Bathroom Remodeling - Answers To Common Questions

A small, outdated bathroom can mean the difference between comfort and torture or even losing money if you decide to sell your house. Many homeowners are circumventing these problems by remodeling their bathrooms. Bathroom remodeling may be frustrating at times but the right design plan can be done affordably and leave you with a bathroom to be proud of.

Can I remodel the bathroom myself?

This question depends on how knowledgeable you are about laying tile, painting, carpentry and plumbing. Yes it is possible to remodel a bathroom by yourself if you know what you are doing. If you do not and attempt it without learning how to do some of the more important steps you could be setting yourself up for a dollar disaster down the road. It is very expensive hiring someone to fix your mistakes rather than hiring knowledgeable professionals in the beginning. Plus you have to think about how much free time you actually have to devote to such a big project. If you are just painting the walls and switching out hardware you can do it yourself. Larger remodeling project need someone with experience.

Do I need any special permits from the city to remodel a bathroom?

Special permits are generally required if you are doing structural work or adding onto your property. This only applies within city limits. The best advice is to check your city's building codes and contact someone with the city. If you hire a general contractor, he or she can advise you on whether or not permits need to be obtained. If you know you need a permit do not try to circumvent it. Having your bathroom project shut down or not up to code can put you at risk for fines and even higher insurance premiums.

I do not want to spend a lot of money; can I remodel my bathroom for under a thousand dollars?

Yes you can remodel your bathroom for under a thousand dollars. The key is to keep your expenses down. That budget may not be feasible if there is serious damage to the floor or the walls. If you are planning to expand the bathroom or knock down walls you can expect to quickly break the budget. But by keeping the existing structure and finding great deals on amenities such as toilets, sinks and a shower you can have a nice new bathroom for under a grand.

Does everything have to be purchased brand new?

No, of course you do not have to replace everything with new hardware, fixtures or even amenities. If you love your sunken bathtub and do not want to replace it with a newer one, keep it. It is your bathroom and ultimately your money. You can also try finding sinks, toilets or even bathroom fixtures at flea markets or wholesale outlets. Another option is try a recycling group. Many online recycling groups have members offering up leftover building material or amenities.

My bathroom space is very small. How do I make it look bigger?

The easiest way to make a small bathroom bigger is by choosing the right shade of paint color. Lighter colors will reflect the light more. Also consider reorganizing your space. Clutter can detract from a room. Another great way to create an illusion of a bigger space is to change the way your shower curtain is hung. There are now curved metal shower curtain holders. They give the illusion of a bigger shower or bathtub when in reality they are not.

Author Steven Gaines takes us from New York's most expensive condominiums and co-ops to the offices of its most powerful real estate brokers to reveal the outlandish displays of ego, bad behavior, and status hunger that come into play when the best addresses in the city are on the line.

With his signature elan, Gaines weaves a gossipy tapestry of brokers, buyers, co-op boards, and eccentric landlords and tells of the apartment hunting and renovating adventures of many celebrities - from Tommy Hilfiger to Donna Karan, from Jerry Seinfeld to Steven Spielberg, from Barbra Streisand to Madonna.

Here, too, is a fascinating chronicle of the changes in Manhattan's residential skyline, from the slums of the nineteenth century to the advent of the luxury building. Gaines describes how living in boxes stacked on boxes came to be seen as the ultimate in status, and how the co-operative apartment, originally conceived as a form of housing for the poor, came to be used as a legal means of blackballing undesirable neighbors.

A social history told through brick and mortar, The Sky's the Limit is the ultimate look inside one of the most exclusive and expensive enclaves in the world, and at the lengths to which people will go to get in.

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