Bathroom Remodel Preparation Ideas

by Sue White | Jun 26, 2023 | bathroom remodeling

It can be difficult to go through a bathroom remodel, especially if you live in a busy home where you have to share your bathroom with your children. When it comes to remodeling your bathroom, you can make the process easier if you plan ahead. Planning, organizing, readjusting, and scheduling can make the process as smooth as possible.

Tips To Prepare For A Bathroom Remodel

Confirm Lead Times

First, make sure that the bathroom remodel will not take longer than necessary. The construction schedule can be like a house made of cards. This is especially true when you have all the subcontractors working on your project (plumbers and cabinetmakers, carpenters and tile installers), who are blocking off specific times. A single late arrival can cause the entire project to be thrown off.

Talk to the remodeler who is managing construction early in the design phase about your schedule and lead time. The lead time is the period between ordering items like faucets, toilets and light fixtures as well as countertops, hardware and cabinetry, and when they arrive.

You’ll need items in stock if you have a strict timetable. Items that are made to order, or shipped from another country, will not work. Your contractor can help you determine which brands will deliver quickly, and which ones will most likely be delivered late.

Construction Process

Prioritize your health during the remodel. Ask your bathroom contractor how they plan to control dust. Find out if plastic sheets will be used and if the crew will clean up every day. Ask how they will protect the flooring and carpets along the path to the room. Prepare the area where the materials will be stored by clearing out the space and protecting the flooring and remaining furniture. Talk about child and pet safety, too.

Streamline Shower and Bath Products

The number of people who use the available bathroom while the renovation is underway can double or even triple. It will be necessary to plan how you will all share the space. Agree to share body wash, shampoo, and conditioner so you can cut back on the number of bottles that you have to store in the limited space that you have.

Plan everyone’s bathroom routines

Consider what each person’s bathroom routine is. Some people may have to wake up earlier than usual so everyone who’s using the bathroom will have enough time and the hot water they need.

Spread out

Avoid bathroom traffic jams, by moving certain bathroom functions into other areas. Convert a desk or table in the bedroom into a vanity for hair and make-up. If there is a powder bathroom, use it for teeth brushing or shaving.

Showering at the Gym

You may think it’s extreme, but now is the perfect time to join a gym. It will not only motivate you to exercise, but it also allows you to shower afterwards. It will prevent scheduling shower conflicts. This will give you an opportunity to escape the noise of construction and other activities at home.

bathroom remodel Sort and Organize Your Toiletries

By the time a Fort Worth bathroom remodel is undertaken, the cabinets are often stuffed with items that no one uses. Bring in three boxes, two bins, and a stool for you to sit on. Put old items that no one wants into one bin, and recyclables in the other. Separate:

1. Items you use every day.

First, place the toiletries that you will use every day during the renovation in the first box.

2. Extras or items that are rarely used.

Next, add any extras such as face masks, deep-conditioning treatments and special makeup. Also, include any shaving cream, lotions or shampoos.

3. Unopened items.

Consider those hotel samples and free gifts from department stores. If you haven’t yet opened them, chances are you won’t. Donate the items to a charity that needs toiletries, such as a homeless shelter.

This exercise should be done in both the bathroom to be renovated and the bathroom the family will share. Once the renovations have been completed, repeat this exercise once a year in order to stay organized.

An over-the door travel cosmetic bag is a handy item. You can use it to store everyday items during your remodel and then continue using it once the project is finished. Sort the shampoo, conditioner, and lotion bottles into compartments. It will be easier to use and find them each day than to sort through a jumbled drawer. It’s possible that you won’t have to purchase any of these items again for several months. This is great because you spent a lot of money remodeling your bathroom.

8. Add a Caddy, or Carry One

In a bathroom with a full medicine cabinet, shelves, and countertops, putting a freestanding shelf or caddy in the corner can give everyone more space to store their toiletries. As an alternative, you can give each member of the family their own shower caddy. These are the same ones that college students use to carry their toiletries to the bathroom in their dorms. Fill each caddy with the items that are used by every family member.

If you don’t have enough space in the bathroom to store them, place them in your bedroom, nearby linen closet, or the hallway outside of the bathroom. The mess is temporary, but not a big deal. You can use your own boxes, containers, or baskets to make caddies if you don’t want to buy plastic products for temporary purposes. You can use a shoebox or bucket.

9. Reduce Your Daily Towel Supplies

If you share a bathroom with your family, it’s likely that there won’t be enough space to store additional towels. Store the extra towels in another place. You can use a closet or box under the bed.

If you are still cleaning, check your towels to see if they look too worn out or frayed for your new bathroom. Then an animal shelter would be more than happy to accept them.

10. Towel Bars Alternatives

It is unlikely that there will be room for all of the family members on the towel bars. To dry towels and robes, use over-the door hooks in bathrooms or bedrooms.

This can be done with a freestanding towel rack, in either the bathroom or bedroom. Consider getting one if you think it’ll be useful in your new bathroom or perhaps it’ll be something that your guests can use if they stay overnight.

11. Focus on the result

Renovation of a bathroom in a house while you live there is not for the faint-hearted. Construction zones are far from Zen. Look at your mood boards, idea books and plans and remember that there is a bright light at the end. Remember that discomfort is temporary, and the end result will be worth the effort.