So you’re thinking about taking the plunge and renovating your bathroom. You have a game plan in mind but spending beaucoup bucks on a $30,000 home spa is the most you can pull off financially. Budget is always the make or break factor when choosing to renovate your home. According to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report, bathroom renovations tend to average $10,500 with upscale remodels clocking in at $26,000. Don’t let those numbers deter you, though—This Old House assures you that you can do a remodel for $1,000-3,000 if you’re willing get creative. Let’s take a look at some of these ideas for renovating your bathroom on a budget.
- Paint
If you can’t spend an arm and a leg on redesigning your bathroom, paint is the cheapest and perhaps most effective way to give your bathroom a facelift. You may think that this is a quick paint job, but painting a bathroom requires patience and preparation. Take time to carefully apply tape around windows, outlets, countertops, mirrors, showers and toilets. Use a primer to really make your colors pop.
2. Update your fixtures
Spending some time on small details like faucets and towel racks may seem insignificant, but you’d be surprised to see how much beauty lies within these small details. You don’t always have to spring for the latest and greatest fixtures either. Pull inspiration from design sites and you can recycle a lot of old materials for a hip, industrial feel.
3. Limit your tile
Tiling is a cost that can add up quickly. Rather than re-tiling your entire floor, entire shower, and accent walls, try to focus on high-impact areas. You can save a lot of money by only re-tiling the floor or a strip along the wall.
4. Save money with countertops
Lots of people look at bathroom countertops as a way to save. It’s a small area, so granite countertops in your bathroom are far cheaper than larger spaces like your kitchen. Research colors and pricing to get the most bang for your buck. Neutral colors like tan, brown, and light beige tend to cost more. You can also save money by buying slabs with imperfections. Strategically place the imperfections where the sink or faucet will be and no one will even see them!
5. Go green
It’s always good to consider the environment when updating your home. There are toilets, sinks, and shower heads that have low flow options that aren’t only good for the environment, but save you money as well. Often times these fixtures don’t even cost more than traditional ones. Re-purposing materials is also great for the environment. Sites like Etsy could be a wonderful resource to find recycled upgrades and to find DIY ideas like using mason canning jars for soap dispensers.