Table of Content
- Calculate well and order enough tiles
- Don't tile floor to ceiling
- Demolition
- Painting
- Reuse and Recycle
- Buy send-hand furniture
- Don't change the plumbing
- Choose cost-effective tiles
- Ask three shops for prices
- Ask for multiple quotes
Introduction
Bathrooms are a vital area in any house, and renovating your bathroom can make a big difference in your living space. You don’t need to remodel your entire house, just make some changes to your bathroom, and ta-dah! It feels like you’re living in a new place.
With the right planning and precision in execution, you can reduce the cost of your bathroom by more than 50%. Depending on how big your bathroom is that could be a considerable amount of money.
Set a budget
One of the principles of renovation projects is setting a budget and sticking to it. This is important because as the project progresses you might have new ideas popping up.
So the first you want to do is sit down and figure out your budget. You need to stay committed to this budget with some flexibility if necessary.
Plan ahead
Planning your steps is crucial. This is perhaps the most important tip we can give you. When you have a well-planned-out journey of what to do, you will end up saving money one way or the other.
Of course, you will face unexpected circumstances during your renovation journey. If this is your first time doing this, expect some unexpected stuff to happen!
But overall, having a plan and knowing your future steps will help you save some cash and avoid making big mistakes.
Calculate well and order enough tiles
As a tile supplier, we can’t stress this enough!
Knowing the quantity of tiles you need for your project could save you some money. You may ask why. We can explain:
If you ask anyone who has done some renovation work, they will tell you the hardest part of any project is getting the tradespeople to do the job. They have a busy schedule and booking them in a short time often is not possible. You need to book in advance, and they are going to charge you for their time. Now, when you don’t have sufficient tiles for your project, you have to book them again. This will make the project longer and more exhausting, also you will end up spending more money. On top of that, you will have to pay more money for logistics and transportation to get the new batch of tiles to your place.
Here is an article to help you calculate the quantity of tiles you need. It is recommended that you order 15% extra, so you don’t need to reorder.
Don’t worry about having some extra tiles. You can do some cool stuff with them, Here we try to show you some simple ideas.
Don’t tile floor-to-ceiling
Tiling walls from floor to ceiling is a trend, especially for bathroom walls. As much as we love this trend and the way it looks, you can avoid it to save some cash. An alternative to floor-to-ceiling tiling is painting the rest of the wall with a complementary colour. White often works well, but you can get creative and try different paint colours. Have a look at some of the trending colours of interior design in 2023 here.
Here is an example of a bathroom design without floor-to-ceiling tiling.
Consider DIY options
Going DIY on a bathroom renovation project is a great way of keeping costs to a minimum. If your bathroom is small, this is highly recommended.
What we always suggest to people who want to go DIY is to consult with an expert and make sure you are confident about the project or else hire an expert. You don’t need to do everything DIY. For instance, tiling is a job that requires some experience. If you have never done tiling in your life, perhaps it’s best to leave it to a professional. But there are renovation works that you are definitely capable of doing even if you have never done any renovation job. Here is a list:
DIY Demolition
You don’t need any experience or skills with the tools, and you can save a lot of fees by doing this yourself. Fair warning that this is not the most pleasant task to do, but you can get through it.
You are going to need some tools such as a sledgehammer, crowbar, chisel and screw gun. You may use different tools according to your needs.
The most important thing before starting the demolition is to call a plumber and electrician to disconnect all the toilets and vanities.
Then the process goes backwards, so you start by unscrewing and opening up all the fixtures first. Then remove all appliances. Try not to destroy anything that can be used later.
Once you have removed everything, start with demolishing frames.
Paint DIY
If your bathroom renovation requires painting, you can go DIY for this part.
Just remember that painting is not as easy as it looks. It requires patience and attention to detail, but it’s worth trying out. And there is nothing much to go wrong. If you are not happy with it, you can just wait for it to dry up and redo the paint.
Repurpose existing features
Your bathroom already has features and appliances in place that don’t need to be replaced to change. Capitalise on that. Here are some tips on how to use existing features:
Reuse and recycle
As environmental awareness is increasing around the world, the practice of recycling and upcycling is becoming more popular. Therefore, there are tons of information and guides on how to reuse and recycle your materials for a more sustainable and cost-effective bathroom renovation.
You can reuse most of your features and appliances.
Buy second-hand furniture
Before you start demolishing and tiling your bathroom, always think about the features and appliances that you are going to use.
It is no secret that you can now find perfectly usable second-hand furniture for your bathroom online. Platforms such as Facebook Marketplace are great places to make interesting finds for your future bathroom.
There is a good chance that you are going to need to do some DIY work on the furniture. It’s better to have that planned or even have it done before you start with your bathroom demolition and tiling. This way you get a better image of what your bathroom will look like.
Don’t change the plumbing
Plumbing is a delicate, time-consuming and expensive job. The best way to do your bathroom renovation is to keep the plumbing system as it is and work with it. Of course, if something is troubling you, such as the location of a sink or toilet, by all means, go for it and change it. But bear in mind that it is going to cost you a lot. Therefore, it’s best just to keep the bathroom structure as it is.
Shop around for materials
The materials that you use in your bathroom are going to be the main part of your expenses, so it’s important to choose them wisely. Here are some tips on buying materials:
Choose more cost-effective tiles
Choosing suitable materials is crucial. When it comes to the bathroom, the most cost-effective material you can choose is porcelain.
Porcelain is a great choice for bathrooms because they are easy to maintain and install and they come in a variety of colours, and looks. You can choose marble-look porcelain instead of marble tiles or mosaics that look just like real marble and they are cheaper.
Ask at least three different shops for prices
Having asked different stores for their prices will give you more knowledge of available products and bargaining abilities.
By doing this you also increase your chances of shopping at a store that is willing to offer you better trade discounts or seasonal sales.
Sometimes, stores will have stock clearance which is a great way to save money as well.
Hire the right professionals
Apart from buying materials, hiring professionals is another major cost of bathroom renovation. Therefore, you need to make sure you are doing it right to avoid spending more than you need.
Ask for multiple quotes
When you are getting quotes for supplies or services from tradespeople, don’t just ask one person. Try asking at least three different sources for price. This way you get a better idea of what the real prices are, and you can negotiate for better quotes.
When asking for quotes, you need to be mindful of whether they can deliver the quality of tiling that your job requires. If a tradesperson is offering a price way below others, find out whether they can do your job properly. Hiring someone who is not qualified for your job but offers a lower price could eventually end up costing you more and leaving you with more work and headaches.
Conclusion
To sum it up:
- Plan ahead and stick to your budget.
- Try to find the best deals on the market by asking for quotes from vendors and professionals.
- Ask for trade discounts or seasonal sales.
- Go DIY as much as possible, especially on demolition and painting.
- Repurpose current features and appliances instead of buying new ones.
Lastly, there are always new ideas and methods in home remodelling. Stay updated and search the net for inspiration. Have fun with your renovation project! Remodelling a bathroom is very satisfying and makes a huge difference in your home, so start today and make your dream bathroom area come true.