Boston Bathroom Remodeling

Bathroom Remodeling in Boston tops the list of not just home improvements, but home investments. Adding value to your home or apartment is a smart way to invest (even though you can't watch that investment the way you can a 401k or stocks), and remodeling a bathroom is a near certain effort to add value to one's home.

The Cost of Remodeling Bathrooms in Boston
Every day, for every possible home project, ServiceMagic gathers ratings and reviews from every homeowner who hires one of our contractors. The process is simple: we ask people how much they spent, how much time the project took, and if they have any advice for others doing similar projects.

What did we find out about bathroom remodels in Boston? For starters, the average cost of these projects was $9,400, with a low range of $4,500 and a high of $25,000. The average length of time for this project was 160 days.

So what can be learned from this information?

Bathroom Remodeling Ideas for Boston
For one, don't remodel your bathroom if you only have one. Honestly, how many marriages could handle 5 months with the bathroom in disrepair? No disrespect to the sanctity of marriage in Suffolk county. If anyone can endure strife, it's Red Sox fans. But the bathroom is holy ground in a home, and if you don't have an extra bathroom, things could get ugly.

Second, if you are looking to zero in on costs, you know that you need to bring at least $10,000 to the table to get what you want. If your bathroom is small, you know that $10,000 is likely the top end.

Hanley Wood publishes a Cost vs. Value report every year, and in 2006 they reported that a mid-range bathroom remodel in Boston averages $14,876 and as much as $43,281 for an upscale remodel. These prices were just a little higher than the average in all of New England. However, this report states that homeowners recovered 84% of the cost of the project. Which means that a $10,000 remodel winds up costing you $1600. That's quite a value.

Third, homeowners in Boston said over and over that you have to be specific with your contractor. Most contractors can do anything, but it is up to the homeowner to communicate precisely what that is. One homeowner in Salem had some sage advice, "be prepared for unexpected expenses that are beyond the control of the contractor." We can't stress this point enough.

The Unexpected Expenses
Every job is going to have the unexpected, whether that's finding foundation problems or mold behind the walls or the fixtures you paid cash for don't fit. Unexpected expenses are part of the process. Not that you have to be happy with them, but if you are prepared for their arrival, it makes it a little easier. But you have to be agile when something happens. If you have a strict budget, think ahead of time what you can live without or what could be downgraded if money is tight. This will keep the project moving so that your new bathroom remodel is fully functional as soon as possible.