose behind your bathroom project so we can help you reach your goal, regardless of whether it is a bathroom refresh for a quick re-sell or a dream bathroom design.
Be prepared for the budget question. We will ask about goals, how long you plan to stay in the home and your home’s value to help you determine the right amount to consider spending for your project. Find this and more answers to frequently asked questions about bathrooms as well.
Your Reico designer can meet with you for a free in-store consultation at our showroom, ask lots of questions and offer their professional insight and expertise to help guide you to the right decisions. Once we've educated you on your options and identified logical next steps we will collect a design deposit, which is applied to your purchase, and move on to the formal design phase of your bathroom. We are also available to meet in your home on the first consultation. In those cases, we will ask for a design deposit at the time of scheduling, which will be applied to your purchase as well.
Once that is done, we will get started on developing your space. In most cases, we will determine if you want to just tear out and replace, or if a reconfiguration is required as you considering adding or removing a tub and expanding a shower. The decisions will dictate available space and any special considerations for plumbing and electrical. Rushing too quickly through this process can cause mistakes, missed opportunities and in some cases additional costs or even delays.
Designing – a collaborative part of the bathroom remodeling process
Once product decisions have been made, the designing process will begin. Using measurements from the client or ones taken by your designer, your new bathroom will start to come together with the products you’ve selected.
We want to create a bathroom design that works and that offers the most effective ways to meet your product needs, budget needs or both. Based on our recommendations, you can decide if that meets your needs or if you want to expand or improve on.
This may be where you consider additional details as the design comes together such as lighting, cabinet storage accessories, shower faucet features, heated flooring and other options that can make your space both functional and beautiful. We will also start talking about options for countertops to tie everything in your space together (read Countertop Basics – What You Need to Know). You may discover along the way that the countertop material and color is the perfect finishing touch to the finish you’ve chosen for your fixtures in your space.
The design is a collaborative process. You are the one who will be using your bathroom every day, so it is important to ask questions, share your input and understand every decision. We need to listen, take good notes and ask more questions to create your new bathroom. The more we collaborate on it, the more your final design will be exactly what you want it to be.
Pricing – Understanding the costs of your bathroom remodeling project
Finally, it’s time to put together your quote and review pricing to make sure everything is ready to order. Much like during the design process, you want to make sure you are clear on what has been specified and included in your quote.
The costs of your bathroom remodeling project are often tied to a number of factors, most notably the size of the space and the scope of the project. A straight pull and replace of materials will typically be less than a full bathroom remodel project that involves moving walls, moving plumbing or other significant changes.
According to studies by the National Kitchen & Bath Association, you should expect to spend between 5-10% of the value of your home on a bathroom remodel, depending on the bathroom you are remodeling as well. The largest amount of cost in a bathroom remodeling project is installation (20%), followed by cabinets and hardware (16% of the cost of project on average), fixtures (15%), and faucets and plumbing (10%). And this does not include costs for countertops, flooring, walls and ceilings, doors, windows and more.
All told Phase 1 can last 4-8 weeks on average from start to finish, and sometimes longer depending on the full scope of your bathroom project. A final measurement should be taken to confirm that everything has been designed properly. And if we’ve done our job, we’ve started to prepare you for that inevitable surprise or detour that typically comes once product arrives and tear out/installation starts. Our experience tells us (and you!) to always be prepared to expect something and to be ready to work together to resolve.
