Because a significant portion of our business ebbs and flows with the local real estate market, we tend to keep a close eye on trends identified by local real estate professionals and Realtor.com.  A few days ago we took great interest in this article, posted by Realtor.com, called 9 Crucial Question to Ask Before a Bathroom Remodel Begins. We highly encourage our visitors to review the article so we don't spoil too much in our commentary below. 

As we've seen with articles written by bloggers versus those of us who are active in the bathroom remodeling industry each work day, we find the majority of these questions on the money, but a few left us wondering.  Below, we'll focus on a few questions we feel are "key", if not crucial, to helping shape your bathroom renovation or professional bath remodeling project: 

Do you want a bigger bathroom with fixtures changing locations? This really combines questions #3 and #4 from the Realtor article, but at the core of these two questions we are trying to determine is this a bathroom renovation or a true remodel?  We've dedicated a lot of time and attention to helping people understand the differences between these two options, and even wrote an entire article dedicated to the Remodeling vs Renovation topic, but this is an important question to answer for yourselves before contacting a professional remodeling company. 

Are Universal Design features helpful to those using the bathroom? Maybe it's because we are all aging, but we've started to avoid the term "Age in Place" as much as we're trying to avoid AARP membership requests.  Meanwhile, a commonly accepted phrase in the home design and remodeling industry, "Universal Design" seems to accomplish similar goals without offending those of us a certain age.  Because this has been a common conversation, and explanation, for our team to have with Illinois homeowners, in 2018 we wrote an article on Universal Design that we frequently share to help everyone understand the many advantages of this design trend. 

What's on your new bathroom wishlist? While it's easy for us to talk about great "bells and whistles" like heated floors, rainfall shower heads, double vanities, tiled shower niches, and smart bluetooth shower speaker systems that allow you to listen to your favorite music playlists or podcasts, we also realize that budget is always a concern.  Ideally, it's best for the homeowners to be in agreement on what are the absolute necessities for the new bathroom, and what might be on the "nice to have" wishlist.  Our team can help you put a price to your wishlist items so that your new dream bathroom isn't a nightmare on your budget! 

When you've answered some of these key questions, visit our Diamond Bath Client Selection Center in Crystal Lake, or call us at 815-893-0282 to schedule a free consultation in your home! 

Our partners over at Houzz have written another great article this month that most Illinois homeowners should read.  If you are considering selling your home at some point in the next six to 12 months, then you'll absolutely want to read: 5 Remodels That Make Good Resale Value Sense - and 5 That Don't.  The article isn't just about bathrooms, but they do make it clear that when it comes to selling a home, you shouldn't overlook your bathrooms! According to the Houzz article:

Homebuyers notice bathrooms, and although all the bathrooms are important, a priority should be placed on the powder room and master bath, followed by a guest bathroom and any other secondary baths.

The only detail we might take issue with is their use of the word, "remodel".  One of our most popular stories in 2018 was this article called, What's the difference between Remodeling and Renovation? Those who spent a few minutes with this important Diamond Bath blog post found that "renovation" is a more simple and affordable "update" of your bathroom - where fixtures and electrical services remain in place. A true "remodeling" of your bathroom will likely entail moving fixtures, removing  walls, opening up windows, and changing utilities. 

About six months before putting your home on the market, contact our Diamond Bath team in Crystal Lake - 815-893-0282 - to discuss an affordable renovation plan that will update your bathroom(s) without getting into extensive design plans and expensive relocation of pipes, wires, tubs, lights or vanities. 

A few months back we decided to enter three of our bathroom projects to be considered for The Chrysalis Award, which has recognized excellence in remodeling since 1994!  This is the first time Diamond Bath has entered into The Chrysalis Award competition and we are genuinely excited about the prospect of being recognized as a top remodeling company in the Midwest!

We submitted project photos and details from three different client bathrooms based in McHenry and Lake County Illinois. The Chrysalis Awards categorize "Bathroom Remodel" projects into three price ranges:

• Under $50,000
• $50,000 - $75,000
• Over $75,000

Our submissions included one project in each of the three categories.  Our bathroom projects will be compared to hundreds of other contractors in our Midwest region, which includes the following ten states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin. 

We will share the three submitted project photos and the results of the 2019 Chrysalis Award when they are publicized, most likely in June!

Thank you to all our wonderful clients, giving us the opportunity to listen to your desires and transform your bathrooms into unique new spaces; without you, we wouldn't be able to showcase our craftsmanship and skills. 
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At least 80% of the bathroom remodeling projects we complete each year involve some type of tile work. When it comes to dealing with moisture and humidity in a bathroom, contemporary tiles provide for the best combination of visual appeal, durability and easy cleaning. And in terms of popularity over the past decade, the basic white subway tile remains at the top of the wishlist for the majority of Illinois homeowners. 

So when we discovered this story last month, What's next after white subway tile?, we admit that we were intrigued. The article was authored by Vern Yip, an important design guru featured in many TV shows on HGTV and TLC.  Vern was also responsible for the remodeling of a Chicago loft in a recent episode of Urban Oasis. 

While we encourage all to read his story, we can quickly summarize new tile changes into three categories:

• Color
• Shape 
• Size 

We agree completely with these new trends as we continue to receive requests for all three - sometimes in the same bathroom!  Take a look at a recent project photo of ours below, a great combination of the traditional white subway tiles on the walls, hex shape tiles on the floor and a great neutral color combination in the shower niche along with just a touch of marble.  This new shower was enhanced with the corner shelf for shaving, and a recessed niche for soaps and shampoos, as well as a modern linear drain. 

Over our many years in business, our Diamond Bath team members have always suggested ways to improve results and satisfy homeowners. We know, first hand, that there are a few fears that potential Clients have in mind before committing to a professional remodeling project.  The most common fears include projects that run past deadline, projects that run over budget, or a construction team leaving a mess behind them after each work day. 

Not too many years ago, our "Clean Sweep" process was the only requirement our teams had before they left any jobsite.  Then we added to that process by laying down canvas runners between our access door and our work space (shown below), to completely protect your carpets and floors.  Late last year we added to our clean-up process again by including dust control systems. Depending on the individual project, construction dust can be a true menace to clean-up, but now we've nearly eliminated that frustration for the majority of our Clients! 

Late in 2018, Diamond Bath invested thousands of dollars in two air scrubber systems, manufactured by a company called BuildClean.  Not only do these new devices protect your home and electronics, but they also eliminate any potential health issues that might result from jobsite dust, both for our employees and your family too.  While we don't have dust control systems on all Diamond Bath projects today, we do install them where the conditions allow the use of this special equipment, and where the likelihood for construction dust particles are expected. 

If construction cleanliness is your primary concern, along with the health and safety of your family, be sure to Contact Diamond Bath when it's time to build the new bathroom of your dreams! 
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