5 Ways To Help Cut The Cost Of Your Bathroom Remodel
A bathroom remodel is a vital home improvement project for several reasons. First, it is an intimate space that needs to be comfortable and in tune with your style. Another good reason to consider a bathroom remodel is to increase your home value. A functional and good-looking bathroom is a buyer's magnet and will do your home a lot of good should you consider putting it up for sale. While this is true, one lingering concern that every homeowner struggles with is the remodel cost.
A full bathroom remodel is among the most expensive home renovation projects you can take on. According to Forbes, the average cost for a bathroom remodel ranges from $2,500 to $10,000, and the price can get to as high as $30,000 for luxury builds. The excellent news is remodeling your bathroom need not break the bank, and there are several ways to achieve your dream bathroom and save on cost. Take a look at the following tips that should help you significantly reduce the cost of your bathroom remodel.
1. Take on some DIY
A bathroom remodel is a huge project; if you can handle a few tasks by yourself without involving the pros, you can save a couple of bucks. Demolition is a task within the realm of DIY projects for most homeowners. You might not know this, but hiring a pro to demolish the interior of your bathroom can set you back between $1,000 and $5,000 on the financial front, mentions ProEst. However, before going swinging with your sledgehammer, it is essential to note that you will need careful planning and consideration beforehand.
It can do more harm than good by randomly knocking down structures without a plan. First, gather a few tools like a claw hammer and a prying tool for removing tiles from the wall. Secondly, you also need to consider what might be behind the walls; some might have plumbing and electric lines that you don't want to destroy. Another simple DIY task other than demolition that you can handle before the contractor arrives is removing old fixtures, which will save you unnecessary labor costs.
2. Combine tile and paint
Tiling a bathroom today is more than just protecting the walls from moisture; they also double up as design detail that plays a critical role in the room's aesthetic appeal. How you choose to tile your bathroom influences the practicality and also the cost of your renovation. While a fully tiled bathroom provides that clean-cut cohesive look, it is often quite expensive, especially if you have a big bathroom. Remember, even the cheapest tiles come with additional installation costs that will take a huge chunk of your budget.
One way of saving on cost is by tiling part of the room and painting the rest of the space, via Loo Academy. This gives you the flexibility to add some personality and change the colors of your bathroom down the line. Since art has also found a home in modern bathrooms, limiting tiling to the lower half of the walls will allow you to spruce up the bathroom interior with your favorite piece of artwork. What's more, you can also decide to install more shelves in the bathroom later if you need to. Lastly, you can further save a lot on labor if you choose to do the painting yourself.
3. Stick with your current layout
Moving around things in the bathroom is exciting; you will be able to achieve a completely different look and perhaps also make your bathroom more functional. However, the caveat that you might not know is that changing the bathroom layout is often quite expensive. There is so much that goes into transforming a bathroom layout. Moving a sink or a tub from one corner to the other will require more than the physical shifting of that specific plumbing fixture. The contractor might need to tear down an entire wall or shift the entire plumbing work to accommodate your new changes.
Regarding renovations, labor cost is often a significant factor in the budget. So any extra work, be it shifting the plumbing work or moving a sink, will come at an added cost. According to RISMedia, moving the toilet is among the most difficult layout changes you can take. It requires a lot of work, considering the bathroom must be connected to the sewer and water line. If you don't have the budget for it, leaving the current layout as is will be an excellent financial choice for you.
4. Trends are not your friend
There are many reasons for remodeling a bathroom, and jumping on the bandwagon to keep up with a particular trend shouldn't be one. Fads are short-lived, and if they are the only motivation behind your remodel, you will frequently change your bathroom. A good bathroom remodel should increase the aesthetics and make the space more functional according to the needs of your household, via RenovationFind. You should aim for a timeless look and design that you won't get tired of soon.
Another danger of remodeling with the trend is that you incur material costs. Remember, anything hot at the moment is bound to be expensive, and the fundamental law of supply and demand applies even in the construction industry. So if you are considering remodeling your bathroom on a budget, it is best to avoid trending designs and materials because they are bound to be more expensive. Alternatively, standard designs and materials don't have dramatic cost fluctuations; you will be able to save quite a lot if you choose to go down this path.
5. Work with a budget
One way to ensure your expenditure during the remodeling stays within reason is by preparing a budget early in the process. According to KHB Construction, this should be the maximum amount you are comfortable spending on bathroom remodeling. However, when coming up with a budget, it is essential to do proper cost estimations while also leaving some wiggle room for unexpected price fluctuations or other things outside your control. Having a budget should allow you to be comfortable spending on the necessary items without worrying about going overboard.
Also, a reasonable budget will give you a clear picture of the quality of services that you can afford. While all these sound good on paper, you should also realize that there is always the urge to go out of budget, especially regarding the choice of materials and bathroom fixtures. You will need the discipline not to deviate from your original plan. Remember, however slight the differences are, they will accumulate and drive the remodeling cost above your initial estimates.