When redesigning a bathroom, some mistakes can be easily fixed. Others will cost plenty of time and money. These big mistakes happen more often than you'd think-and it's never easy to make them right. Here's a list of basic design flaws to avoid when redesigning your bathroom.

Using non-waterproof adhesive for bathroom tiles. Inexperienced redesigners can make the mistake of believing that fitted tiles are waterproof enough, and that the adhesive doesn't need to be. But water and condensation can pass through the cracks between even the most closely-laid tiles, damaging non-waterproof adhesive over time. Eventually, your adhesive will deteriorate and your tiles will start to crack and fall off the walls.

Bad placement of the toilet. It's always a strange experience to use a bathroom with the toilet by the door and the sink in the far corner. To make your bathroom comfortable, you'll want to put your toilet as far away from the door as possible.

Not allowing room for the door. When installing the door to your bathroom, make sure it has enough space to swing open fully. Believe it or not, it's a common mistake to install the door after the redesign and find it hits the sink and won't open all the way. For smaller bathrooms, install a door that opens outwards.

Choosing trendy or unusual colors for permanent fixtures. The colors you choose for your tiling, toilet, shower, and bath are the colors you'll have for years-even decades. Tastes change, and you may not like that avocado-and-peach bathroom color scheme as much in a few years as you do right now.

In addition, the bathroom is a big selling point for any home on the market. And most real estate agents will tell you that neutral colors are better sellers. Striking bathroom colors that look lovely to you may turn off potential buyers. If you choose some trendy color combination that may not be popular in a few years, when you intend to sell, you may have to re-do your bathroom again to get the best price. To ensure you don't have to make changes later, use neutral colors for permanent fixtures-and make a design statement with towels and removable decorations.

Making water pipes difficult to access. It happens more often than most people realize-you finish your redesign project, turn on the shower, and see water pouring from the walls. If this happens, your plumber may have to destroy your tiling to get at your leaking pipes-unless you have access panels installed. Make your pipes easily accessible, and you'll be glad for it later.

Not using a shower tray. It's been a design trend for smaller contemporary bathrooms to build a shower without a tray, to give the bathroom a more spacious, open feeling. But this design can go bad quickly. If your shower area isn't perfectly slanted so that the water gets drained efficiently, your entire bathroom floor could be flooded. The bottom line? Use a glass shower door to give a feeling of spaciousness and depth. Don't skip the shower tray.

Poor ventilation. Many bathrooms don't have a good ventilation system. This means that the condensation from showers and baths will stay in the room, making a moist, wet environment perfect for growing mold. Even if your bathroom has a window, don't count on leaving it open to alleviate the problem-most people feel it compromises their privacy, and prefer not to leave it open in colder months. Make sure your bathroom design includes a vent to the outside, with an electric fan that either switches on and off easily or activates automatically.

Inadequate storage. There's never enough storage-especially in the bathroom, where lots of washing and grooming materials, linens, and other items must be kept in a small space. Pedestal sinks can be very attractive, but don't add much storage space. Make sure your bathroom design plans include cabinets or closets, and more space than you think you'll need. In addition, leave some space if you can for free-standing shelves or cabinets, so you can add more storage space later if your needs increase.

Slippery floors. No matter what material you use for your bathroom floor, make sure it's slip-resistant-even when wet. Don't count on using a throw rug, as these can fail to cover the entire area that gets wet during a bath or steamy shower. Making sure your floors are non-slip is especially important when a child, a pregnant woman, or anyone with a physical handicap lives in your home.

Your bathroom is more than a "necessary room"-if designed properly, it can be a relaxing oasis in a busy home. Avoid these design mistakes at the start, and it'll be less likely you'll have to spend money and time fixing expensive mistakes after your redesign project is finished.

About the Author

Ray Dobson is director of WD Bathrooms a online retailer of bathroom and shower products based in the North of England. For a wide range of shower and bathrooms products visit http://www.wdbathrooms.co.uk/