The big bathroom remodeling mistake people often make is deciding they don’t need to remodel the bathroom because it’s not worth the effort. We know the bathroom make-over may not seem as initially exciting as re-doing the kitchen or arranging for re-landscaping to create a drought-friendly lawn. But a bathroom remodel can make a big difference in your life and add significant value to your home.

We’ve written before about why a bathroom remodel can benefit you. Today we’re offering a few cautions for when you do commit to ripping out the old fixtures, floors, tiles, pipes, and the rest of it. Here are common remodeling mistakes homeowners often make—so you won’t make them.

Hiring the wrong contractor

No choice is more important once you’re set on redesigning your home’s bathroom than selecting the right contractor. You could hire multiple contractors for the job: an architect/designer, a construction company, plumber, electrician, etc. The better way is to go to a contractor who handles all these jobs under one roof—a design/build company. This eliminates communication problems, streamlines the work, and ensures you end up with the bathroom you wanted in the first place.

Make sure you hire a contractor with a solid history and good references! When you have the right contractor with you, trust to their expertise and you should end up with a superb remodel.

Ignoring lighting and ventilation

Remodeling a bathroom may seem like it’s all about the fixtures, plumbing, floors, and cabinets. Too often, homeowners don’t consider how important the ventilation is; the moisture in a bathroom from the shower and bath can create mildew, mold, and damaged surfaces unless a ventilation system removes it. Mistakes in lighting can make the bathroom inconvenient, and it’s hard to have these problems fixed later.

Not enough storage

How much do you store in the bathroom? Probably more than you think you do. Cabinets in bathrooms house more than medicine, cottons swabs, and perfume bottles. They often contain towels, sheets, and cleaning materials. You want enough space to hold these items while also giving the bathroom a neat and tidy appearance—and this requires careful planning. Work with your contractor to decide how much storage you need.

Poor access to the shower

You may be set on a large, luxury shower with natural stone. But can people easily get into it to enjoy it? You might have a situation where people are taking ginger steps to find a way to squeeze past the shower door each day while not tripping over the toilet or knocking into the new cabinets or towel warming rack.

Going too trendy

If you scan through pages of online magazines looking at the Hottest New Bathroom Trends You Are Missing Out On!!!!! , you may end up chasing after these trends rather than focusing on an outcome that’s practical—and won’t be yesterday’s weird idea in only a year. A cool, hip bathroom might seem nice—but how long do you plan to live in your house with a bathroom that isn’t practical and will soon seem out of date?

Call us for Los Angeles, CA bathroom remodeling services. We’re a design/build contractor who can handle remodeling projects from conception to the point where you can hang the towels.