This month I decided to write about my own experience with a renovation.
Two years ago I bought a new townhouse. It needed some paint and flooring along with three new bathrooms and a kitchen. Keep in mind it was very livable, clean and move-in ready. It just needed updating. At first I thought I would knock out the kitchen and downstairs bathroom. That way one floor would be complete. Instead, I painted and added new flooring thinking I’d live here a bit to get a feel for everything. The longer I was here the more confused I got about what and where to start. What countertops or backsplash would work best if I started with the kitchen? Or should I concentrate on one of the bathrooms? And which bathroom?
Well that decision was made for me when one of the upstairs bathrooms sprung a leak in the tub that would not stop. I tried fixing it myself to no avail, which started the countless interviews and conversations with contractors. The many hours deliberating over what tile to use in the tub. What style cabinet would look best? Hardware? What finish? A funny thing happened; I became my own client. I took a step back to really assess the room to make the best decisions. Should I play it safe and go with a gray/white or beige/white palette? But I kept thinking about resale values and how others would view my space. I then realized that I didn’t care about that. I wanted a great looking bathroom and didn’t want to spend 20,000.00 on a renovation. I then went to work sourcing everything needed. I spent countless days internet shopping before walking into an actual store. Within two weeks I purchased all the materials for the renovation. Timing couldn’t have been more perfect since some of the larger pieces were on sale. Total material cost was just over 2,000.00. That included a few upgrades like a better set of glass tub doors and chrome hardware. Luckily, I kept to my budget which included the labor cost and of course the timeline. The whole project took just about two weeks.
On to the next project.