Bathroom remodeling can cost you as much or as little as you choose to put into it. While a simple spruce-up involving a new vanity top, light fixture and accessories can be done for well under $1000, many people are choosing to yank everything out and start from scratch again. A completely new upgraded bathroom can cost $10,000 or more.



Start your project right with the following bathroom remodeling tips:

1. Determine your exact bathroom needs.

Do you want to enlarge your bathroom? Do you need another sink? Would you like to add windows? Does the bathroom tile need to be replaced? Think about what your ideal bathroom will look like and then prioritize your needs before your wants.

2. Gather bathroom design ideas.

A set of architectural plans will really help you and your remodeling professionals visualize the finished project, but any design preparations can be helpful.

Consult with a designer for ideas or check out magazines and cut out ideas, designs or photos that approximate what you want. It can also be helpful to a designer if you can make a sketch on graph paper of what your plans are. Any of these things will be help you to express to your bathroom remodeling professionals

3. Establish a realistic bathroom remodeling budget.

At this time you will also need to determine how you will finance your bathroom remodel. Do you have a savings that you can dip into or will you need get a loan? The answer to this will be a factor in determining your budget. Will this be a larger remodel or are you making minor changes? When establishing your budget keep in mind the design ideas you would like and whether they fall on the pricier side. Also, it will always be less expensive if you don't need to relocate plumbing fixtures, such as toilets or sinks, so if you are on a smaller budget it is more economical to incorporate your current bathroom layout into the new design.

4. Don't forget building permits.

Before beginning the remodeling process be sure to secure a building permit from your local city or county government. Failure to do so could ultimately make your bathroom remodel much more costly.

5. Consider popular bathroom design trends.

Second sinks have become very popular in bathroom remodels as they allow two people to use the bathroom at the same time.

Another popular trend in bathroom design is separating the toilet from the rest of the bathroom.

If you only have a shower, consider replacing this with a bathtub which can serve double duty as both a bath and a shower. Whirlpool bathtubs have also become very popular in today's bathrooms.

Nearly everyone elects to include a bathroom exhaust fan, often incorporating a heater on a timer, as well.