Imagine yourself getting ready to handle what you believe are minor plumbing repairs under the bathroom sink. After a couple of hours of your head and shoulders crammed into an exceptionally tight workspace, it occurs to you that calling a local city plumber is probably a good idea. A few hours later, you are looking at an entire bathroom remodeling project.
What happened? That depends on your plumber and the types of repairs being made. There are sometimes when the work required to properly fix bathroom plumbing involves removing vanities, taking out walls, or even opening the floor. There are other times when such extensive work is not needed, but there are other circumstances suggesting you might as well do a full remodel as long as you are spending the money.
The Importance of the Bathroom
The entire concept of remodeling the bathroom along with plumbing repairs is rooted in the importance of the bathroom at resale time. As you know, real estate agents have been saying for years that the kitchen and bathroom are the two most important rooms when selling a home. If they are updated and in good shape, the chances of selling at a good price are pretty high.
Knowing what we know about bathrooms and home sales, we have a starting point for determining whether plumbing repairs are cause enough for a complete bathroom remodel. The next two things to consider are the local housing market and any future moving plans you might have.
Remodeling in Hot Markets
Even if you do not live in Salt Lake City, Utah, pretend you do. Salt Lake City has consistently been one of the hottest real estate markets for a number of years now. The area continues to grow thanks to an influx of talented workers and new companies willing to hire them.
If you had any plans to sell your home within the next couple of years, you would also be smart to consider updates to the kitchen and bathroom. Any repairs requiring you to call in Salt City Plumbers, a local plumbing contractor in Salt Lake City, would be enough reason to at least step back and consider a complete remodel.
The thinking is this: as long as you are investing money in repairing bathroom plumbing problems, investing a little more in a few updates could make a difference when it comes time to sell. Even if you don’t want to do a complete remodel, just updating the fixtures and window treatments could make a big difference.
Remodeling with Major Work
Knowing how hot Utah’s real estate market is, having to do major work in the bathroom is even greater motivation to do a complete remodel. Let us say your plumber has to completely remove the vanity so that he can rework the pipes behind the wall. You are going to need a new vanity anyway, right?
What if the plumber needs to cut into the wall to fix the water lines feeding the shower? What if he has to cut into the floor to repair the shower or tub drain? If you are already looking at significant demolition just to affect plumbing repairs, you’re going to have to invest in restoration anyway. This would be a good time to just gut the bathroom and start over.
Plumbing repairs requiring professional assistance are always interesting. Sometimes, they are extensive enough to provide sufficient reason for a complete remodel. That is just the way home ownership works. You never really know what you are getting into when it’s time to make repairs. But that’s half the fun!
