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Angie's List: Tips For Remodeling Your Bathroom

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Bathrooms are one of the most popular rooms to renovate, and while it makes good financial sense to give them an upgrade, there are some things you should consider.

In this week's Angie's List, Jim Donovan has some things you should know before you decide to remodel your bathroom.

You can get a lot of bang for your buck when you renovate your bathroom.

"You can usually get about an 80 percent return on your investment," said Angie's List founder, Angie Hicks.

But if you want it to last, you also need to invest in quality work—even if that means sacrificing a full remodeling job.

"Don't skimp on your fixtures, for example, because this is a highly utilized area and you want things that are going to hold up. If you are trying to do your bathroom on a budget, consider just choosing a couple of elements of the bathroom to remodel. Maybe you keep the floor, but change out the sink in order to meet your budget," said Hicks.

Speaking of budget, make sure your contractor accepts your spending limits.

"I think a lot of us are very conscious about how much we are going to spend, so you want someone who is not going to end up exceeding your budget or stretching your budget. Also, because it's a bathroom, we are talking about a lot of electrical and plumbing work. Be sure that the contractors or the subcontractors doing that type of work are properly licensed," said Hicks.

More from Angie on Bathroom Remodeling:

• Bathrooms are a great place to invest home improvement dollars.

• Bathroom remodels are expensive so you need to make sure that money is spent wisely.

• Before even beginning your project, take a hard look at your budget and be realistic about what you can afford.

• You can save on decorative items, but you really need to invest in high-quality for faucets, toilets, tubs and showers that get daily use.

Popular bathroom trends:

• Over the last couple of years, many homeowners are finding that garden tub isn't really being used much and it takes up a lot of space. The trend now is a larger, multi-head shower instead.

• Invest in high-quality cabinets, tubs, showers and toilets. These items get daily use and need to stand up to the test of time.

• While choosing top-quality fixtures are important, you can save on decorative items, such as lighting and knobs.

Hiring a bathroom remodeling company:

• Bathroom remodels entail electrical and plumbing work, so consumers must be sure their contractor is appropriately licensed to do the job.

• You should never hire on price alone, and you should have at least three apples-to-apples bids to compare before you hire. If one of them is extremely higher or lower than the others, you have to question why that is.

• If your bathroom has any mold issues, you need to make sure your contractor is properly trained and certified in mold remediation.

• Check out the company's reputation on Angie's List, and ask the business for references and photos of completed projects.

• Find a contractor who is willing to work with your budget.

Reported by Jim Donovan, CBS3

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