The Unexpected Costs of Bathroom and Kitchen Renovation

It’s but natural for every homeowner to be pretty excited about renovating their bathroom or the kitchen. Aside from making your home look even greater, a kitchen or bathroom remodeling can raise the value of your home even more. So you have already set aside a budget for your kitchen or bathroom renovation, and it can fairly be said that that budget must be pretty steep. However, have you prepared for the unexpected costs of bathroom and kitchen remodeling?

Yes, as with most construction work, kitchen or bathroom remodelling has hidden costs that you have to be prepared for, or you’ll end up with a short budget and an unfinished project. Here are some of the unexpected costs of bathroom and kitchen renovation.

Fixture Relocation

So you have drawn up plans for your kitchen or bathroom renovation project, and it is, indeed, everything you’ve ever wanted in a bathroom or kitchen. The design is impeccable, and will surely be the envy of friends who will come over and visit. Then, as work on the kitchen or bathroom renovation begins, you realize that for the design to be fully implemented, existing fixtures must be relocated. Relocating fixtures, without a doubt, will cost you extra. That is why it’s important that any kitchen or bathroom remodeling project design should take into consideration the existing fixtures. Unless you actually plan and have the budget to replace all fixtures with entirely new ones, you have to approve a design that will leave the existing fixtures in place.

Plumbing System may not be up to Code

A plumbing system that is not up to code is where some of the more common unexpected costs of bathroom and kitchen renovations come from. This is most especially true of older homes, particularly ones that were constructed during the early to mid 1900′s. These houses were built at a less enlightened time, when lead, asbestos, and other harmful contaminants were pretty common in pipes, paint, drywall, and linoleum. Since they are no longer allowed in newer building codes, you may have to spend some more so you can get your plumbing system up to code and allow your kitchen or bathroom remodeling project to proceed.

It’s also quite possible that the existing pipes in your house are not capable of accommodating the additional water flow that your kitchen or bathroom remodeling will bring. If that is the case, you will have to do some re-piping, and that is one of the unexpected costs of bathroom and kitchen remodeling.

Always Set Extra Money Aside When Remodelling

It’s always commendable to try and implement a kitchen or bathroom remodeling project without going over the budget. However, it is prudent to set extra money aside when remodeling and be prepared to exceed your budget when you’re doing kitchen or bathroom renovation. A good rule of thumb would be 15% percent of your total budget, and just leave it untouched until it’s absolutely necessary. That way, your kitchen or bathroom renovation project will not be jeopardized if and when unexpected costs suddenly pour in.