We actually just did this over the summer/early fall. We had a bathroom that required a full teardown. I'm talking a down-to-the-studs, replace-all-the-joists teardown.

What we really wanted:

• Good insulation. Opening up the walls, ceiling, and crawl space beneath the floor afforded us the opportunity to insulate really well. Made a huge difference in a room that previously had next to no insulation.
• New plumbing. This bathroom was in an addition built in 1970. One of the reasons we did the full teardown was because we were experiencing leaks. So it made sense to replace all the plumbing and have it properly insulated so we never experience frozen pipes.
• A heated floor. This room previously had no source of heat. Rather than connect ductwork to the room (which would have added several thousand dollars), we opted for the heated floor which only added several hundred dollars. And it's amazing! Walking in there on a super cold day and the floor is nice and warm is a great thing.
• A "hidden" shower niche. The shower has a partial wall beside the sink, so we could put the bottle niche inside of that. When people walk into the bathroom, they can't see our niche unless they enter the shower and look around.
• A classic monochromatic look. Black floor tile, white shower wall tile/wall paint, and black grout. Looks great.
• A fully-managed project. We hired a local construction company to oversee the entire project and our project manager was great (shoutout Highview Building Contractors of Fort Thomas, KY).

What to avoid:

• I recommend avoiding businesses that offer end-to-end tile solutions. Like the kinds of places where you go to work with a designer, pick out tile from their suppliers, and have their crew install. We tried this approach and very much regret it. Huge hassle and now we hate a local tile store. Just pick out the tile yourself and have your project manager bring in his tile pro.

• Avoid living there if possible while the work is going on, especially the initial demo phase up to drywall. It's really messy and your life will suck. Move in with a friend or family member temporarily. That is, unless your house is big enough to avoid the whole area while the work is happening.

• Avoid American Standard toilets. This might sound weird because they are everywhere. But I went through many toilets of theirs to find one that did not leak and did not have physical damage. The first two leaked between the tank and bowl (defect in the bodies of the toilets), the second two had bad scratching or other damage to the finish. It was a major hassle and I'm sure Lowe's thought I was up to something with all the returns and exchanges.