I’ve been watching a lot of television since having Phoebe. Breastfeeding gives me time to sit on the couch and watch a fair amount of day time television. I rarely take notice of advertisements until this week I saw one that made me cringe and sigh in exasperation.
The advertisement was a trade company promoting they can renovate a bathroom in 1 week.
Any tradesperson that promises a quick turnaround like that should be looked at thoroughly. If the bathroom has a cosmetic face lift, it may have a chance of being done in a week, but a quality bathroom renovation usually takes a minimum of 2 to 4 weeks to complete. Sometimes more if there are unforeseen issues.
The project time is dependent on a number of factors including availability of materials, availability of tradespersons, ensuring existing structures don’t need replacing once walls are pulled down and minimum time needed for applications like water sealing membranes and tiling grout to dry before works can proceed.
A bathroom is a small space to work in and can only have 1-2 tradespersons working at once. Often this is not shown on shows like House Rules or The Block who consistently have weekly turnarounds to compete their bathrooms. Unfortunately it can give false hope to homeowners wanting a quick completion.
It’s very tempting to use a renovator that promises a quick turnaround but I would be asking questions about what is included in the renovation for example:
Will the water and waste pipes be replaced?
Are the existing tiles going to be removed or will the new tiles be laid over the existing ones?
What fixtures are included? Is a new bath included or is the old one going to be recycled and repainted for new?
The answers to those questions will determine the time needed for the completion of the renovation as well as the cost.
A cosmetic upgrade to a bathroom can be a good option if you don’t have a lot of money in the budget and you want the project to take place quickly.
My advice though would be to avoid doing a cosmetic upgrade and save a bit more money to do a full renovation. Cosmetic upgrades are only temporary and can often disguise problems in the bathroom that would be rectified had a full renovation taken place.
My advice for all home owners who are looking to renovate is to be wary of quick turnaround renovators. You may get less than what you bargained for.
Have you ever had your bathroom renovated and how long did it take to be completed?
I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for I Blog On Tuesdays.
