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Author: Inspired Remodels

Does a Shower Remodel Add Value to Your House?

By / Bathroom Remodel / Comments Off on Does a Shower Remodel Add Value to Your House?

Are you thinking about selling your house? Do you want to remodel the bathroom but aren’t sure if you’ll see a return on your investment? Good news! Updating the bathroom is a great way to get the house ready to sell. Whether you completely redo the entire room or just do a simple shower remodel, you’re making your home easier to sell. And you’ll see the difference in the value on your home.

What’s a Bathroom Remodel Cost?

The cost of a bathroom remodel depends on how much work you do. That just makes sense. For our purposes, we’ll define a bathroom remodel as completely updating an existing 5 x 7 bathroom. On average that includes replacing the fixtures, including a new tub. Installing new ceramic tile around the tub and on the floor, replacing the countertop and sink, and updating the lighting.  A basic bathroom remodel in the Pacific area costs an average of $21,855 according to the Remodeling 2018 Cost vs Value Report and you will recoup about 87.7% of that amount when you sell the house.

When prospective buyers look at your house, one of their key concerns are the bathroom and the kitchen. If you don’t want to remodel the entire bathroom, a shower remodel and updating the countertops makes the room look new and fresh and saves on the cost of the remodel.

What to Include in the Shower Remodel

Include features buyers want in your shower remodel. Fabulous showers include plenty of built-in storage space. Use niches to store personal care and hygiene items close at hand in the shower. Today, niches replace old, dated soap holders. Plus, they provide room for shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and whatever else you want close at hand.

Upgrade the shower head too. Buyers love multiple shower heads, rain shower heads, and handheld shower heads. Give them what they want! You’ll enjoy the upgrade too.

roman shower is easy to care option for shower remodel

Roman Shower is Easy to Care Option for Shower Remodel

Glass shower enclosures may be a chore to keep clean and sparkling, but buyers love the look. A Roman shower is a great alternative. It uses less glass, so it’s easier to keep clean. It works well with any open design.

Don’t forget a seat. A seat is practical and adds safety.

What to Include in a Bathroom Remodel

include double vanities in master bathroom remodel

Double Vanities are a Must Have for Master Bathroom

If you are remodeling the entire bathroom, you’ll want to follow the most current design trends. Replace that large jetted tub with a soaking tub. Use wood-look ceramic tile whether you want a spa-look or a more traditional design. Wood-look ceramic tile gives you the warmth of wood with the easy care and practicality of tile. It’s the look to have.

Update the lighting to include a mix of natural light (if possible) as well as task and mood lighting. Review our tips on lighting at our General Contractors Guide to Functional Bathrooms.

 

In a master bathroom, double sinks can be a make or break feature for many buyers. If you have the space for two separate vanities, splurge. If you don’t, install double sinks with plenty of room for two people.

shower remodel with frameless glass

Shower Remodel by Inspired Remodels

Cost versus Value

Whether you are selling your house or staying for 10, 15, or 20 years or more, the value of your shower remodel or complete bathroom makeover is important.

Realistically, very few home improvements add more value than their cost. Only replacing a garage door or a manufactured stone veneer recoups more than the cost in the Pacific region of the US.  However, an old bathroom may keep buyers from making an offer on your home. Or worse, offers may come in for much less than you ask. Updating the bathroom or kitchen makes the home show better and increases the chances of receiving more offers.

If you plan on staying in your home, a shower remodel or bathroom upgrade will provide you with years of enjoyment. A bathroom that is functional and beautiful is priceless.

Want more information about a shower remodel, whole bathroom update or other remodeling? Call Inspired Remodels at (949) 716-1938 or Contact Us online.

 

General Contractors Guide to Functional Bathrooms

By / Bathroom Remodel / Comments Off on General Contractors Guide to Functional Bathrooms

General contractors will generally build any bathroom configuration you want. However, their extensive experience teaches what works and what doesn’t. If you want a great bathroom, where function and form come together to serve with style, follow these tips from general contractors for a successful bathroom remodel.

Don’t Make Space – Use Space

Even if you have a small bathroom, you don’t need to knock down walls to get more room. If you want more space, just use the space you have wisely.

Look for hidden opportunities to hide toiletries. This mirror doubles as a medicine cabinet and storage for personal care items.  A slide-out shelving unit nestles snugly within the mirror when closed. The casual visitor to the bathroom would never know it was there.  But for the person that uses the room on a daily basis, it’s a nifty way to keep personal grooming items close at hand. And it doesn’t chew up valuable space.

mirror closed

Bathroom Mirror – storage hidden

mirror open

Bathroom Mirror – storage exposed

 

Another way to get more space is by using the underutilized area under items that are already in the bathroom.  For example, you can use the area under a cabinet to store towels, like in this bathroom.

Shelf Under Cabinet Uses Space for Storage

If you want or need a shower seat for safety or convenience, use a shelf under the stool for storage of personal care items. This shelf can store shampoo, conditioner, soaps, sponges, body wash, etc within easy reach of the person seated. No getting in the shower only to discover you forgot something.

General contractors recommend seat with storage for safety and function in shower

Seat with Storage

Use the Right Lighting

General contractors like Inspired Remodels get many requests when remodeling bathrooms. However, “could you please make this bathroom darker?” has never been one of them. These days, it’s best to provide a variety of lighting to get the most use of the room. You want functional lighting for some tasks and ambient lighting for others. Make sure the room has both.

For example, you want low light to create a relaxing atmosphere for your soaking tub. But you don’t want to apply your makeup or shave in low light. The solution? Incorporate room for candle stands in the tub area.

General contractors use ambient lighting to enhance tub area

Ambient Lighting for Soaking

 

For day to day grooming activities, you need functional lighting. This bathroom takes advantage of natural lighting and strategically placed functional lighting. Notice how the lights are placed next to the mirror?  This provides much better lighting than lights over the mirror. Overhead lights can cast shadows. For the best lighting, take a tip from Hollywood and place the lights next to the mirrors and take full advantage of all natural lighting.

functional, natural, and ambient lighting

Pick the Perfect General Contractors

Get the best bathroom by working with the best general contractors. They know how to work with the plumbing and electrical you have in place and how to get the most from your room. Inspired Remodels is a design/build general contracting firm. That means that they not only work with you to design a fully functional and beautiful bathroom, they will build it for you too. That’s one point of contact for the entire project and one less headache for you.

Contact Inspired Remodels online or call (949) 716-1938 and talk to the Orange County general contractors that will deliver a bathroom that is functional to use and fabulous to look at.

 

 

 

 

 

Where to Get a Free Kitchen Remodel Planner

By / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off on Where to Get a Free Kitchen Remodel Planner

Just in the thinking stage of your kitchen remodel or are you getting serious? A kitchen remodel is a big investment. Whether you are just looking for inspiration or are ready to get serious, you need all the help you can get. Good news! Inspired Remodels wants to help. Here are several free online kitchen remodel planner tools to help you sketch out your next kitchen remodel. Whether you want a desktop version or prefer a mobile app, there’s a free kitchen remodel planner just waiting for you.

Planner 5D

Why settle for 3D when you can have 5D? If you need a planner that renders realistic looking designs, look no further. Planner 5D software is for designing more than just kitchens, but the kitchen module has all you need.  You don’t need special design or construction skills to create great designs. It works best on a desktop, but Apple and Android versions are available.

The user community has a large collection of designs you can download and modify to make your own. This is a great option if starting with a blank slate scares you.

Roomstyler

Roomstyler is another online tool with a large support community. When it comes to details, this kitchen remodel planner covers every detail. Not only can you pick your cupboards and appliances, you select details down to the spatula. Mood boards, texture boards and boards from popular designers provide inspiration. This tool also lets you look at the room at different times of day by entering the direction and altitude of the sun. This is very helpful when factoring natural light into your design.

online kitchen remodel planner tool helps pick backsplash and cabinets

Backsplash Designer

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Don’t let picking cabinet finishes and counter tops overwhelm you. Backsplash.com provides a great kitchen planner that focuses on three simple elements: cabinets, counter tops, backsplashes. If you aren’t changing the essential floor plan or layout of the room, this tool allows you to hone in on what’s important: the finishes. Try different combinations with just a few clicks until you find what you love.

A Real Orange County Kitchen Remodel Planner

Online tools are fun, but they won’t get the work done. When you are ready to move from virtual reality to real life, contact Inspired Remodels. Jason and Joe Mueller are the go-to guys when you are ready to work with a flesh-and-blood kitchen remodel planner. Inspired Remodels works with you to create kitchens that are functional and beautiful. Just share your dreams and how you use the space. Inspired Remodels will design, plan, and build the kitchen of your dreams. Call (949) 716-1938 today for your consultation or just click to Contact Inspired Remodels online.

p.s.If these online kitchen remodel planner tools don’t work for you, check out the tools in our previous blog, Online Kitchen Remodel Planner Tools Makes Design Easier