If you are on a fixed budget and are considering renovating your bathroom to minimize your expenses, there are ways to accomplish your goals without performing a full renovation that involves gutting your bath to studs, which can be more costly.
You need to consider options to perform visually aesthetic upgrades to your bathroom to avoid breaking the bank. By paying attention to the details we’ve outlined below, you can achieve great results.
Fresh Coat of Paint Goes a Long Way
If your paint is dated or looks worn out, it is best to repaint your bathroom using a modern, neutral color. Consider investing in a professional to help you out or you can even do it yourself. YouTube has lots of excellent videos that teach users how to paint, which can help save you money.
Avoid Replacing. Reface Instead.
If you are considering replacing things such as your vanity or mirror, don’t rush too fast because you may be able to save more money by simply refinishing your furnishings. If there are dings and scratches, painting can certainly bring everything back to life and make it look like new!
Install Vinyl Flooring
These days, vinyl flooring options are extensive and gorgeous. Best of all, vinyl is waterproof which makes it a perfect option for your bathroom. Home improvement stores sell vinyl floors between $1 – $3 per square foot, making it a lot more economical than some other forms of tiling for the bathroom.
Refinish the Bathtub
Is your tub stained and dated? Perhaps it’s time to refinish it in pure white. This avoids having to replace, dispose, and install a brand-new tub and will lead to more savings. A professional contractor can make a bathtub look like brand new and it will likely run you only couple of hundred dollars.
Don’t Forget Caulking and Grout
If your grout is black or if you have moldy caulking, you should certainly get it cleaned out and put fresh caulking. Your tiles will shine better and your bathtub will look more pleasant and appealing.
Check Discounted Stores
There are numerous local stores (besides the mainstream home improvement stores) that carry discounted products. Check Google Local listings to see what stores are in your area and try to find cheaper supplies there before heading over to the most common retail stores.
Buy Offline from Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a great way to find sellers who are listing items they no longer need for sale in your area. Often times you’ll find like-new items such as faucets, flooring, and tiles at great prices. Be sure to also review Craigslist listings to see if anyone is selling items you may need at heavy discounts.
Do Not Move Plumbing
Lastly, if plumbing does not need to be moved, it is best not to move it. Hiring a licensed plumber can be quite expensive and you should try to avoid doing so unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Achieving upgrades that will make a positive impact to your home can certainly be possible while on a budget. Not only is it a great investment that will add value to your home, but it will help you sell your home faster in case you choose to do so in the near future.
Lastly, be sure to check out Houzz.com for bathroom remodeling ideas. There are lots of before and after projects to help you get inspired!
We hope that you will find these tips helpful in preparation for your bathroom remodel.
If you’re looking for real-life organizing ideas and inspiration, a trip to IKEA will help you see all of your organizing challenges in a different light. Organizing with IKEA products can help you get your space stylishly organized on a budget. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun to visit!
Our IKEA Roadtrip
We don’t live close to an IKEA, but this week my friend Jenn and I decided to do a blogger field trip and drive up to Seattle to check it out. It was so much fun to go on a little adventure and see all of IKEA’s organizing ideas.
We braved the rainy day, and finally arrived at IKEA shortly after it opened. Luckily, the store wasn’t busy at all, and we didn’t feel rushed or crowded.
We spent hours looking at all of the playroom, mudroom, kitchen, and office displays. Each one we saw seemed to be better than the last one.
We totally lost track of time, and before we knew it, it was way past our lunch time. We went to the IKEA cafeteria for lunch, and then finished up our shopping.
Both of us left with ideas for new organizing projects swimming in our heads. I have a feeling we’ll be doing another road trip to IKEA very soon!
Related: Smart Ideas for Organizing with Baskets
Organizing With IKEA – Finds From Our Trip!
Glass canisters – I bought these for our coffee. We buy our coffee from the bulk section at our grocery store, so it will be nice to have pretty containers for them. I drink decaf (usually), and my husband drinks regular coffee, so I bought separate canisters for each of us.
An aloe plant – For cuts and burns. I’m curious to see how my boys will react when I try to treat their next ouchie with a piece of aloe…
Containers for our oil and vinegar – Right now I have the original containers out on our countertops because they’re too tall to fit in our cabinets. I’m excited to use these as refillable bottles and be able to stow them away in the kitchen cabinet.
Spray bottles – These were marked down to 49 cents each, so I couldn’t resist!
Striped tray – I noticed these when we were eating lunch in the cafeteria. They were using them to catch the extra ketchup and mustard that dripped out of the dispensers. I’m going to use this in the boys’ bathroom.
IKEA Utility cart – I’ve been looking for something like this for ages! We have a little closet under our stairs that’s really small for a tall person to get into. I’m going to use this cart to store some of our larger kitchen tools. This cart is narrow enough to fit through the tiny door that leads to the closet, and I can just pull out the cart instead of having to get into the closet to pull things out.
Napkins – For our next get-together. I looked for more cloth napkins, but didn’t find much this time.
Hooks and a cup – These go on the utility cart I mentioned above. They were so inexpensive, so I bought one of each to try them out.
A clear box – I’ve been looking for a storage box that will fit in the little cabinets we have above our washer and dryer. This box was $1.50 and the lid was $0.50! If this works in our space, I’m definitely going to pick up some more.
Because we don’t have an IKEA store near our town, this trip was a full-day affair that gave us so many fresh, new ideas! The next time I go, I’m going to be sure to measure some of my drawers and cabinets first so I’ll know if the IKEA products will fit in the spaces we have.
Want to see what my friend Jenn found at IKEA? Check out her post about our shopping trip!
Looking for more organizing inspiration?
Favorite Organizing Products
Cheap Organizing Solutions
10 Awesome Organizing Products
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