For three years, I’d been wanting to redo the kids’ bathroom, but of course other projects and money kept us from doing it. I was forced to use it for a week when our master bathroom shower cracked, and at that point I had had enough. It wasn’t just ugly; it was in rough shape with tiles falling off, cabinets not shutting, and scum build up. We had a tight budget, but I’m thrilled with the results and even more so because it didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Here are 5 ways you can save on your own bathroom renovation!
1) Be your own general contractor
This will save you big if you don’t mind putting in the a little extra time and effort. We didn’t mind since we had another working bathroom upstairs that the kids could use it in the meantime. Being your own contractor means you are in charge of the process, the timeline, the other contractors, the design choices, and ultimately the final outcome. My advice is to have a plan before you get started. Careful planning can help eliminate unexpected expenses. I had tons of inspiration pictures and a drawn out sketch of the finished bathroom. I also knew the finishes I wanted before demo. Write down a weekly schedule of what will happen when and who’s doing what. We didn’t stick to our schedule but with all big home projects, I knew that would happen and was okay with it if it meant saving some cash and having more time to shop.
2) DIY select parts
Don’t be afraid of a little DIY but it’s also important to know your limits. Thankfully my husband and Dad are pretty handy so they could tackle things like the demo, shelf building, and vanity install but when it came to all the tile work, we hired a tile store to do it. With how much tile was involved in our project (the wainscoating, floor, and shower surround) I knew it was a little beyond how much time and skill we had. Another factor was the uneven subfloor we discovered after demo. At that point we knew we’d need a professional to help us out, so the tile shop also laid a skim coat of cement before installing the floor tile. All the rest besides plumbing the shower faucet, we did ourselves. Keeping the same “footprint” of the existing bathroom (i.e. not moving plumbing and electrical boxes) made the DIY parts more possible and also cut down on expenses.
3) Shop floor samples at big box stores
You don’t need custom or expensive cabinetry. Our vanity was the last one of its kind and was on clearance at Home Depot, since it was a floor sample. When I saw it, we immediately snatched it up since it was the color and width I wanted AND it included the vanity top. We bought our floor tile at Lowe’s because it was on sale. You don’t need to go through the tile shop to get all your tile. They installed the tile we had already bought.
4) White subway title
Most of the time this is the cost effective way to go at under $2 a square foot. And I’m a sucker for the classic style.
5) Price estimates
This is obvious but takes more time so many people skip getting multiple quotes. They are free so it’s always a good idea to do it. We had several tile shops come out after demo and give us estimates. Two of the shops were over $500 difference! That’s worth the time.
Another way we saved was keeping our existing tub. Yes it has some light scratching but the money to replace it didn’t make sense in the long run. I also saved on lighting by buying at Menards and Home Depot and got a $50 mirror at Ikea. My frames, stool, baskets, and shower curtain are from Target. Of course, no project is ever complete because eventually I’ll put up a bamboo shade and replace the baskets with wire ones but we all love being in there now. The kids can make big messes and I don’t have to worry because tile isn’t failing off the walls!
Hopefully this inspired you to tackle your own project! Feel free to ask questions in the comments section!
