How you can Save Money on a Bathroom Remodel?

March 8, 2021

How you can Save Money on a Bathroom Remodel? Sometimes, we just want to try something new at home…

… blend the colors, put add-ons, expand the spaces, and paint with a brand new color that suits our style.

And bathrooms and kitchens are our usual canvas for that.

And a little trivia.

Remodeling is making substantial changes to a particular space. You achieve this through redesigning what you already installed to give it a new form or structure.

But there’s a downside to this.

It could be costly.

To remodel a bathroom would cost you an average of $3,300. And if you’re planning to include a significant part of your home, like your kitchen, perhaps, it could reach up to $10,000.

But you can’t set the cost in stone when talking about remodeling.

And why was that, you asked?

Sometimes, you could go beyond what your plan and spend past the estimation. Maybe you’d realize that your bathroom is actually larger than expected, or the cost of fixtures and materials are more expensive than what you got from crowdsourcing.

Still, this doesn’t change the fact that remodeling can be a pain in the neck, especially if you have a tight budget.

Don’t feel down yet.

I’m going to tell you the means to save money for a bathroom remodel so that you can control your cost overruns. With these simple measures, you can surely deduce your expenditure for your remodel project.

Then you can flush your worries away!

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10 Ways to Save Money on a Bathroom Remodel

The essential tip that I could offer is to have a foresight of the possible costs.

That’s right!

And the reason is pretty apparent. It is to make sure that you have control over your budget.

Is that all?

Nope. There’s more.

I will be telling you secrets– unexplored practical means, that you haven’t even thought of before.

And with this, you can keep your budget from getting flushed down the toilet.

1. Retain the Bathroom’s Size and Layout

Hmmm, maybe what you have in mind is a brand new makeover where you can expand the bathroom’s layout and space. And that is also cool if you have a lot of money to spend. But if not,

Let me tell you this.

This procedure is costly. When you enlarge or rearrange a space, this means you have to remove, adjust, or add the installed plumbing pipes to facilitate the extra space.

So a piece of advice?

Do not engage in moving the pipes immediately. Look for a possible way where you won’t have to disturb these pipes. It is one of the few mistakes that homeowners make when remodeling their bathrooms.

Once they shattered the walls, there’s no turning back. They have to reinstall the wirings and pipes, which will cost them dimes.

Aside from that,

It would be cheaper if you wouldn’t move the bathroom’s basic layouts like the tub, toilet, and shower.

Not only that it will mean extra charges, but it will also complicate your remodeling procedures.

But if ever the costs of these are covered in your budget,

You still have a thing to think through.

Weigh the financial impact and benefit of the changes if it is worth it. Then, you may proceed to your plan.

2. Keep the Bathroom’s Electrical Circuits in Place

Not only pipes, but you also need to be attentive to the electrical circuits if you don’t have the reason for a wiring upgrade.

What you should do is this.

Call the local electrician if your bathroom met the electric code standards. If it did, there’s no reason to move it.

3. Keep the Bathroom’s Load-Bearing Walls in Place

The significant structural change that could cost you money aside from expansion or changing your bathroom’s layout is to move or remove load-bearing walls.

And why is that?

These necessary walls give your bathroom the foundation to withstand the roof’s weight or the upper floor.

Removing these walls means you will have to restructure your house so it wouldn’t crumble.

And know this.

Most of the load-bearing walls are the outermost walls. Interior walls that parallel the ceiling joist are the ones that do not carry loads. Hence, innermost walls are safe to remove. So, make sure to use this to your advantage when remodeling.

You could also eradicate these walls with moderate effort. Exhaust your creativity to manipulate these interior walls’ possibilities so you won’t have to pay for extra expenses.

However, if you really think that removing the load-bearing walls is your only resolve.

I cannot stop you.

But there’s still a way to save.

For instance, hire a contractor to estimate the financial cost. Then let him do the hard part of restructuring. Afterward, you can do the other procedures. Laminated beams are usually cheap in hardware stores, but of course, it would need a lot of labor.

Make sure that you are committed and motivated enough if you decide to do this on your own.

4. Buy your Bathroom Items

Some contractors would charge you more than the price.

And you need to be careful of that.

Instead, do this

Buy these materials on your own, then ask the worker to install them for you. Not only can you prevent getting tricked, but you can also see it yourself and budget your expenses.

You will also learn the materials and methods so you won’t have to hire a contractor in the future.

5. Save the Bathroom’s Drywall If Possible

You should not also touch the drywall if you’re on a tight budget!

The thing is,

Homeowners remove the drywall as soon as they decide that they want their bathroom renovated.

The reason for that is due to the increased humidity in the bathroom’s interior. And this is something that we could anticipate in the future.

Over time, the moisture will cause mold formation, so you must remove these drywalls to prevent health problems.

This is a necessary measure.

However, if it turns out that there are no molds, you can reuse the drywalls again.

Why?

When you open up walls to renovate, it also means that you will have to close it with the drywall as soon as you finish it. And you don’t have to buy new ones. It wouldn’t be practical on your part.

As long as it is in good shape, use it.

But maybe a tip.

There are sections where the drywall is damaged. You can buy similar drywall as a replacement for these parts.

The part of your bathroom which would need this the most is in bathtubs and showers, where it is prone to frequent water exposure. Other areas are often intact. You can reuse them again.

6. Opt for affordable alternatives

Think outside the box.

Don’t settle on the usual items.

For instance,

Instead of buying stock fixtures, why not have the custom pieces. You can also try planks or collaged broken tiles instead of large square tiles.

7. Refinish Bathroom Elements Instead of Replacing Them

Well, you have to look around your bathroom and check if there are unfinished bathroom elements.

Sometimes, some of your tiles are missing, or maybe your tub’s paint is fading.

In these cases, you have to assess whether you should remodel your entire bathroom or just dress these elements up.

But first,

You should remember that remodeling would sometimes require rearranging and replacing fixtures, tubs, and shower systems that could still be operational.

The cost of demolition, construction, the replacement for these parts, and the additional installations would certainly empty your wallet.

So ask yourself if it isn’t a waste of money when you could try making your bathroom attractive with creativity and resourcefulness.

For instance,

Coat your tub with protective paint to make it appear brand new. You can also try fixing that bathroom cabinet of yours rather than throwing it away and buying a new one.

You see

This doesn’t just save you money. It may be tiny, but you contributed to making the world a better place since this is an environmental-friendly way of dealing with your used furniture.

8. Do a little DIY

You can save if you will have to rely on your creative ideas.

You see.

The best remodeling is always the ones thought and planned well.

If you are into painting, why not paint your walls instead of purchasing items for design. Yes, this will take your time, but it will be worth it, especially that the estimated saving for this may reach $1,000 depending on your bathroom’s size.

9. Install a Prefabricated Shower or Bathtub

Before I start, I bet you want to know the most costly bathroom improvement that people do.

Well, they tear up the installed shower base and replace the surrounding tiles with custom bases. Then they proceed with changing the walls.

And you must be thinking of doing the same upon hearing the term “remodeling.”

But here’s the thing.

You can remodel your bathroom without changing almost everything in your bathroom.

To begin, you can use an assembled shower stall rather than shower tiles.

This will make it cheaper for you since you won’t have to pay for the service of setting the tiles.

Aside from that, these prefabricate shower stalls could be installed quickly, unlike tiled showers, which would take days to stand.

But you might want to hear this one too.

These prefabricated shower bases might need assistance, but on walls, you can put the tiles yourself.

And not only that, these tiles are less expensive too than single-piece stalls.

We can say that you should worry less about the tiles because it is labor that makes tile installations costly.

But maybe a piece of advice.
There are instances when these pre-fabricated showers or units will not fit on bathroom doors or hallways. And this is the usual scenario in old, traditional homes.

So make sure to buy one if you’re confident that you have enough passage.

10. Install a Standard-Type Toilet

If your purpose in replacing your toilet is to upgrade it for a more water-conserving toilet model, I can’t argue with you.

Because here’s the truth,

These types of toilets will be beneficial to you in the long-run.

But if you’re just into aesthetics and you have a limited budget, you might want to think twice.

New toilets nowadays are built with various features, which might look appalling as a customer. But these features are also present in cheaper models. Aside from that, these expensive models would require more maintenance, costly in the future.

If your toilet is prone to clogging and you want it replaced,

There’s still an option.

Buy a cheaper one with a useful flushing feature. It doesn’t have to be the latest model. And the toilet installation can be done manually.

If you think you can do it, give it a try!

Conclusion: How you can Save Money on a Bathroom Remodel

Now we’re done.

So, keep the bills in your pocket, and prepare your piggy bank. You’ll surely feed it with extra savings afterward.

I only have one question in mind…

… are you ready for your bathroom’s grand transformation?

I bet you are, so don’t dilly-dally!

Pick those tools up, and let your inner Picasso take over!