Renovating a bathroom is something you can do yourself (despite what other people might tell you). However, doing it properly requires learning quite a lot of skills. You need to understand how to manage and plan a project, not just basic manual crafting abilities (although those are important, too). 

Fortunately, if you’re in this situation and you want to go down the DIY route, this guide can help. It runs through some of the skills you need to learn before embarking on a bathroom renovation project. Here’s everything you need to know: 

Design And Spatial Planning

First, you’ll need to develop your design and spatial planning skills. Understanding how to arrange a bathroom and make the best of the available space is the first rung on the ladder to success. 

This part of the process is actually more challenging than you might think (which is why so many bathroom renovations use the same layout). However, it is something you can master once you understand how to utilize the space in the room and plumbing constraints. 

Interestingly, the best way to learn about these concepts is to go online and take a look at how professionals do it. Over time, you’ll see basic patterns emerging which you can then incorporate into your designs. You can also use software that can make arrangement suggestions, letting you see how much clearance things like the sink and toilet require. 

Project Planning

Project planning is another non-hands-on skill that’s worth learning before you start renovating your bathroom. It’s critical to ensure that you put everything in place that you need. 

For example, project planning would include budgeting and setting realistic timetables. Knowing how long things are going to take means you can make alternative plans (like booking a hotel if your toilet and shower are going to be out of use for a while, or buying a bucket you can use instead). 

Project planning also includes figuring out how much money the darn thing is going to cost. Knowing the amount of expense before you start ensures that you have the money to finish and aren’t going to waste your time by starting and then getting into trouble later. When you understand this, you can keep your renovations on track. 

Basic Carpentry

You also want to invest in your basic carpentry skills when planning fitting bathroom suites. Acquiring these means you can make adjustments to the basic layout and structure of the room without having to call in a professional to do it for you. 

Basic carpentry can be a massive asset when installing cabinets and shelves. It allows you to make minor structural changes whenever you want, giving you the freedom to switch things around. 

For example, it’s worth knowing how to cut holes in wooden skirting and camouflage (which are common elements in bathrooms). These are ideal for your toilet’s drain system, keeping it out of sight. 

The same goes for radiators. To make them more attractive and prevent them from being too visible or conspicuous from the outside, you can shroud them with wooden elements. 

You can also use carpentry skills to add shelves and storage spaces. Again, these are helpful because they let you take some of the strain off your cupboards and vanities. 

Electrical Know-How

Electrical know-how is another massive bonus when it comes to renovating a bathroom. Despite these rooms missing plug sockets, you’d be surprised by how much electrical work they require. 

For example, many bathrooms require rewiring every time you change the position of the shower unit. Power showers need a robust supply of electricity to keep them running and in their optimal state. 

You also need electrics for things like shaver plugs and sockets. Again, these are highly useful because they allow you to adjust the room’s electronics to suit your requirements and don’t have to follow a plan laid out by the previous installer. 

Electrical know-how also means you can deal with snags along the way. For example, if you accidentally drill into behind-the-wall wiring, you can fix it without having to call out an expert. Usually, these repairs are simple, but you won’t know until you have the skills. 

Tiling And Grouting

Tiling and grouting are basic bathroom renovation skills required in almost every remodel (unless you plan on using synthetic materials). Furthermore, you don’t need permission to use these skills in most jurisdictions; you can just learn to do it yourself online. 

Tiling is perhaps the hardest because it requires attention to detail and precision cutting. (You’ll need to buy a proper cutter so you can shave off parts of tiles accurately). However, once you understand the pattern, it becomes easier over time. 

The best way to start is with a simple, cheap tiling job, like a backsplash, and work from there. Once you feel comfortable with cutting and spacing tiles, the whole process gets easier. 

The other skill is grouting. You’ll need these to seal the spaces between tiles, around the bath and shower unit, and where the sink connects to the wall (if you have that sort of design). 

Grouting isn’t that hard, but it does require some practice to establish muscle memory. Like most crafts, it requires a certain level of finesse to prevent using too much and optimizing applications. 

Problem-Solving

While it might sound quite generic, problem-solving is another underlying skill that can help you tremendously. Being able to see an issue and figure out what to do about it is critical when renovating a bathroom. Even with the best-laid plans, you will still run into sticking points. 

Problem-solving isn’t something you can learn overnight, but you can develop it with real, on-the-ground DIY work elsewhere. Once you collect general tools and start fixing other things around your home, problem-solving becomes much easier over time.

You also want to solve troubleshooting. The more you can deal with issues as they arise, the better. 

For example, you might notice that the pressure required for your shower unit is too high for the water supply. Understanding how to boost this pressure is critical to ensure the whole system keeps working (and usually requires knowledge of plumbing). 

The same goes for odd-shaped tiles or problems with the toilet cistern. Being able to think on your feet makes it more likely the renovation will go ahead well. 

Plumbing Fundamentals

Speaking of which, it’s wise to also learn some plumbing fundamentals before you get started. Getting to grips with these can be an excellent way to move forward with confidence once you start purchasing expensive items, like units and cabinets.

Learning plumbing fundamentals takes time, but once you have the basics sorted, you’re in a far better position to tackle a project like bathroom renovation. Learning how pressure, piping, and fittings work gets you 90% of the way there. Yes, power showers and jacuzzi bathtubs are harder to install, so you may still want professionals to do these, but most of the stuff is things you can do yourself. 

Plumbing fundamentals can be as simple as knowing how to connect sink and bath faucets. This is especially the case if you’re keeping things in the same locations as before (instead of moving them around). You can often swap out old hardware and fit nice new modern hardware in a few minutes, ensuring you connect everything up and maintain the existing pipework. 

Communication And Coordination

Communication and coordination are additional skills that come in handy if you’re working with other people. Knowing how to manage a team and motivate people can help you get the bathroom you want. 

Communication is critical when talking to contractors. They should know when to come to your property, what jobs you want them to perform, and how to apply themselves. They should also understand etiquette, such as the degree to which they need to follow the plan and tidy up afterward 

Coordination is also critical for juggling multiple tasks and explaining your vision. You need to provide contractors and subcontractors with a clear picture of what you want them to do and how you would like them to perform the work. If they can’t see what you’re aiming to achieve, that can sometimes affect their work and prevent them from doing their best jobs. 

Time Management

Finally, it helps to learn about time management before embarking on a bathroom renovation project. Knowing how to cram as much work as possible into a short space of time is critical to ensure that you complete it on time and on budget. 

Of course, this is easier said than done. You need all sorts of skills to pull something like this off. 

One is the realization that everything needs to line up in order. For example, materials and contractors need to arrive on-site at the moment you require them, such as when the new bathroom features arrive, or when you need to do the electrics and plumbing. 

Don’t be afraid to get multiple contractors working at the same time. Sometimes they can fuel each other.