Remodeling an entire bathroom can be one of the most complex jobs of home improvement. Unlike other rooms in your home, you need to consider plumbing and fixtures, and the specialized knowledge that goes along with both. If you do major bathroom renovations, it can cost thousands of dollars. However, with a little more than $1,000, you can give your bathroom a face lift that will make it feel almost new. Here we’ll take a look at some cheap and simple changes that’ll make your bathroom look like a million bucks.
Restoring Old Fixtures: $600
The only removable items you will typically see in a bathroom are a hamper and a waste basket. This can make updating your bathroom difficult. But with a lot of creativity and some thrifty shopping, you can change things up for about $600.
Bathtub/shower: You can cut the costs of changing your bathtub or shower by swapping out some key components to make it look newer. Try replacing your shower curtain and curtain rod. You can also swap out your shower head, bathtub spout and water levers.
Cabinets: Bathroom cabinets on the wall or vanity can be revitalized with some sanding and a new paint job. If you’ve decided to go with a new, modern look in your bathroom, try painting your cabinets black, and replace the old, plastic cabinet knobs or handles with new, metallic ones. This will all probably cost somewhere around $60.
Toilet: You don’t need to change the entire toilet bowl for a bathroom remodeling job. A new toilet seat with a matching cover go for about $40 and will go a long way toward sprucing up your bathroom’s appearance.
Towel rack: Along with changes to your cabinets, new towel racks can help you change the style in your bathroom for as little as $30.
Faucet: The new paint job on the cabinet makes your vanity look like new. Complete the look by changing the faucet. A new faucet for your bathroom sink can run up to $200, but if your old faucet has lost its shine this change can make your vanity look cleaner and more up to date.
Mirror: If you need to replace a mirror, consider swapping in a smaller one. Small, framed mirrors can provide a lot of style for a much lower cost than a larger one. This also frees up more space on your bathroom wall for decorations or new light fixtures.
Flooring: $200
Once you’ve finished restoring your old bathroom fixtures, it’s time to do something about the bathroom flooring. Swapping out the entire carpet, hardwood or tile flooring in your bathroom can cost hundreds of dollars. Why not try some of these ideas to shave your bathroom flooring expenditures to only a fraction of the cost:
Rugs: A new set of bathroom rugs can bring color and style to an older floor, as well as help unify your bathroom’s new look. You can find a three-piece rug set for around $20.
Tiles: The most common type of flooring you’ll see in a bathroom is tile. Tiles are durable, stain resistant and they don’t retain odors or bacteria. While it may be expensive to replace all the tiles, you can give your bathroom a new look by replacing select tiles with different colors to create an accent or borders. Ceramic tiles range from $1 to $20 per square foot.
Grout: You can change the look and color of your flooring by replacing the grout between your tiles. All you would need is a grout saw, sealant and replacement grout, all of which would cost roughly $100. You could also spend a fraction of that amount on grout dye as a cheaper alternative.
Paint and Lighting: $100
One of the easiest ways to give an old bathroom a new look is by giving it a new paint job accompanied with new lighting. This could cost as little as $100 if you keep an eye out for big sales at your hardware store. Some well-placed decor can help to complete the design.
The Bottom Line
Remodeling your bathroom doesn’t have to be a budget-buster. Rather than gutting your bathroom and starting from scratch, think of ways to improve what you already have, and come up with design ideas you can implement yourself. A bathroom remodeling project on a tight budget will give you a way to take ownership of your bathroom design, so be creative and have fun with it.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/investopedia/2011/05/27/bathroom-remodeling-on-a-budget/
We had a leak in our shower so we had to basically start from scratch. Even trying to be budget conscious we spent a lot on our bathroom.