How to save money on your bathroom remodel

Justin Pearce, a real estate investor, often writes about his experience of buying, renovating and selling homes in the Washington area.
According to The reinvent magazine, the average cost of overall bathroom renovation nationwide is $16,128.
The magazine also reported that this improvement will increase the resale value of your home by an average of $11,688.
But in our area, you can buy a nice bathroom remodel for about $5,000 and turn your efforts into gold in house assets.
The data from reinvent magazine is based on a bathroom of 5 by 7 feet.
This is the main bathroom, not the main bathroom.
This work will include all new tiles on the floor, tiled bathtub surround and new tub, toilet and vanity with top and built in --in sink.
It also includes new paint, hardware, faucets and fixtures. [
Minimize costs by maximizing space and making the most of your small bathroom]
This does not include any structural works, new electrical or moving pipe locations.
When it comes to bathroom remodeling, let\'s say you outsource all your work and you are reasonable about the material you choose, then the cost of 50 to 75% is manual.
So your most powerful money-saving tool in this project is knowledge and negotiation skills.
You need to find a good contractor and work with him or her to reduce these labor costs while still being able to get quality work and provide valuable work and profit to your contractor.
The good news is that the list of materials for bathroom remodel is very simple.
Here is a good list of items you need for your project: I based on all my estimates, 5-by 8-foot bathroom.
In fact, when I try to determine if I really want to take the time to get them to bid on a project, this bathroom remodel scenario is the first thing I usually discuss with contractors.
If the contractor tells me that it will cost $10,000 for the job, then I will move to the next contractor. [
More homeowners give bathrooms 21-century update]
The most powerful tool to save the cost of bathroom renovation is knowledge.
Understanding the process is key.
You can definitely reduce your bathroom remodel to around $5,000, but most contractors tell you\'re crazy and you don\'t know what you\'re talking about if you approach them with this situation
In this bathroom remodel I completed every task I needed to get all the work done and I came up with 73 working hours.
It is assumed that everything is average and two people are working.
When talking to several contractors, they confirmed my time frame and most of them said they liked to budget five to eight business days to finish the bathroom.
Contractors are used to encountering unforeseen problems and are often plagued by changes from customers halfway through the project.
So they want to budget some buffer in the bid, which is of course understandable.
However, it is common for them to have a 100% buffer budget, which most other industries consider unacceptable.
Most contractors also budget two people for the work.
They usually have a person in charge who can earn $20 to $30 an hour, and an assistant who can earn $14 to $16 an hour.
When you add a profit of 25% and 20% for the contractor\'s salary expenses, the contractor\'s hourly work labor cost is about $58. 50 an hour.
Therefore, based on 40 hours of work (
This is five days about what should be spent)
For the two employees, the total labor cost is about $2,340.
If you add my material cost from the list above, this will bring the total cost of your bathroom remodel to $4,065.
But here\'s the problem.
Assuming all goes well, the contractor is done within five days and the contractor is only profitable on the labor force, then the gross profit of the work for the business is only $468.
Most contractors do not want to take such a big risk, nor do they want to make so much effort to make so little money.
Keep in mind that they still have to pay for the gas, insurance, administration and all the other expenses that come with running the business.
If you engage with this lean and efficient project proposal, many people will be hesitant.
Now that you know the process, the first step when starting the bathroom renovation is to decide your color and material.
Bring my list of materials and choose your fixtures, tiles and all the big items.
The Dresser, bathtub and tile could be the three biggest ticket items and something that most people go after too much.
If you\'re not careful, you can easily spend half of your budget on these three projects.
I found a $350 base tub to work just as well as a $3,000 tub.
Avoid using a Jacuzzi.
They are expensive.
They need extra power and licenses and, to be honest, no one uses them.
They just grew mildew in the pipe.
Even many builders are now eliminating them.
You can spend $100 on a very basic vanity, but I would suggest spending a bit of money here.
Vanity and tile are the focus of your bathroom.
I found out I could get a really good 30-to 36-
Inch vanity and vanity top are between $300 and $400.
But you can easily spend $1,000 or more on this project.
When it comes to tiles, you can also spend $1 per square foot or $15.
I found a very good tile for two to three dollars per square foot.
Set your sights there.
Now that you already know the material you want in your bathroom, sit down and write down a great scope of work to share with your contractor.
This is very simple and can be done by anyone.
It usually includes removal and removal, installation of new cement backplates on and around the floor, installation of tiles around the floor and bathtub, installation of tile grouting, installation of all new fixtures and connection of pipes, install the hardware, prepare and paint the walls.
You can get more detailed information, but even this basic scope of work will be of great help to your bidding process and the final construction contract.
With the material list and scope of work, you can start calling the contractor.
I suggest asking friends and neighbors to find contractors.
You can also go to your local home improvement shop.
I suggest 6. m. when it opens.
There are usually at least six working cars and vans in the parking lot.
Write the phone number in the car.
There are two benefits here.
First, you know contractors are actually active in the industry and you know they work in your field.
Second, you know they started early.
Ideally, you want a contractor with three to fifteen employees.
You want them to be mature enough not to disappear in half the time you work, but small enough that their overhead costs will not increase their labor costs.
Finding a good, cost-effective contractor is not an easy task.
Most people suggest at least three interviews.
I suggest you make more calls.
When you tell them about your plan, at least half of them will refuse your job.
I would also like to say that at least half of the remaining contractors will not pass your background and reference checks.
If you call at least 12 contractors, you may find 3 to 5 contractors and you can get a full bid from them.
It\'s a big job, but it\'s how you save a lot of money.
Not only do you need to find a good contractor.
You need to find a good contractor at the right time.
I find that if the contractor needs to work at a given time, they will give you a good price.
If not, then their bid may be thicker.
Be careful by relying on contractors recommended by neighbors.
The situation of the contractor may have changed.
It\'s all a lot of work, but it\'s another way you do it yourself.
You don\'t need to be tied to the tool belt, but take on the responsibility of the project management type, which is much easier than dragging out a bunch of old drywalls and old tiles and spending two days working on the tiles.
In your discussion with the contractor, tell him that you only want him to provide the labor force.
Buying all miscellaneous items like sewer, P-etc may make you feel uncomfortable
Traps and waterlines so that you can negotiate to have these provided by the contractor.
But just consider the fact that if the contractor\'s employee has to go to the hardware store, then he still needs to pay the employee $58 an hour to get the shop on the aisle of a big box.
Work with contractors to get a detailed list of materials before shopping.
I don\'t know about you, but it\'s hard for me to get to the store in less than two hours.
Every item you have prepared for the contractor on site is time and effort to save labor costs.
I will tell you that whenever your employees leave your project, there is no guarantee when they will come back.
This also drives the construction manager crazy.
It\'s hard to track this time.
If you choose to have the contractor buy the materials, then make sure you have an agreed budget on these items in the contract.
Now, when you get in touch with the contractor and want to pay $2,400 for his or her labor, you may hear phone clicks, so try this: tell your contractor, you are willing to pay $2,400 in labor for five days of work.
If the project is more than five days, up to four days, you will also pay $75 a day.
But tell him if he gets the job done in five years
You will give him a bonus of $1,000.
If the work is completed within seven working days, you will pay a $500 bonus and a daily extension fee.
You just encourage contractors to double their profits and get your job done quickly.
Anyway, as long as you\'re not crazy about buying materials, your project will reach or very close to your $5,000 limit.
Be sure to do a background check before hiring any contractor.
Make sure he has a permit for the work he is doing in the state and make sure that he is at least responsible and the worker\'s compensation insurance.
Always check references.
For more details, please see my article working with the contractor.
At this point you have done a lot of work to fine tune your project.
After you agree to the price, try to avoid making any changes to the plan.
After you complete the transaction, you will almost certainly pay the premium for any additional work you give the contractor.
Of course, you can save extra money by doing some work yourself.
You may be able to save between $500 and $600, just do your own hands down and paint.
But be careful not to take on tasks that may cause problems to the contractor.
Tile installation includes nearly half the labor cost in the bathroom decoration, but it should be noted that this is a hard and tedious job, as long as you are a professional, it may take two or three times to look good.
Like most construction projects, the bathroom remodel can be made up of many different factors.
No two models are the same.
So, it\'s hard to solve every scene here.
However, be careful during construction and you don\'t always get what you pay.
Do your homework before starting any major project.
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