It’s easy to tell when your bathroom needs a facelift, but not quite as easy to successfully do it while keeping to a tight budget. Every year, homeowners remodel more than 14.2 million bathrooms, and many of these ambitious re-doers have done so in creatively penny-pinching ways.
Don’t Touch The Plumbing
When you’re remodeling your bathroom on a budget, the smartest thing to do is leave plumbing fixtures where they are. It can cost about $5,000 every time you move a sink, shower, or toilet in your bathroom. Use the existing piping and work the rest of your remodel around it. If you are determined to switch the fixtures around, make sure you consult with a designer first. While there will be a cost to hiring a professional, you’ll likely save money in the long run by avoiding issues of which you wouldn’t be aware.
Search Online For Leftovers
The millions of homeowners who have remodeled their bathrooms before you could actually help save you money. Many people buy more material than they need for a remodel but can’t return it. They will then try to sell it on websites like Craiglist and eBay for steep discounts. Before you buy pricey tiles, fixtures, or wood at your local home improvement store, look online first. If you find something you like and need to buy more if it, you can then go to the store and match it to what is in their stock.
Modernize The Mirror
Older homes tend to have huge mirrors with dressing room lights lining the top of it. Rather than spending big bucks on a brand new mirror, add a modern frame to it. This will completely transform the look of the mirror and bring that feature of the bathroom into the modern age. The mirror also works to hide the flaking that often happens around its edges. You can turn the frame into a DIY project by finding the frame at a salvage yard or thrift store and then slapping a new layer of paint on it to match your bathroom.
Choose the Right Flooring Materials
There are certain materials that just don’t belong in a bathroom. While there are carpets that can stand up to moisture, such as snap-in or glue-down boat carpeting, your average carpet simply isn’t suited for the bathroom. The same goes for your typical hardwood. Fortunately, there are lots of affordable tile and ceramic options that can be used to beautify your bathroom. If you’re attached to the hardwood look, then opt for laminate flooring that mimics the look of hardwood without the wear and tear.
You want your bathroom to be your personal spa, but you don’t have to pay spa prices in order to achieve that. Find these little ways to save on your bathroom remodel and you’ll get your dream bathroom on an affordable budget.
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Dual Income, No Kids launched in the spring of 2006 and is now part of District Media, LLC. With over 10 million visitors and syndication on Google News, District Media delivers high-quality personal finance news and advice. Our 58 blogs inform, empower, educate and entertain the public -- free of charge, with all operating expenses financed by advertising.
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