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2016 Fall Home Improvement LINCOLN DAILY NEWS SEPT. 27, 2016 Page 11
homeowner and the customer get a kick out of that.
The homeowner likes to show off what they just did
and the customer gets more ideas,” said Fitzpatrick.
Sounds like a win-win situation. “Usually we will
go over and take a look at it and listen to their ideas
and throw in our ideas. We will have them pick out
what they are after and get them a price on things
and see when they are ready to go from there,” said
Fitzpatrick.
The new trend he is noticing is pretty simple, yet
offers such an elegant look. “It seems like a lot
of people are getting away from the Jacuzzi more
than anything, but the walk-in showers are very
popular right now with the big glass enclosures. The
freestanding tubs are also big.
All sorts of new styles of vanity cabinets and tops
that are pretty neat to go for any style of bathroom are
on the market now. You can get the marble, quartz,
granite or almost anything you want. Usually the
marble is the most reasonable with the granite and the
quartz being the upper-end,” said Fitzpatrick.
Locally, Alexander Lumber Company and RP Lumber
both have some bathroom supplies, according to
Fitzpatrick, noting that they both have bathroom
cabinets for sure and some plumbing supplies.
“People are spending a lot of money on bathroom
remodeling these days,” said Fitzpatrick. “Your very
basic bathroom remodel, to gut it all down to the studs
and then go back, your very basic could run anywhere
from $5,000 to $6,000. Then you can get into
$12,000 for a pretty fancy bathroom, just depending
how many bells and whistles you want in there.”
One set of frills people seem to be going for these
days is fancy shower heads that feature a variety of
functions. “A lot of people are using what they call
the rainhead shower arm and shower head. Describing
the rainhead shower, Fitzpatrick said, “Typically they
mount up and over and they hang down from the
ceiling.” People also want shower jets installed on the
sides that can provide a relaxing massage at the end of
the day. Handheld shower heads are also popular. It’s
all a matter of personal preference and the budget one
has to manage.
“In these custom showers we will also build-in niches
for soap and shampoo holders and then we will put a
decorative border in there or around there or whatever
the homeowner wants,” Fitzpatrick added.
It is indeed about what the homeowner wants and
Webster Construction recently made a very satisfied
customer out of local resident Cindy Aussieker.
“We decided to ask Webster Construction to do our
bathroom remodel because they have done other work
for us and we feel that they do great work. I trust
them in my house and they are good about cleaning up
after themselves,” said Aussieker.
“We love everything about our new bathroom. We had
a four foot shower with an insert and shower curtain
and linoleum floor. We now have a five foot shower,
tiled all the way to the ceiling with a glass shower
door and tiled floor.”
Aussieker offered this advice, “Our suggestions to
others are to: shop around for materials, visit other
work that your contractor has done and stay involved
in the entire process. Many times the job takes longer
to complete, but be patient. Sometimes that is hard,
but it is well worth it in the end.”
Assieker, who is retired from her teaching job at
Northwest School, has more time to enjoy her
bathroom. “They say that remodeled bathrooms and
kitchens sell a house, so don’t be afraid to put a little
money into your remodel. And don’t just do it when
you are ready to sell; do it and enjoy it yourself. We
plan on enjoying ours for years and years!”
Aussieker is so right about the importance of
upgrading your bathroom. When it comes to
remodeling your home and possibly getting it ready
for resale, the project that continues to dominate these
days is the bathroom renovation. According to some
reports, a new bathroom has taken over the number
one spot, knocking a kitchen renovation down to
number two.
Local realtor Seth Goodman weighs in, “I believe that
bathrooms are still equally as important to homebuyers
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