After eight weeks, our master bathroom remodel is finally finished. I guess I shouldn’t complain; we waited 17 years to make the upgrade. It was also the last room in our modest 2000 square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-half bathroom home to get a makeover.
It was worth the wait.
I have to give the Honeybee credit: When spending money on a major remodel, it was natural for a little bit of doubt to creep in regarding the design choices. There were more than a few times we both wondered if the flooring, fixtures and granite were going to come together as she envisioned. In this case, I think the final results speak for themselves.
Here are few more pictures:
Of course, we started our journey by researching local general contractors on the Internet. We then got multiple estimates from six different contractors, but not before we ensured that:
- They were licensed and bonded with the state
- They had no complaints with the Better Business Bureau
- The predominance of their reviews on sites like Yelp were satisfactory and/or they were vetted by our friends from first-hand experience
In the end, we were very happy with the general contractor we selected. He chipped in some great ideas and was very responsive to all of our concerns and needs. (If you’re looking to remodel a kitchen or bathroom and live in Southern California, drop me a line and I’ll give you his contact information.)
Project Cost Breakdown
As for those estimates … The initial ones led us to believe that our project was going to end up costing us significantly less than it actually did. I know.
Take a look at how the price grew over the life of the project:
As you can see, there was a difference of almost $4000 between our general contractor’s original estimate and his final quote. A good chunk of that was due to several design changes we decided to implement during the project. For example, rather than go with mass-produced cabinetry, we decided to go with a custom-built vanity and cabinet. We also changed our mind and used travertine instead of porcelain tile; and carried the travertine all the way up two of the four primary walls.
We exceeded our original goal of $20,000 but, I’m happy to say, we managed to stay within our $25,000 budget. We didn’t take out any loans for this project; this renovation had been included in our household strategic plan for the past several years, so we were able to cover all of the expenses from our savings.
Here is a list of our final bill of materials. As an added bonus, I’ve included our initial guesstimates as to what we thought we would spend on each item. In most cases we badly underestimated the costs.
As you can see, in some cases there were costs we didn’t even initially consider like towels, bathroom accessories — and a $25.91 Kleenex holder.
Some Lessons Learned
After such a big project, it’s hard not come away without learning a few things about the remodeling process. Here are a few of the most important lessons:
- You’re going to spend more than you anticipate. Trust me; when considering remodeling costs, your first-blush back-of-the-napkin estimate is going to be influenced by unbridled optimism and unrealistic cost expectations. You’re also going to forget a few things. So take whatever number you come up with and add another 50% — just to be safe.
- It’s going to take longer than you think. In our case, what was supposed to be a three-week project took eight weeks to finish. In some cases the subcontractors were to blame. We also had to wait longer than expected for our bathroom fixtures, which had to be back-ordered.
- Expect the unexpected. Stuff happens. For example, during construction, somebody dropped a large pipe which ripped a gaping hole in our first-floor kitchen ceiling. Oops. The flooring subcontractor broke the mirrored closet door; it had to be replaced. Oops again. We also discovered our copper pipes had a high amount of corrosion (due to the acidic nature of our water) — so we ended up replacing a bit more plumbing than we had planned.
- Don’t settle for substandard work. The Honeybee is a real stickler for detail; and she’s never afraid to point out substandard work. You shouldn’t either. If something isn’t done to your satisfaction — speak up! Don’t settle for “good enough.” Trust me — reputable contractors want happy customers.
- Be sure to define a payment schedule. This is a tip, more than a lesson-learned: Never pay a contractor more than 10% of the total job cost up front. Then set up a payment schedule based upon a series of completed task milestones such as demolition, plumbing, flooring, paint, and a final walk-through. Remember, once your contractor is paid in full, you sacrifice your leverage.
- Watch out for requirements creep. I’ve already explained how requirements creep quickly escalated the costs of our previous kitchen remodel. This time around, our master bathroom remodel led to master bedroom upgrades: a fresh coat of paint, a set of new bed sheets, new bedroom doors — and some new bedroom furniture too. Don’t worry; we had the money. And if you ask me, it was all money well-spent.
Photos Credit: The Honeybee
The job is beautiful, you can be really proud of that stunner of a bathroom! It’s thrilling to be done with it too, isn’t it? No more mess, no upheaval, no more relative strangers wandering through the place so you have to be up and presentable even on your day off work! CONGRATULATIONS ON A JOB WELL DONE!
Thank you, Karen! Yes, the best part is not having the constant disruptions of people moving in and out of the house all day. It’s great to have our privacy back.
Since when is 2000sq ft. considered modest? Only if you are the 1%
Well … 1% is more than a stretch, Daniel — but, okay, I get your point.
In Southern California, 2000 sq. ft. has been considered an average-size home for a couple of decades now; maybe a little longer.
Well, it’s less than the average size of a new home, and has been since the late 1980’s.
That said, I’m pretty sure that bathroom is the same size as the master bedroom in our 1100 sf house.
You have a master bath? Well in my day, we were only allowed a chamber pot! And we liked it!
Very, very nice! We’re planning a bathroom do-over, so I’m really interested. I did notice, however, that there appears to be something you overlooked. Don’t you have a toilet? Or is it really so private that we aren’t allowed to see it?
Re: the toilet. Take a close look at the closet door mirror, GaGa. ๐
Wow the new bathroom looks amazing. That is pretty much my dream bathroom!
That’s crazy how much it actually cost over what you expected. I’ve always been told to over-estimate home costs by 25% to 50% by my contractor friends, so I guess it makes sense!
We love it, Michelle. Thank you.
Wow, this is awesome! It all looks worth it to me. We are also planning to renovate our bathroom and this just inspires me!
Call me crazy, but I think planning it is half the fun, Alicia. Good luck!
We just got a new bathroom last year, but it came with $300,000+ in other costs – the rest of the new house that came along with it! Your remodel turned out great! It is amazing how those costs slowly creep up on you, and before you know it you’ve spent thousands more than you had planned!
Ha ha! Congrats on your new home. (I hope it also came with a great kitchen too; I’d hate to see you have to upgrade to a $400,000+ home to get it!) ๐
love it!!!!! The travertine (?) walls are beautiful!
Travertine is a natural stone product, Barb. I think it’s a type of limestone.
That look amazing. We just got a new rental that we plan to move into eventually. I want to finish the basement, but I’m afraid how much it’d cost. Probably go into 6 figures… We’ll see how it goes.
Wow. Six figures for a basement? That’s incredible!
Great advice and story! I also recommend people to take a DIY approach towards remodeling projects as it can save thousands of dollars and have a larger payback in the long run. Some couples have remodeled kitchen on their own, saving a huge amount of service costs. Even though it is time-consuming, it is definitely a learning experience and way to preserve money.
Noah, you’re right … you can save a lot of dough by doing it yourself. Then again, you’ve never seen my DIY handiwork. That was never a serious option for us; unless it’s electrical work, I will always defer to the professionals. ๐
Great work on the project! Have you considered a towel warmer in your bathroom?
No towel warmer, NerdNod, but we do have a hook in the shower for a towel. That keeps it pretty toasty!
Beautiful and tasteful! Congratulations. I have to echo what Len said about knowing your limits on DIY-ing it. DH, a plumber, always leaves electrical work to the pros, even though he’s an experienced DIYer and can fix practically anything. Once again, a great job — looks like something in a magazine! May you and the Honeybee enjoy it for many years!
Dear Mr. Len Penzo:
Nice
Sincerely, SYK
You bathroom looks great as one from those HGTV shows ( or better). Congrats! Your wife and you deserve it. I like the way you save, plan and do things. I need to show this to Frank to inspire him to do ours, he will do most by himself. Frank is a handyman guy. Congratulations again.
I don’t know your ages, but my wife and I are 70 yrs old. Each of us. We just completed a master bath remodel and the best $180.00 we spent was on the “grab bars”. One inside the shower and one just outside the shower door. We also had the inside of the shower constructed with a ‘seat’. Balancing on one leg while washing foot and ankle is shaky and the older you get the easier the fall. The 2nd highest reason for ER visits is falls at home in the bathroom.
I just spent $1200 cash to remodel our bath down to studs and subfloor and back complete with whirlpool tub and we did all the work ourselves……hubby is a plumber/heating guy. I have pics of mine on FB. $23K is INSANE after reading your website…….may have lost a little with me there, Len.
Yes, it was expensive, Michelle. Obviously, it helps to have a spouse who is in the business. I didn’t have that luxury — and the truth is, some people (like myself, for instance) don’t have the time, skills or desire to DIY.
I hope you are enjoying your new bath as much as the Honeybee and I are enjoying ours!
Great job, it looks like a 4-star hotel bathroom! Love the color tones. It gave me ideas for my own bathroom