Bathrooms are one of the top rooms in the house that we’re reluctant to update. Not because we don’t care about them but because they’re expensive to refurbish or upgrade.
Seeing a drab and dated bathroom every morning doesn’t help us feel ready for the day ahead. But with limited money available to spend on the bathroom, how do you change it? Well, here are some tips and ideas that will help you modernise your bathroom on a budget.
Choose your tiles carefully
Tiles vary wildly in price. That’s one thing we all know after a bit of research. But looking at the price for one tile can be deceptive. You may think £2 per tile is affordable, but calculate the price for covering a whole bathroom, and suddenly it seems way more expensive.
So, you need to choose tiles carefully and only tiles where it’s necessary to keep costs down. Stick to tiling the areas that will get wet such as around the bath and shower, and simply paint the rest of the space. You can also save money on tiles by waiting for sales or shopping around but be careful when buying end-of-line products. It’s easy to miscalculate how many tiles you need, and you could find yourself stuck with not enough!
Shop around for your suite
If you’re replacing your bathroom suite, there is one easy way to keep your costs down. Many of us order from a single supplier, but you may find it cheaper to buy baths, sinks and toilets from different places. And if you find a branded product you like, shop around because the same product is often available for a fraction of the cost without the big-name branding. Additionally, you can get excellent deals for fittings like shower taps from reputable online sellers.
Check the specifications for materials and dimensions to make sure they’re of the same quality, but chances are, it’s just the label that’s different.
Saving on your suite means you can spend more on your taps, shower head and other fixtures, which will make a bigger difference to how luxurious your bathroom feels.
Keep the existing layout
It’s not just saving money on the suite that will bring your bathroom installation costs down. Sticking with the existing layout will too. This will mean you can reuse the pipework and drainage and reduce the money you spend on bathroom fitters.
But it’s not simply plumbing that’s cheaper. Changing a layout can mean moving lighting, extractor fans and electric showers, which means paying more in time and materials to a qualified electrician too. If you are not satisfied with your decision, you can take help from professional contractors. To know more, click here and let experts assist you with all of your home addition plans from the planning stage to the build stage.
Do some of the work yourself
Fitting new bathroom suites cost quite a bit of money, and some of that is unavoidable, especially where skilled trades are required. However, not every job in a bathroom refit needs professional experience to complete. For example, you could do much of the old bathroom removal yourself to cut labour costs down. Jobs such as prising off old wall tiles, stripping wallpaper and removing old vinyl flooring are simple to do with minimal tools. And jobs to complete your bathroom, such as painting the walls and ceiling and cleaning up freshly grouted tiles, are also easy enough for most of us to manage.
Don’t follow the latest trend
The final tip for modernising your bathroom on a budget is to be wary of installing fashionable fixtures and fittings. Not only are they pricey, but they could fall out of fashion after a few years. Stick to timeless classics such as a white suit and style the bathroom through your accessories instead. These are cheaper and easier to change as trends come and go.
