Bathroom renovation ideas/warnings

[cos]

I'm having the bathroom in my house redone soon.

One thing I worry about is the possibility of failing to specify or ask for things I may have always taken for granted, so they don't occur to me. I know what I'd like to gain, but I may not be aware of all the things I don't want to lose.

Like ten years ago when I got a car that didn't have map pockets on the backs of the seats, which I'd always depended on - I liked being able to store a few large atlases and laminated maps behind the passenger seat, and be able to easily reach for them when stopped at a light. It simply hadn't occurred to me that some cars may not have those. Or when I got some house windows replaced, and ended up with windows that don't have metal bars or little tabs near the bottom such that you can push them up from below to open. I'd simply taken for granted the ability to open a window next to my bed a crack while lying down, and it had never occurred to me that anyone might make a window you have to be standing up to open, so it wasn't something I asked about or looked for. I saw the windows before I agreed to have them, and just didn't notice that critical detail.

So, what am I not noticing about bathrooms? Any ideas?

Comments

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

The day they finished sealing up the walls I instantly regretted not specifying sound insulation between the bathroom and the adjacent bedrooms. I still regret it years later.

If you're in a multifamily, code (in S'ville) specifies sound insulation in the ceiling between apts, but still says nothing about within an apartment.

If you're opening up any walls, make sure you put in enough outlets, not only in the bathroom, but take advantage of the open walls to add outlets to all the rooms that share walls you have open. Then before you close them, have them stuff those suckers with all the sound insulation you can.

[cos]

Sound insulation is fairly good now but is just the sort of thing I might've forgotten about. Cool.

As for outlets ... the previous owners were electricians (well, the dad and the daughter, not the mom), and they put in lots of outlets. Almost every room has outlets on at least two different circuits.