Every year, Remodeling Magazine conducts a very thorough nation wide poll on the cost verses value of various renovations in your home.  They then dedicate nearly an entire issue to report the research.  Riggs Construction & Design is one of the companies that they ask to participate in this poll every year.

It’s a very comprehensive report that breaks down geographic areas and three “grades” (high, medium and low end) for each renovation.  When it comes to bathroom remodeling, however, the reader should recognize the wide range of scope and scale.  So to put an average price tag, even in three ranges, seems impossible.

A bath renovation can be as simple as re-grouting and caulking the tile in the tub area that takes a few hours and minimal materials, to adding a master bath suite complete with multiple body sprays in the walk-in shower and a mini kitchenette that will enable you to prepare breakfast.  You never have to leave the sanctity of your master bedroom suite until it’s time to leave the house.  That can run into six figures in a heartbeat!

So when Remodeling Magazine’s questionnaire asks the question “how much?”, I’m never sure what to answer.  It’s like asking how much a car cost.  Is it a Ford or a Lamborghini?

We at Riggs have designed and built plenty of both but the norm is somewhere in the middle.  The challenges in bath renovation are multiplied by the materials and trades needed for a bath renovation.  If the renovation is internal you won’t need roofing, siding or concrete but every other trade is incorporated and it’s all in small packages that require much more time per square foot to install.  For instance, a drywall contractor has to make four trips to hang, tape and sand his work but each trip is only one to three hours of work so all that travel time has to be accounted for.  Electric and plumbing can be the same problem.  Both trades have to make two trips, one for the “rough-in” before drywall and finishes and one at the very end.  The plumber may make a day out of the rough-in but the finish is about three hours and the electrician may only have three hours for his work each time.  That’s why a small bath renovation can seem so expensive even if you are looking for a Ford.

Some clients just want a fresh bathroom with re-grouted tile, a new vanity and top and updated electric including GFCI outlets and a better bath fan.  Others want everything to be new which entails stripping the room of all finishes including plaster and starting from scratch.  The biggest desire by most of our clients is the need for a larger bathroom with a tub and shower, in-floor heat and much larger vanities with two sinks and lots of counter space.

Space can be a challenge because most homes have a couple of bathrooms back to back and are your basic 5’ x 8’ “shotgun” bath that consists of a 30” vanity, 34” toilet space and a 32” wide tub.  To increase its size usually requires making a bedroom smaller, losing a closet or even less desirable, one of the two baths.  A closet and bathroom are valuable real estate in any home!   Of course, if you do increase the size you are now affecting other rooms which means drywall or plaster work, flooring, woodwork, painting and a host of other additional costs that aren’t really attributed to the envelope of the bathroom.

One popular solution that many clients find attractive is converting one of the baths into a three quarter or half bath and using the additional space in the other one.  That can increase the cost considerably because now you are doing two bath renovations but it’s what our clients want.  The “empty nesters” are willing to sacrifice an entire bathroom or even a bedroom to get the master bedroom/bath suite they have always dreamed of.  After years of child rearing, college tuitions and mortgage payments they now have discretionary income or savings that they can justify making their home into their castle.

Wherever you might fit into the spectrum of bath renovations, don’t get caught up in the “average cost” or what your friends paid for theirs because in most cases a bath renovation is customized to your home layout and your wants and desires.  My rule of thumb has always been: decide what you want, research all the options and pick a good design/build firm to work with you to realize those dreams.  This is true for a home maintenance agreement, bath renovation or adding a second floor, kitchen and whole house renovation.

Tom Bathroom Remodeling Bathroom Remodeling, cost versus value

If you plan to invest in your home but are concerned about what is happening with the economy, investing in a new kitchen or bath is your safest bet right now.

A number of our clients in the St. Louis area are doing kitchens and baths due to cost verses value, for resale.  It’s not that our clients are planning to sell their houses any time in the near future, but everyone is looking at short term investments due to the instability of today’s economic atmosphere.  What if, like so many others they know, they lose their job or are laid off until times are “better”?  What if they have to sell their house?  What is the best investment they can make in their house that will recoup the largest return if they would have to sell?  The answer - kitchens and bathrooms.

Kitchen and bath remodeling are at the top of that list for a few reasons.  First,  most people would prefer to spend their money where they spend the most time - and that’s in their kitchen.  Second, kitchens and bathrooms tend to become old and outdated rather quickly (in a bathroom, think of the moist environment and harsh chemicals such as hair spray and cleansers that are frequently in use).  Also, technology tends to change and become more accessible to greater numbers of people, making the desire for things like modern appliances, durable countertops, green products, and custom cabinetry more common and attainable.  Finally, when it comes to resale, the best bang for your buck tends to be in kitchens and baths.  If you’ve got an old, outdated space,  buyers take notice - and not in a good way.

Riggs Construction & Design has been fortunate that many of our past clients - and a large number of new clients - have decided to go ahead with their kitchen and bath projects as a big part of their quest to remake their existing house into the home of their dreams.  We have done a higher percentage of kitchen and bath projects in the last two years than any time in our 50 year history.  As we move out of this recession and the economy stabilizes, I’m sure we will see a resurgence of additions, master suites and pop-ups because families grow and need more space.  But for now, kitchens and baths are king.  So for those considering remodeling one or the other; or both, it’s a wise investment.

Tom Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling