Tips For A Budget-Friendly Bathroom Remodel
As one of the most important areas in the house, the bathroom deserves some much-needed maintenance and upgrade after a year of use and abuse. A complete remodel or renovation can deal a heavy blow to your bank account, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Resist Doing Major Work
If you’re on a tight budget, don’t take on more than what your budget can handle. Resist doing major work like altering the structure or plumbing in your bathroom. Stick to upgrades that don’t change the layout of the room. Most of the amenities, like the tub and the sink, in the bathroom are permanent. It would take a lot of work and money to move them.
Use Affordable Alternatives
Tiles are popular as flooring options for bathrooms. They’re durable, waterproof, and stain resistant, and there are a wide variety of colors and styles to choose from. However, natural stone can be quite costly. Installing tile flooring also takes some work, which means more labor expense.
Combine High- and Low-End Materials
As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to get the best materials for your remodel. You can save on the project cost by compromising on an area where you can and combine high-end and low-end building materials.
Refinish Instead Of Replace
Ask yourself first if you need to get a new tub. Chances are, you don’t need one. With a tight budget, you don’t have the right to make an excessive upgrade when you can have your tub refinished to restore its old beauty.
How Much Does A Bathroom Renovation Cost?
Whether you’re working towards a simple cosmetic refresh or a massive makeover, renovating a bathroom can make a significant difference to a home. It’s worth keeping in mind that while it may be the smallest room in your house, upgrading it can come at a cost.
the HIA estimates that more than 233,000 of them will benefit from a bathroom renovation in the 2018/19 calendar year. While 29% of that work will be in homes a decade old or younger, it seems most bathrooms to be renovated were reaching their used-by date somewhere between the 11-20 year mark: 36 per cent were undertaken in homes in the 11 to 15 year age group, while 35 per cent were aged 16-20 years old.
How much does a bathroom renovation cost?
The average cost of a bathroom renovation is around $19,500, and the price has increased year-on-year, according to a recent HIA survey of builders. The HIA’s Kitchens and Bathrooms Report 2018/19 found that most people tend to spend between $16,000 and $20,000 on the job – that includes everything from tradies’ fees to tiles and fittings
If you think these average numbers would stretch your budget a bit too thin, job quotes said budget renovations can range from $8,000 to $10,000 on average. It’s worth noting estimates on the costs of this popular type of renovation do vary.
A good place to start when working out a budget is to ask yourself a few simple questions:
How much money can I afford to spend?
What do I want to achieve?
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE A BATHROOM REMODELING PROJECT
Considering a bathroom remodeling project for your home can seem overwhelming, but narrowing down what you really need versus what you really want can ease the process just a little. What does this mean? Instead of looking at the whole house as one giant remodeling project, you should look at single space instead. Ever heard the saying, “Can’t see the forest for the trees?” The proverb holds true when a remodel client puts too many things on their “to-be remodeled” plate and ends up not making any headway. Still, don’t believe me? Let’s use bathroom remodeling as an example.
Imagine you are looking to redo many rooms in your home, but realize that redoing your kid’s bathroom will have the most positive effect on the household so you decide to do that one first. This makes your renovation list easier to process and also adds the most value to the family up front. But wait! You think to yourself – “But I have been waiting to redo my master bathroom for years!” And what a tumultuous wait that is – but what will achieve the most positive effect on your home and its inhabitants? Are you escaping your kids by finding solace alone in your master bathroom? Or would getting the kids up and out of the house and on to school be better for the tribe?
CONSIDER THESE THINGS BEFORE A BATHROOM REMODELING PROJECT
Determine how much time you can handle without the use of the space. This is a huge factor that most people don’t realize until they are knee deep in the remodeling process. Imagine being without your kitchen for a few weeks? Can you live off of cereal, a microwave, and a mini fridge? If you’re tackling a bathroom remodel for your master bathroom, will you go insane sharing the same bathroom as you’re less than clean teenagers after soccer practice?
Think about your budget. Budgets are a necessary evil in the world of remodeling. They keep us in check so we don’t get buyer’s remorse later (and so our wallets don’t fall into a deep depression). Imagine completely gutting your kitchen and halfway through having to put the brakes on the remodel project just because your eyes were bigger than your wallet. Make sure that you can partner with your designer to keep your budget at the top of mind when making selections. What you don’t want is being without a space for longer than expected because budget restraints weren’t considered before the remodel.
Whether you choose to remodel your kitchen first or dive in and go for the walk-in shower for the bathroom remodel, just make sure you find the right contractor that listens to your needs and can advise you on what products and designs best fulfill your wants. A good contractor will have done remodeled hundreds of bathrooms and should be able to suggest areas you should splurge in and some places that you should be budget conscious or ways you can save.
Things to Consider When Doing a Bathroom Renovation
Once you decide on renovating a bathroom, you will be faced with a wide array of choices depending on how big of a change you want to make. Maybe you like the current look of your bathroom but you just want a new bath or shower system. Alternatively, you simply want to add a few details that will liven up your bathroom but do not have an idea of what to do to make it happen. Whichever route you take, you can never move ahead with your plans until you know how far you want to take this renovation. This article looks at five things you need to consider when doing a bathroom renovation.
Avoid Reinventing the Layout
It can be costly and time-consuming to rip off your outdated bathroom and start from scratch. The best thing to do is to build on the original footprint as it helps keep your budget in check. Changing the layout of your bathroom means that you need to reroute your plumbing and power grid systems, which can cost a large amount of money. You can still achieve your goals for a bathroom renovation by replacing instead of expanding the footage. For instance, instead of making your shower bigger, consider limiting your renovation to the existing measurements to save on demolition costs. A new granite countertop with updated curves can give your bathroom vanity a new look without having to tear into the walls or floor
Factor in Storage
The key to a successful bathroom remodel is having enough storage. Toiletries and shampoo bottles piled on the shower floor never display well in a bathroom. Consider adding enough storage without compromising the openness of the space where a user will maneuver. A substantial vanity that offers adequate space for extra towels can be a smart buy. Mirrored cabinets can be used to store personal care products such as electric razors and charge toothbrushes. A recessed medicine cabinet installed above the vanity can also offer a sleeker look and more storage space. You can save needed space by installing it a few inches inside the wall where it can be accessed easily when needed.
Improve Your Lighting
Most bathrooms tend to have limited access to natural light depending on their location in a home. Replacing old incandescent bulbs with modern light fixtures not only improves the functionality but also the mood of the space. Consider dimmer lighting for the main lights as they help to adjust the brightness when needed. You can opt for bright lighting during personal grooming or when accessing your medicine cabinet. Alternatively, you can use the dimmer switch to reduce brightness when you want to relax in a warm bath for a while as it brings peace and tranquility.
Proper Ventilation
Poor ventilation is one of the leading causes of mold in wet areas like the bathroom. Without good air circulation, you are likely to trap a lot of moisture and humidity in the bathroom, which can cause other secondary problems like rot and damage to property. Many homeowners overlook the importance of having a well-ventilated bathroom only to regret later once they encounter a mold problem. An open window alone is never enough, which drives the necessity to install powerful fans that can extract all the moisture to the outdoors.
THINGS TO DO WHEN PLANNING A BATHROOM REMODEL
Bathroom remodeling projects aren’t something you should just jump into. In fact, it’s something that takes a considerable amount of time to plan so nothing will go wrong in the process. With that in mind, you should always keep a checklist of the things you need done close at hand. That way, you won’t forget anything and the project can be done as smoothly as possible.
Inspiration – Before anything else, you should know what you want for your new bathroom, such as what you want to put in it or what you want it to look like in the end. You can look at home improvement magazines and catalogues or even the Internet to find the inspiration for your bathroom remodeling project.
Contractors – When you’re looking to hire a contractor to bring your bathroom remodel plans into fruition, don’t hire the first one that seems appealing to you. Instead, ask your friends and family for good contractor recommendations or look through the Better Business Bureau’s website for remodelers with good reputation and the experience you need to get the project done.
Budget – The budget is very important for your bathroom remodeling project. After all, without it, your home remodeling professional can’t do their job. With that in mind, you should know the materials and fixtures you want in the bathroom as early as possible so you can finalize your budget before you hire a contractor.
Purchase Materials – Once you’ve finalized your budget and set aside a certain amount for the labor expenses, it’s time to buy the materials you’ll need. Experts often recommend that you order your materials before the project commences as some orders can take a while to be fulfilled. Fixtures should also be purchased early as some manufacturers will take a few weeks before they can deliver your desired product.
Check On Your Contractor – While hovering over your contractor isn’t a necessary step, you are more than free to check on them every now and then. Mention what concerns you may have and always keep communication lines open. As much as possible, ask them to walk you through what they’re doing and if something seems amiss, try to address this before the job is completed.