Bathroom remodelling is often considered a costly investment and frequently prolonged in time as long as possible. Although it’s a renovation normally completed every 10-15 years, it takes a toll on owners due to spiralling costs, uncertain completion dates and extra stress as once you start removing the tiles, you never know what surprises might appear. 

However, things might be a lot brighter if you do your research well,make a plan and find smarter and low-budget alternatives. This daunting task could actually turn into an exciting new adventure where you can unfold your creativity and get involved with some DIY jobs to cut the cost. 

Everyone wants their bathroom to be optimally functional and trendy, especially when considering a renovation. Explore the current interior design trends, see what best suits your space and style and roll-up your sleeves to get the project started. Take a read through these useful tips and tricks to get your costs down. 

1) Don’t go with the mindset that ‘all has to be replaced’

Do a good inspection of all your sanitary ware and bathroom cabinets and see what needs some touch-ups to bring it back to life. No need spending money on a new vanity if your one is fully functional. Just consider a repaint and change the handles to give it a fresh and modern look. Before you go to purchase new handles, check the holes and screw alignments to ensure that they will fit with the existing ones. Same applies to your toilet. It’s foolish to splash on a fancy toilet at the time all you need is for it to function properly. Buy a new seat and maybe consider one with a soft close mechanism as that will save you the unpleasant bang noise every time the seat closes.                            

2) Use a professional only for the tasks which require expert knowledge 

Try to refrain from using a bathroom designer as that will surely tip your budget. Unless you are considering moving some major plumbing, which is not advisable from a cost point of view, you don’t really need a designer. Take a look at some bathroom layouts and design ideas on the web and work with that. 

As you should be aware, anything done by a contractor will cost you far more than doing it yourself. Unless you have some good plumbing skills, you need an expert to come and remodel your wet area (shower, bath tab) as there is no room for experiments. It would be most cost effective to buy the hardware you need replaced from wholesalers and only get them fixed by a professional. For repainting jobs and other small tasks, try to do it yourself or ask a friend for help to keep the cost down. 

 

3)Invest in a good exhaust fan

Although this is not something you might have considered to change as it’s not so visible, it’s very important as moisture is the major cause of bathroom problems. Not only does it deteriorate grout joints and wood but it’s also the perfect environment for cockroaches. You surely want a cockroach free property. By investing in a good and silent fan you extend the life expectancy of your bathroom ware and can prolong the next remodelling. 

 

4) If your space allows, create a walk-in shower 

Walk-in showers are not only trendy, but also very practical as you don’t have a full enclosure. This will surely save you money as you will need a smaller piece of glass. There is also an added bonus – less cleaning to do – woohoo. 

 

5) Avoid building a shower niche and just use corner shelves

If you are tight on your budget and you need to find something to scrap from the remodelling list, this is something you should consider parting your ways with. Shower niches do look great but they are not exactly a necessity and are often not enough to fit all your toiletries. Find an alternative modern-looking corner shelf or other wall shelves which suit your bathroom style. 

Summary 

 

Once you’ve finally made the decision to start with your bathroom remodelling project, be clear with the budget you can spare and make use of some of the above tips. There are many ways to do a great job with a limited budget. It’s useful to write down what’s most important to you and what you are willing to compromise with. Once that’s clear it would be easier to allocate your budget according to your wants and needs. After completing your bathroom renovation you can enjoy a well deserved relaxing bath followed by some time lounging in your towel. For extra comfort try to learn how to make a spa towel wrap.