Bathroom remodeling is one of the most common home improvement projects. This is mainly true because bathroom remodels offer one of the highest returns on investment, and they also bring increased enjoyment to your daily life. Generally speaking, you will enjoy endless pleasure from a new bathroom up until the day you sell your house and when you do decide to sell you will most likely recoup between 80% and 90% of your investment.

The first you thing you must decide on when remodeling your bathroom is how complex of a project you are interesting in investing in. This decision will of course be heavily influenced by your budget. To give you a better idea of what you will be paying for small and large projects you should know that you can remodel a bathroom for well under $1000 if you choose. Under $1000 is considered a smaller bathroom remodel and will typically include a new vanity top, light fixtures and accessories. A larger project will generally involve ripping out everything and starting from scratch. With this type of project you can expect to spend from $7,000 to over $30,000.

Once you decide how large of a project you want to take on, you must start to consider the way in which want to re-design your bathroom. There are many hot trends when it comes to bathroom remodeling. Installing dual sinks is one of the most common bathroom trends. Doing so adds great convenience and also makes the bathroom look more sophisticated. Another popular trend involves installing a large bathtub with water jets for long, soothing soaks.

Larger remodels may involve installing a new shower, separating the toilet from the bathtub and adding a steam room. If you plan on getting really fancy you may want to consider turning your bathroom into a spa area, installing marble countertops, adding radiant floor heating and even installing a steam bath/shower or customized spa shower with multiple water jets to rejuvenate your mind and body.

If your budget doesn't allow for such drastic changes to take place, you can still dramatically change the look and feel of your bathroom with a smaller remodel. Smaller remodels generally include refinishing or replacing the existing sink, shower, bathtub, and toilet. Paint jobs are also an expensive way to change the look of your walls and ceiling. Additional changes may or not include replacing countertops and vanities, and installing exhaust fans and new lighting fixtures. Lastly, retiling or renewing the tub or shower enclosures and the floors are also very common.

To assist you with your design choices it often helps to start putting together magazine clippings of features that you may want to include in your remodel. You probably won't be able to include everything that you want into your bathroom remodel, so make sure to divide the features that you “need” and the features that you “want.” However, if your budget is unlimited then you can include all of your wants. Keep in mind; if you plan to change major aspects of your bathroom then you will need to create a layout of your new design on graph paper. You may need help from a professional at this point.

A professional architect, bathroom designer, or bathroom contractor will be able to assist you in creating your new layout, as well as make suggestions about the design and features. The idea is to help you prioritize your improvements. Through your professional you can also find out more information about the costs involved and time frames needed to complete the work. This is the stage in the bathroom remodeling project where you should decide exactly what work will be done, secure financing, and begin the work.

Last, but not least, you will want to check with your contractor or with your municipality and verify whether you will need a building permit for your bathroom renovation. Failure to obtain a required building permit can result in you having to rip out your entire remodel after completion. The laws vary between municipalities and you can't always trust the word of a contractor, so make sure that you find out what the regulations are from more then just one source.