I was talking to Mark (a potential customer) who started venting to me about his bathroom remodeling project. He said, “Mike, planning this bathroom remodel is a pain in the rear. Too many choices, too few contractors. The budget is getting squeezed left and right. My wife Lisa has this urge to remodel. I wish her urge would just go away.”
Mark then said, “Mike as someone in the biz can you help Lisa and I figure out if we should – or shouldn’t – remodel this upcoming year? As you know I’m voting for “shouldn’t,” she is completely in the “should” category. I’d like the ammunition to bring Lisa over to my side.”
I told Mark, “I don’t want to get in the middle of any family squabbles over remodeling. I’m not the “Dr. Phil of Remodeling,” besides I’ve got way more hair than him. However, as a supplier and remodeling contractor I’ve seen remodeling projects which have gone well – and others which were so wacked-out the owners wish they never started. Let me think about this. I’ll put a list together of “should’ s and shouldn’t’ s – and try keep you out of divorce court, or the Peoples Court, over a simple bathroom!”
As I got to thinking about this my crazy mind went in a bunch of directions. Included below is the list I prepared for Mark and Lisa. I hope you enjoy it, and learn a couple of things along the way. If you have any additional reasons (fun or serious) why you should (or shouldn’t remodel) add them in the comments at the end of the article. If they’re humorous give me a call – I like a good laugh.
15 Reasons You Shouldn’t Remodel Your Bathroom
Reason #1 – You love using your tile scrub brush and cleaning supplies oh, so much
Cleaning out black mold-infested grout joints with your favorite scrub brush and toxic chemicals is satisfying and gives you the double benefit of toning your arms and cleaning out your sinuses.
Reason #2 – Dingy shower floors compliment the new, hot shabby chic look
You love the distressed vintage look which is sizzling-hot in interior design magazines today. Your dirt-encrusted fiberglass shower pan you can’t keep clean, fits perfectly with this look.
Reason #3 – Climbing over the tub rail to take a shower is good exercise and builds flexibility
Those safety concerns about slipping and falling while getting into the tub are overrated (heck – even your 85-year-old Aunt Gladys is still climbing into her tub to take a shower). Besides don’t all realtors say you have to have a tub?
Reason #4 – You don’t want anyone else to use your bathroom
Since your current bathroom is tattered, torn, has just the right amount of rust around the shower drain, and a few choice mold spots everyone else in the family is so grossed out they stay away – leaving this bathroom all to you.
Reason #5– Your dark, poorly light bathroom hides your wrinkles
If you add task lighting and get natural light with a transom window you’ll start seeing your wrinkles and be forced to spend a fortune on Botox treatments. Think of the money you’re saving!
Where are all her wrinkles???
Reason #6– If you update your bathroom with a barrier free shower it could be the catalyst for your Mother in Law to come live with you
It would be wrong to have too much of a “good thing” seeing your Mother in Law every day. You want to savor this time with her for “special occasions” like the kid’s birthdays, holidays or maybe just enjoy your famous every-fourth-year Leap Year Celebration.
With a “cute” Mother In Law like this absence makes the heart grow fonder
Reason #7– You love a cold shower and your current stall certainly delivers
After your daughter, wife and son get done showering your 25-gallon hot water tank is thoroughly spent, but that’s OK, you love an invigorating cold-shower.
Reason #8– Without spending on a bathroom remodel, you’ll have the money and time to sign up for the yoga and the ballroom dancing classes your wife is SO excited about.
Another advantage of enjoying more couples-time with your wife is you won’t lose more money playing poker or betting on the golf course with ‘da boys.
He seems to be enjoying the yoga – or is he?
Reason #9– You don’t want to show up your family, friends and neighbors
You’ve taken the sermons from Pastor Jeff to heart. You are determined live humbly and stop buying nice-new things or doing larger home projects.
Reason #10– You can just sense your pink cast-iron tub is coming back into style
You’ve seen fashion trends come full circle. That’s one reason your husband has kept his powder leisure suit from the 60’s and you’re clinging tightly to your multi-colored bell bottoms from the 70’s. Your patience is bound to pay off (and save you money) when your time-warped bathroom comes back into style – without you having to spend money remodeling it.
Reason #11– Billy Ray Bob’s Remodeling is too busy to take on your small project anyway
You know Billy Ray Bob’s Remodeling is the best in town. You even feel a little bad for Billy Ray with the bad press he has taken for running off with his mistress for 3 fun-filled months in the Bahamas – spending most of his wife’s inheritance on her. You’ve put in 5 calls to Billy Ray’s business for an estimate. His Mom Esther who answers the phone is really nice, but the only thing she’s heard is he is most likely at a fishing tournament, so your estimate appointment will have to wait. Maybe you can line up his company to do your bathroom remodeling project next year.
Billy Ray’s field guys look a little menacing….maybe it’s good you can’t get them this year
Reason #12– You love scrounging around your bathroom vanity looking for your favorite loofa sponge. It reminds you of scavenger hunts when you were a kid.
Why bother with the cost of simple-to-use slide out vanity drawers when you can dig deep in the dark crevice’s in the back of the cabinet playing “in search of” like you did when you were young.
Reason #13– You love cleaning the framed shower door track of dirt and hair. You’ve even developed an entrepreneurial idea to make it pay off for you
You’re still trying to figure out your idea to create a way to transplant these errant hairs in the shower track and put them back on to your husband’s slightly balding head. If you can figure this out you might be able to run Hair Club for Men out of business.
Reason #14– You like watching water drip off your pivoting shower door onto the bathroom floor
Seeing this water drip creates quiet reflective meditative moments and saves you driving 25 minutes through rush-hour traffic to the spa.
Reason #15– You don’t mind putting your makeup on in the bedroom since you only have a pedestal sink in your cramped bathroom
Getting ready in the bedroom gives you the chance to wake up your husband and make sure you can gets his lazy-butt up and not be late for work AGAIN.
10 Reasons You Should Remodel Your Bathroom
Reason #1 – You want to make the space safe for someone you love
Barrier free one level shower systems are so easy to find (and stylish) today, you no longer need a construction engineer to figure out a safe and sturdy method to install them. In addition, staying in your home is far cheaper than assisted living facilities.
Reason #2 – Your existing bathroom is butt-ugly
You have to be realistic. Your pink and gray 4” x 4” tiles and cast-iron tub may have been hot in the 1960’s but those days are long-gone. A fresh décor can make this bathroom a place you want to use vs. have to use. In addition, you can personalize it with a fun beach theme, farmhouse style or sleek contemporary look.
Reason #3 – It’s physically painful to find things in your vanity cabinets
Your arthritis and back problems make reaching in and bending over digging through your vanity cabinets painful. Using wall hung cabinets and/or slide out drawers will allow your storage to come to you and reduce bending over.
Reason #4 – Starting your day being grossed out or sick is not a good idea
A bathroom with mold, mildew, caked on dirt in the shower pan and rust are not healthy. Using cleaning products to rid you of these problems only goes so far.
Reason #5 – You may not have the choice “Mr. Briggs or Mr. Phelps” had on Mission Impossible. You may have no choice but to accept your “assignment” to remodel your bathroom.
On the late 1960’s show Mission Impossible Dan Briggs and Jim Phelps played the part of Secret Agents who were given a choice. The famous line in the show was, “This is your mission, if you decide to accept it.”
Sometimes in remodeling you have no choice but to accept the “mission” to remodel. You sprung a leak in the shower pan on the second floor and it’s already created a wet spot in your kitchen ceiling. Or your realtor has informed you there is NO WAY you’re unloading this Money Pit of a home without sprucing up the bathroom.
Reason #6 – If you have to clean the black nasty stuff on your tile shower walls on more time you might get violent
With new decorative shower wall panels, now there is an way to enjoy your shower – and not spend your time sucked-up cleaning it.
These shower wall panels look like tile – but they are not
Another popular option – invented in Norway – are these laminated shower wall panels. They click, lock and seal together for the ultimate in easy of installation.
A white cultured marble stone was cut in 3″ thickness to cover the end of this modern glass block shower wall
Faux stone wall panels, high gloss wall panels and solid surface shower walls look nice (unlike the cheap white builders-grade fiberglass unit you may have now) and are low maintenance.
These slate textured shower wall panels are simple to maintain and available in 51 colors
Reason #7 – You deserve better than this
You’ve worked hard for 30 years and almost have the kids out of the house. Now it’s “me time” for you. It’s time to upgrade your home. Its time enjoy the fruits of your labor. A spa shower is something you’ve always dreamed about. Why not make it a reality since you’re almost done funding the kids college?
Reason #8 – There are better resources available to find reputable contractors, so you won’t end up being interviewed on a special expose story exposing crooked contractors on Channel 5
Finding and hiring the right contractor is a chore in and of itself. In addition to asking your friends and family for recommendations (which works well IF they live in your town and you trust their judgement) can be risky business. Let your digital fingers do the work for you. Check out reviews on Angie’s List, Yelp and Houzz. There have never been more resources at your fingertips to make sure you don’t choose a bad contractor, one who runs off with your deposit or does a terrible job.
Reason #9 – You care about the environment and want to conserve water and electricity
Toilets suck up 27% and shower heads chew up 18% of your home’s water consumption. Switching to dual flush toilets and low flow shower heads can cut your water usage by 30 to 40% – and reduce your water bills. In addition, LED lighting throw off minimal heat and have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years – and cut electric costs. Green building is not only good for the environment – but is good for your pocketbook.
Reason #10 – You need to see what you’re doing
Your last fall in the bathroom could have got you a one-week “vacation” in the hospital. Your eyesight isn’t anything like your grandkids. Natural lighting (adding a transom window) or task lighting (over the bathroom vanity for example) will keep you from falling or cutting yourself.
Conclusion
Even though my goal in the “shouldn’t” list in this article was to take a funny tongue-in-cheek look at the subject, I think whether you choose to remodel – or not – comes down to one simple question.
Are you willing to put up with the pain of your existing space, or are you willing to invest money in a solution to make using the bathroom an enjoyable and low maintenance place to be?
Can I (or a member of my team) help you?
If you’re struggling with a bathroom or shower remodeling project I (and my team) would love to help. For assistance and factory-direct product supply of grout free shower wall panels, shower bases and glass enclosure systems nationwide contact Innovate Building Solutions at 877-668-5888. For a bathroom remodeling project in Northeast Ohio call Cleveland Design and Remodeling at 216-658-1270 or The Bath Doctor in Columbus at 614-252-3242.
If you’re a remodeler or builder and want practical advice on remodeling products, industry trends, marketing and sales tips to grow your business (and cut day to day hassles), start reading my newest blog – Innovate Builders Blog. It’s packed with ideas you can use now. Click here to Sign Up for the Innovate Builders Blog.
If you’re in the building business, click here if you’d like to learn how to become a shower wall panel dealer or call and ask for Mike at 877-668-5888.
President of Innovate Building Solutions a nationwide supplier and regional (Cleveland and Columbus) remodeling contractors. Some of our product lines include glass counters, floors, backsplashes, glass blocks and grout free shower and tub wall panels
Ashwell – thanks for the compliment. I was having fun with this once I got rolling writing this post. I have seen a lot of fun (and funny) projects and situations over the years so it was enjoyable to put them down on paper. Pass it one – I hope other laugh as well (at the post – not me that is – ha! ha!). Mike
This was hilarious Mike! I do not remember when last I laughed so much after reading an article unless it was intended to be overtly comic, here you used your wonderful sense of humor to drive home the point so effectively.
Mike Foti
Ashwell – thanks for the compliment. I was having fun with this once I got rolling writing this post. I have seen a lot of fun (and funny) projects and situations over the years so it was enjoyable to put them down on paper. Pass it one – I hope other laugh as well (at the post – not me that is – ha! ha!). Mike
Ashwell Martelli
This was hilarious Mike! I do not remember when last I laughed so much after reading an article unless it was intended to be overtly comic, here you used your wonderful sense of humor to drive home the point so effectively.