The bathroom is one of the most important areas in your home. That means that when it comes time to renovate or remodel your bathroom, you want to make sure that everything goes smoothly. The average cost of a master bathroom remodel is $11,700, according to Houzz. However, you can significantly reduce that cost by following these tips.
1. Determine the Goals of Your Remodeling Project
The first step in doing anything is figuring out what you want to accomplish. For example, do you need more storage space? Do you want a stand-alone tub or a shower with multiple shower heads? Or do you need to add some child-friendly features to make parenting easier? Figure out what you really want before starting your bathroom renovation. If there are things that you don’t need, skip them. Cutting out what you don’t want will save time and money.
2. Don’t Make Any Drastic Changes
Don’t feel like you need to start from scratch to get the bathroom of your dreams. Instead, focus on putting some money into your current bathroom and taking care of what needs fixing and what can be improved upon without tearing everything down. For instance, you can refinish your slate flooring instead of tearing it all out. Slate was first formed almost 350 million years ago, and it remains an excellent stone option for flooring. You can also leave your old bathtub in place and replace the tile around it with a different design. If you already have installed cabinets, there is no reason why you need to upgrade to brand new ones, simply paint them or give them a fresh coat of stain for a whole new look.
3. Shop Around for Your Supplies
Before starting any bathroom remodeling project, be sure to do some research and check out different stores that sell the supplies you need. You might find that certain brands or types of products at one store are cheaper than another and can save you more money and time in the long run. You don’t have to spend a lot of money when it comes time to change your lighting, showerheads, or faucets. There are plenty of affordable options out there that will allow you to quickly and easily update the looks of these features without spending much money at all.
4. Don’t Change or Move Your Plumbing
It can get very expensive to reroute plumbing in your home. Don’t make any changes or relocate your plumbing without thinking about the cost involved. Sometimes, it makes more sense to leave the old pipes where they are and simply upgrade them with newer ones. If you do change anything, let a professional handle it unless you know what you are doing.
5. Do It Yourself
If you are good with your hands and have some spare time, you can save money by doing the bulk of the work yourself. However, you shouldn’t do anything that is beyond your skill level or that requires permits. For instance, replacing your shower head is something that you can do yourself. However, if it involves any complicated electrical work or rerouting of plumbing, then you should probably leave it to professionals. Doing the job yourself will only save you money if you are good at what you do.
The average family spends $2,000 a year on energy bills. 50% of that money goes towards cooling or warming the house. One of the best ways to reduce that money is to make sure you have a well-insulated house. That’s why you need to make sure your bathroom is well insulated as well. You can do that with simple things such as adding insulation to your bathroom walls and insulating around your windows and doors.