Layout

• Bathrooms tend to be small and crowded, particularly in older homes. The interaction of the bathtub, shower, toilet, sink and vanity are important for creating a sensible space that makes the best use of a limited area. If the layout of your current bathroom works well and you are renovating only for appearances, don't change it. You may create unexpected problems. If you don't like the layout, put a lot of thought into how you will change it before ripping things out. Pay attention to traffic flow and accessibility. If you are unsure of your abilities in this field, consider hiring a professional.
  
  

Plumbing

• Redoing your plumbing requires care and attention to avoid creating problems that weren't there before. Be absolutely sure that none of your plumbing work is leaking before you hide it behind new walls; if you discover a puddle on the floor after your work is done, you may find yourself cutting up your work to find the problem. Avoid amateur mistakes such as plumbing the cold water pipe to the hot water tap, or putting so many bends in your drainpipe that it gets clogged easily.
  
  

Aesthetics

• Visualizing the effect of a finished room before it is actually finished is a specialized skill. Help yourself to do this by making scale drawings of your plan, and by finding useful computer programs that help you to create mock-ups of your planned new bathroom. The more planning you do beforehand, the less likely you are to be unpleasantly surprised when you discover that your new bathroom doesn't look like what you expected. Tile, paint, flooring and fixtures are all expensive items; be sure to use them efficiently by making your mistakes on paper or on a computer screen, where they can be easily fixed.
  
  

Hidden "Surprises"

• Tearing apart a bathroom often leads to unpleasant surprises, particularly if your house is old. What may have looked like a minor problem in the linoleum may turn out to be a series of rotten floorboards or joists. A bit of mold on the tile may be hiding massive damage inside the wall. Preparing yourself for these discoveries, and even expecting them, will make them much more bearable when they appear. Budget for them with extra time and money in your plans and you will be less demoralized by the extra cost and work.