When it comes to renovating, somehow, cost never equates to size. And this has never been more true than it is when renovating a bathroom. Despite its often small size, it may very well be the most expensive room in the house to transform.

But is it worth it?

According to Collings, it absolutely is. A renovated bathroom is one of the number one requirements that potential homeowners look for when browsing a home, and there’s at least a 75% chance you’ll recover the value of your investment.

Yet while that may be true, bathroom renovations are certainly not easy – or cheap. So for everyone looking to take the plunge, here’s a comprehensive guide to renovating your bathroom, including how much value it will add, where to start, top things to consider, how to avoid bathroom renovation rip-offs, and most importantly, how much you should expect a bathroom renovation to cost.

How much value will remodeling your bathroom add to your home?

Given the significant cost and effort involved in renovating your bathroom, many would-be renovators want to understand the potential return on their investment, far beyond the extra comfort and aesthetic value that a beautiful new bathroom may bring.

Unfortunately, as with all renovations, the return on your investment depends on a number of factors. As you can imagine, these factors include, but are not limited to, what materials you use in your renovation, whether or not you choose to use various smart appliances like a bidet or smart toilet, and ultimately, the location and size of your home, and whether or not you are choosing to renovate just your bathroom or completely renovate your entire house.

These factors aside though, it is possible to understand how much value remodeling your bathroom can add to your home.

In the recent National Association of Realtor’s remodeling impact report, research was conducted across hundreds of our homes to determine how much value bathroom remodeling really did add. The report found that where homeowners undertook a mid-scale renovation, owners were able to recoup 67.2% of their costs, whereas if they undertook an upscale renovation, they were able to recoup 60% of their costs.

An example of this works is as follows:

Mid-range bathroom renovation

• Cost: $20,420
• Resale value: $13,717

Upscale bathroom renovation

• Cost: $64,743
• Resale value: $38,952

Where to start when renovating your bathroom

Renovating a bathroom is a huge job, and sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. But the “where to start” depends on both your budget and whether or not you will be undertaking the renovation yourself, or outsourcing the work (and the acquisition of materials) to a third party.

If you are going to renovate the bathroom yourself, you’ll first need to decide on how you’d like to design it. A great place to begin this process is to research other bathrooms online and decide what aesthetic you’d like to go for. After you’ve made a rough plan, you’ll need to investigate the materials you’ll use, including everything from selecting vanities and baths, to selecting toilets or bidets.

If you’re outsourcing your bathroom renovation, you’ll also need to have an idea of the aesthetic you’d like, although depending on your budget, you can also outsource the design of your bathroom to a professional renovation company. If you are outsourcing absolutely everything, be aware that you will pay a high premium. The average completely outsourced bathroom renovation typically costs upwards of six figures.

Top things to consider when you’re renovating your bathroom

There are many considerations when you’re remodeling your bathroom. Here are a number of things you’ll need to consider, whether or not you decide to do it yourself:

1. Cost

Most people are surprised to know that even a budget bathroom renovation can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This cost rises steeply if you are outsourcing, and if you’d like the design of your bathroom completed too, it can be very expensive.

When renovating your bathroom, ensure you have enough available funds, as well as consider the potential return on your investment.

2. Other bathrooms

If you’ve chosen to renovate one of your bathrooms, do you really need to think about the others? The answer is a resounding yes. From a practical perspective, if you’ve chosen to renovate your only bathroom, you’ll need to ensure you’ve got an appropriate plan b so you are able to use the toilet and shower for as long as your renovation takes.

You’ll also need to consider the sale value of your house if you have more than one bathroom. Potential buyers may want a fully renovated house, so if you are renovating one bathroom, you may eventually need to renovate any other bathrooms in your house.

3. Vanities, baths, and toilets

In a bathroom, your selection of vanities, baths, and toilets matters. Potential homebuyers notice these units, and often have particular preferences in terms of what they’d prefer.

For example, increasingly in Australia, bidets are becoming more and more popular, with potential homeowners seeking the inclusion of these or similar smart toilets in their homes.

4. Design

How you design your bathroom matters. Many elements of bathrooms are seen as on-trend, and you also want to get the basics right, for example, ensuring that your bathroom has enough light, ventilation, and soundproofing for it to be both functional and elegant.

There are a number of current trends you should consider when renovating your bathroom. These include:

• Rain showers: Rain showers have become an increasingly popular ‘luxury’ item in bathrooms. Many potential homeowners look for this sumptuous item, as well as the inclusion of a dual attachment nozzle for a more focused directional spray.
• Coloured tapware: People love bright, white bathrooms that feel clean and spacious. But sometimes, you can get a little lost in the white. To counter this, one current bathroom trend is to include coloured tapware. Monochromatic bathrooms that feature matte black tapware have become popular, as have brass or grey taps. Anything that creates contrast is currently a hit.
• Colourful sinks: Remember the old, pink sinks that were the height of popularity in the 70s? Well, they’re back baby, and they’re more beautiful than ever.

Currently, coloured bathroom fixtures, for example, pastel pink concrete sinks, are returning with a vengeance and look both elegant and timeless.

• Skylights: Bathrooms are challenging spaces as they need to be bright and airy, but also private. A great solution to this challenge is to add a skylight. Skylights bring light into bathrooms without having to have too much frosted glass. They can be easily installed, and create elegant illumination.
• Wood: Bathrooms can feel a little clinical sometimes, so a great way to introduce a more earthy and organic feel is to add some unfinished wood. Wood can bring warmth to a plain, tiled space. Some ways to do this are to have a little stool or wooden bench in your bathroom, or potentially a hanging wooden pot plant.
• Statement walls: While in most bathrooms, the overwhelming colour scheme is light and bright, a great way to add contrast and appeal to your bathroom is to have a statement dark wall. Adding a dark wall, and then potentially a mirror over it can add intrigue to your bathroom without making it too dark.
• Concrete floors: Concrete floors are another trend that is up and coming, and for good reason: they have both a luxurious feel and are silent and sturdy. So if you want to up the luxury in your bathroom, consider a concrete floor.
• Bathroom art: Gone are the days where artwork is something just for the lounge room. Why not invest in some bathroom art? Colourful prints or statement pieces can draw in the eye and introduce some much-needed colour to a bathroom.
• Exposed plumbing: Think you have to hide your bathroom plumbing? Think again! One trend that is continuing to grow in popularity is exposed plumbing. This trend is also particularly great for renovators who are short on space. Exposed plumbing can give your bathroom a chic, industrial feel and can even be a statement piece in your bathroom.
• Shower seats: Have you ever wondered what it might be like to sit in your shower? Don’t wonder anymore! Shower seats, or benches, are one of the latest bathroom trends and they are as cool as they are comfortable.

How much will it cost to renovate a bathroom?

Of course, this question is akin to “how long is a piece of string” as there are considerable differences in what you pay to renovate a bathroom. However, for the purpose of understanding how much a bathroom renovation might cost, here are some basic estimates and statistics:

• On average, a basic renovation costs $17,000
• The cost of renovating a bathroom is usually equivalent to 5% of the purchase price of the house
• A budget bathroom renovation usually costs about $10,000, including materials
• A high-end bathroom renovation will cost upwards of $35,000, and including design can cost in excess of $100,000.

Common bathroom renovation mistakes and how to avoid them

Renovating a bathroom can be not only costly and time-consuming, but emotional too. When you’re upgrading one of the most important rooms in your house, it can sometimes be difficult to make the best decisions. Here are some common mistakes and how to avoid them:

1. Fully renovating, when cosmetic changes would have been ok

When you’re renovating, it can be tempting to just want to rip the whole thing out and start again. But one common mistake too many renovators make is to do this when a few cosmetic changes would have yielded the same value.

So before you rip out a perfectly good bathroom, consider how you might be able to replace a few basic items, for example, the shower screen, vanity, or toilet (it’s easy to replace it with a smart toilet).

2. Not following a certain design aesthetic

Bathroom renovations are great, but if your bathroom is beautiful and the rest of your house is a dump, you’re unlikely to realise the value of your renovation. For this reason, when renovating, it’s important to consider the rest of your house, and how you can design a bathroom to match.

In order to do so, ensure that you choose the trends that are relevant to you, and also the ones that are timeless. Select quality products, for example, a quality vanity or bidet, but also ensure that you select products within your budget.

3. Engaging dodgy tradespeople

Bathroom renovations are expensive, and even if you source the vanity, toilets, and baths yourself, there may still be costs involved in installing them. Sometimes, it can be tempting to try and find the cheapest possible tradesperson to help you out.

But this is something you’ll regret.

Bathrooms often involve complex electrical and plumbing work and usually, if someone is cheap they are inexperienced. Mistakes made in bathrooms can be difficult to reverse, and can also represent safety issues.

Should I renovate my bathroom?

There is no doubt that renovating a bathroom is no cheap or easy endeavour, and it requires considerable planning and thought. However, in most cases, it’s very much worthwhile. While you’ll outlay a lot in terms of the process, you’re very likely to see a return on that investment, both from an enjoyment perspective and when you sell your home.

Bidets are increasing in popularity in Australia and are a much-desired item for new home buyers. Browse high-quality bidets here.