Despite a poor economy and housing market, you've decided to remodel that 1960's flamingo pink bathroom. Only this time, you're going to do some of the work yourself to stretch your hard earned money. This is doable provided you have the time to plan ahead and keep track of the 30+ items that go into a standard bathroom. Here are some tips and a check list.

We did remodel all of our bathrooms and can tell you that you should not do the plumbing and electricity. In most localities, you'll need a building permit and that will require both plumbing and electrical inspections. Passing both inspections do provide some peace of mind that the work meets the building code and that the house will not burn down or be flooded. If both happen, your insurance company will cover you. However if you didn't have the work inspected, the insurance company probably won't pay for any damage and restoration.

Common Mistakes

1) The biggest mistake that most people make is not nailing down what they want to do. We call this "designing on the fly." Of course you can do this, but it will cost you more money and drive you and your contractor crazy.

Take a look at your existing space and determine first of all if the layout will remain the same. In other words, the tub stays in the same place and so do all of the other major parts. This is especially important with respect to lighting. For example, if you have bathroom strip lights, there's probably one electrical junction box providing the power and support to it. With this layout, you can choose a nice two or three light bathroom vanity light. However, if you want a single vanity light on each side of the vanity cabinet, that will mean getting the electrician to install another electrical junction box and to move the existing box.

The same thing goes for plumbing fixtures and heating your space. If you have your heart set on those shower jets that spray water at you from the shower wall or want a sink faucet that comes out of the wall then your plumber will have to install the valves and lines for these. Ditto for installing a heating system on the ceramic tile floor or ceiling to keep you nice and warm.

2) The second biggest mistake is to begin any of the work without having everything at the job site. Many of the most reputable contractors will insist that all materials and fixtures be on site prior to beginning work. This makes sense, because sometimes that vanity cabinet, ceramic tile, water closet, light fixture or tub may have to be ordered and take 2-3 weeks to be delivered. Not having everything on site creates chaos for all of your trades people.

3) The third biggest mistake is not having a detailed drawing or schematic of the plan. This includes vertical heights of where everything will go. When your electrician, plumber or ceramic tiler are ready to do work, they have to know exactly where things go. If you're not going to be there (we assume you have other things to do), then he or she is going to install them where "they" they think they should go. Moving things after they are installed costs more money and makes workers cranky. Note: sometimes what looks good on paper just doesn't look good in reality. So you can expect some rework.

1. Tub or jacuzzi
2. Drain for tub or jacuzzi
3. Shower valve and kit for tub, jacuzzi or shower
4. Shower rod, glass enclosure or open shower
5. Shower seat
6. Shower or bath tub grip
7. Seat or bench in shower
8. Built in ledge for shampoo and soaps
9. Mirror(s)
10. Medicine cabinet
11. Vanity Cabinet
12. Knobs or pulls for vanity cabinet
13. Vanity top
14. Sink(s) Faucets
15. Toilet/water closet
16. Toilet Seat
17. Ceramic tile for floor, wall and ceiling
18. Ceramic tile grout
19. Marble or wood floor transition piece
20. Toilet paper holder
21. Towel bars or rings
22. Door with jam
23. Bath robe hook
24. Door knob
25. Vanity lights
26. Light Switches
27. GFR receptacles
28. Exhaust fan
29. Window or glass block
30. Durock, backer board or green board
31. Paint primer
32. Paint

In our next article, we'll discuss things to consider when buying these items and how they relate to your bathroom plan or sketches. Also, see our article on using glass block to solve a common problem if your window is above the tub.