How To Save Money On A Bathroom Remodel

When remodelling a bathroom, you can blow through your budget fast–unless you know how to avoid any unnecessary money spending and manage scope creep. Before you even think about starting on your budget bathroom remodelling project. Plan ahead with some of these quick recommendations in mind:

• Choose just one item to splurge on. For example Built-in cabinets, a crazy toilet, a tub, shower, or quality countertop.

• Plan for unexpected costs in your budget, such as dumpster rental or uncovering any water damage.

• Consider renovating in stages so you can save up additional money between each stage.

• Sometimes look-alike materials, such as vinyl instead of hardwood, can look just as good as the real thing, and even be easier to install and maintain– not to mention the ease on your wallet.

• Work with what you have, if you believe it’s possible Transforming is almost always less expensive than replacing.
• When you replace something, instead of buying new, try to source from consignment stores or thrift.

When you’ve thought some of these over, refer to our breakdown of each piece in the bathroom, and how you can save– instead of mindlessly spending money just because you can.

Our Breakdown Budget Bathroom Remodel Tips:

1. When considering countertops:

It’s popular to splurge on granite countertops. Because the bathroom counter is so small, the investment is often fairly low compared to what you’d spend on kitchen counters.

To save money, consider and price out a wider range of colors.

Another way to save on granite countertops is to buy a slab containing slight imperfections. The more visible the imperfection, the cheaper the price will be. Keep in mind that your sink basin will take up a lot of surface area, so if the imperfection is located where the sink or faucets will be then you won’t see it anyway! So always keep that in mind!

2. Paint decisions:

If you don’t have a lot to spend, then repainting will be the cheapest and, perhaps, the most effective way to give your bathroom a new great look without much hassle. BUT!

Another thing to consider is moisture! Since mold and mildew develop easily in a bathroom, and humidity and temperature change often, it’s a good idea to invest in high-quality paint with a satin finish to help combat it. You may also want to go over the ceiling with special bathroom paint that helps resist the growth of mold.

3. When thinking tiles:

Tiles can get expensive believe it or not. To save money, limit the amount of tile and focus on high-impact areas like the floor. OR you could tile one horizontal strip along the wall and paint the rest.

If you’ve got your heart set on tile that’s artistic and expensive, use it as an accent alongside a cheaper tile. Not only will the artistic tiles be more noticeable, but you’ll save a ton of money by only using a few here and there.

4. When your thinking of fixtures:

Look at the little details. You can update light fixtures, sink faucets, towel racks, and drawer pulls for a relatively small investment. These items may seem insignificant, but updating them can make a big difference in your bathroom’s look. It could make the whole difference.

5. The lifehack of caulk and grout:

Often overlooked, yet important detail is grout and caulk. When this gets grimy, it gets unsightly, gross, and brown. By simply cleaning the grout and adding straight, clean lines of caulk around the tub and sink, you can add a little sparkle and cleanliness for a mere few dollars. You might be surprised at what a difference this can make! Grout and caulk are both pretty cheap, so this is a very inexpensive way to freshen up your bathroom.

6. When considering the tub or shower:

Replacing your old tub or shower is going to cost you a fortune. Instead, consider that you might be able to have it professionally relined, which is much cheaper.

However, be aware when dealing with sink and shower fixtures as it costs more to refinish them than to replace them. Refinishing these fixtures is more expensive because very few people decide to do it unless they have old, meaningful vintage pieces.

7. Saving the environment helps with the budget:

When updating your bathroom, don’t forget to redesign with the environment in mind. Low-flow toilets, sinks, and showerheads will not only help you conserve water, but they’ll also save you money. Plus, water-saving showerheads and faucets often cost the same, if not less, than traditional ones. So you won’t have to spend money to save money here.