Taking on a bathroom remodeling effort can be surprisingly difficult, especially if this is your first time doing such renovations. It's a good idea to tackle the job with a checklist in hand. Here are four simple issues every checklist should include.

Identify All Plumbing Lines

Having your home's plumbing lines properly labeled is important under all circumstances, but it's especially critical when you're going to be messing with fixtures in the bathroom. Whether you're doing the job yourself or hiring a contractor, you'll have a much easier go of it when you can control the lines at the source. In most houses, the shutoff valves for the lines are located in either the basement or a first-floor closet. If you're not confident about labeling the lines, hire a plumber to figure out where the lines go.

Find the Simplest Route from the Bathroom to the Outside of the House

Fixtures are going to be taken out of the bathroom, and new ones will have to be hauled in. You don't want to disturb any more of your home than necessary during a bathroom remodeling project. Establish what will be the simplest route for doing this work. Bear in mind that the shortest route might not be the simplest.

Remove Wall-Mounted and Fragile Items in Nearby Areas

In the bathroom and the adjoining rooms, it's best to take down anything that's fragile or wall-mounted. This includes things like mirrors and picture frames. Hammering and other actions associated with bathroom remodeling can cause vibrations, leading to damaged or broken items.

Sort Out the Budget and Financing

There are plenty of ways to finance a remodel, including certain types of mortgages or a home-equity line of credit. Before you start work, it's wise to sort out the financing side of the equation. Make sure your budget allows at least 10% overhead to account for unanticipated costs, too. You may want to go as high as 20%, particularly if you're not sure about materials costs.

Many customers also set up contractors for projects using a tranche system. This means that a block of money for the contract only kicks in when certain benchmarks are reached. For example, there might be three tranches. The first is paid at the start of the project, and the second one would kick in once all the rough carpentry and plumbing work is completed. A final tranche would then be activated when the contractor completed the finishing work.

To learn more about bathroom remodeling, contact a remodeling contractor in your area.