They say bathroom remodeling, next to kitchen renovations, is the most expensive and difficult home improvement project a homeowner can take on. Fret not, the stress headaches may be inevitable but getting the bathroom you planned without going over your budget is definitely possible. All you have to do is be open to compromise and be as resourceful as possible.
1. Do your own painting.
If you’re only repainting one room of your house, you can opt out of hiring professional painters to save on extra labor fees. Your bathroom being such a small part of your home, it’s almost excessive to hire someone else to do something that you can do yourself.
However, be sure that you know what you are doing before you start opening paint cans and flailing that brush. It helps to do research first. Find out which type of paint will be best in bathrooms where it is always humid and have constant changes in temperature. It is recommended that you use high quality paint with a satin finish to paint your bathrooms with. Lastly, don’t forget to get some painter’s tape and old newspapers to prevent tainting your sink, bathtub and floors.
2. Install your own toilet
It’s no secret that doing DIYs for home improvement is one of the best ways to save up on money and stay within your budget. Installing bathroom fixtures yourself may seem daunting at first but in reality, the hardest part of installing a new toilet is lifting the new one into place.
The tools you’ll need are a putty knife, an adjustable wrench and a screwdriver. You’ll also need a wax ring, bolts and of course, your replacement toilet. A friend will also be great.
3. Don’t splurge on countertops.
Granite countertops are currently a trend but they can get pricey. To get it cheaper, you can avoid picking out popular colors such as brown and beige as they tend to be more expensive. Another trick is to pick out slabs with little imperfections. You can hide slight bumps or scratches near fixtures to hide blemishes.
But if you’re not one to follow trends, you can use materials that are more available to you like wood from old dressers for example. All you need to do is cut out the top part of the dresser to place a sink insert, remove drawers and cut holes in the back for plumbing.
4. Install your own bathroom vanity
Keeping with the DIY is cheaper motto, you can also endeavor to install your own bathroom vanity some of which come with fused sinks so you don’t have to worry about installing so many fixtures.
5. Use your tiles wisely
Tiles can get expensive especially if you have your eyes set on a specific design. Designers advice stingy homeowners to mix their chosen expensive tile with cheaper (but similar-looking) tiles when installing them in your bathroom. If done skillfully, you won’t even be able to much difference.
Another tip is to limit putting your tiles in high-impact areas like the bathrooms floor and not inside shower stall walls. And of course, you can choose to do your own tiling installation to save up some money.
Who knows learning simple skills like painting or tiling can save you money? Your bathroom remodeling project shouldn’t have to be too expensive to look expensive. Being willing to try new things (like fashioning countertops from an old dresser) not only makes your bathroom unique but also bring you some serious savings.
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