How many times have I walked into people's homes and heard them say, "We need new tiles around it, but we'll keep the tub." I have to laugh, because why would you keep the tub, put up a new wall with new tiles, and then have to take it all down again in a few years when the tub needs to be replaced? It just doesn't make sense. In fact, by far the most common mistake that I see in bathroom renos is the quick tub, toilet, and sink replacement.
What happens is that the homeowner goes to a bathroom place or to a bathroom/kitchen store. There are tons of them, and they are well-known, big-name companies, where the goal is to get you in, sell you a bunch of merchandise, and get you out again fast, before you've had a chance to really think things through. They make it sound as if -- and I love this: It's the same as when you're buying a car -- you can get a new bathroom from $6,395. Yes, everything is "from," but nothing is ever actually sold at that price. It's always twice the cost of "from."
In most cases, you can't just do a quick fix and leave it at that. It's not worth your money, especially if you get sold on one of these "from" packages. Simply replacing the tub and tile, toilet, sink, and cabinets is not going to solve your problems. If you're going to stay in the house, all you'll have achieved is putting off the work (such as proper plumbing and electrical, getting rid of mould, and proper waterproofing) that is going to have to be done eventually. And later, to do the job right, your contractor is going to have to pull apart that quick fix.
Let me give you an example of what not to do. I had a couple call me one time and say they wanted a new bathroom. I went in and I could tell right away that it had been done before. I took a look at it and decided to do a complete gut. As I gutted, I discovered this was the third time the bathroom had been renovated. I was the fourth guy in there, and everyone else had covered over what had been there before them: drywall over tile over drywall. It was a complete cover-up, with mould galore. There is no such thing as a quick job.
 | Make it Right™. Text copyright © 2006 by Restovate Ltd. Photograph copyright © 2006 The Holmes Group Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. All right reserved. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. |
3 Comments
I agree with the thought of gutting and properly fixing past sins. Most real estate people will tell you that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. Why not make it look good and function the way it was meant to work. If done right, you don't need to spend a ton of money to make a bathroom look great and be the envy of your friends. I don't know how many bathroom I have renovated to find unsafe wiring, improper venting and drainage and unhealthy mold and etc.. It is always easier to fix issues when all the walls are open and I think saves money in the long run. Thanks for confirming what I have been telling my clients for years. Pat Fletcher, Fletcher Renovations, Waterloo Ontario
Doing things properly in the home environment is critically important....but as far as Mickey Holmes doing things on a realistic budget, its just not in his bag of tricks... plain and simple... He has free suppliers, subtrades, labourers, ect... the list goes on...good TV for some but it may be time for a REALITY show that deals with the true reality that all Canadians face...Its nice to have alot of of people making you the hero...
Mojodad, It's a well known fact that Mike Holmes has many suppliers and subcontractors that give him great deals, if not free supplies. The rest of us have to pay for all of those things, and the point in the article may be that people shouldn't be so quick to gut and do a simple lipstick/mascara job in their bathrooms; instead, consumers should be willing to save some money up and do it PROPERLY as opposed to investing in a sub-par "renovation," because in the long run, it's just doesn't make sense.