These bathroom remodeling tips will keep you from flushing away your hard-earned money.
1. Keep Plumbing Where It Is
It may at first seem like a good idea to renovate your bathroom’s design, but unless you’re willing to shell out about $5,000 each time you move plumbing fixtures, you might want to keep your existing fixtures in place.
2. Frame Your Mirror
The focal point of your bathroom is likely the mirror over your sink, so why not fancy it up? Not only will adding a frame around your mirror make for an elegant look, but it will also hide any age-related wear around the mirror’s edges.
3. DIY a Vanity
To save during a bathroom renovation, hit up those antique stores, flea markets and resellers for a beautiful old dresser you can spruce up and reuse in place of your outdated bathroom vanity. It makes for a great DIY project, and you’ll be able to easily cut out the space to hide the plumbing, seal drawers, add towel bars on the sides and put a sink in it or on it.
4. Skip the Tile
While tile makes for a clean and sleek look, having it from floor to ceiling can cost a hefty amount. Consider alternatives like reclaimed wood panels, which create a more warm and rustic look that can accent white fixtures and other minimalist elements.
5. Check Online for Extras
When other people remodel their bathroom or other parts of their home, they sometimes have leftover tiles that they’ll sell on Craigslist or eBay. Scour the sites in search of people’s leftovers, which will likely be up for grabs at a steep discount, since they can’t return them! Purchase as much as you can, then buy the rest from a local home improvement store.
6. Use Granite Remnants for Counters
Vanities are a focal point of the bathroom that should be paid special attention to when remodeling, and granite is a surefire way to create a new and improved look. To save on your bathroom renovation, hit up granite shops that often have smaller vanity-top size pieces of granite left over from bigger jobs that they’ll sell to you at a discount.
7. Reno Your Tub Instead of Buying New
An old tub or shower will surely show signs of aging eventually, but before you swap things out for new, which can cost a pretty penny, consider resurfacing. This is not typically a DIY project, but your tub or shower can be professionally resurfaced for much cheaper than buying new. There are a few DIY resurfacing products on the market, but unless you’re not picky about the outcome, strongly consider hiring a pro for this job.
8. Ask Your Contractor for Leftovers
It never hurts to ask your contractor if they have any leftover materials from previous projects, like flooring, tile or trim. This could save you money on material costs.
9. Don’t Throw Out the Whole Toilet
If you’re remodeling and your old toilet’s water keeps running, you may be tempted to replace the whole fixture. But if the tank and bowl are in good shape, save money on your bathroom renovation by just replacing the internal parts yourself.
10. Wow ‘Em With Paint
Rather than buying expensive materials to give your bathroom a designer look, carefully choose your paint colors. Even in a tiny bathroom, the right paint can make a big statement.
