Remodelling your bathroom can be a great way to make it more comfortable and stylish, and it can add value to your property too. But make sure you go in prepared – the costs of bathroom renovations can quickly add up.

There are lots of factors that can add unexpected costs to your bathroom renovation. If you need plumbing or electrical work, for example, this can quickly add to the overall expense. Or you fall in love with a particularly expensive material, which can push the price up. Sometimes the job is simply not planned well and involves a lot more work than you originally thought.

Before you keep reading, if you aren’t planning on going through a full renovation, read our article on ways to spruce up your bathroom.

There are lots of ways the price can rise when you get working on remodelling your bathroom, so here are some simple ways to reduce your bathroom renovation costs.

Keep the Plumbing in Position

For the most affordable bathroom renovation, you ideally want to keep plumbing work to a minimum. That means try not to move the toilet, shower or sink, because for that you’ll need a professional – and that can add a lot onto the overall cost of remodelling your bathroom.

You can change everything else, but leave the plumbing in place if at all possible. The less work you need to hire professionals for, the more you can do yourself, making the project cheaper overall.

Know When to Pay the Pros

That being said, there is a time to bring in the pros. When it comes to bigger tasks, don’t risk doing them yourself unless you are sure you can do a good job. The risk is that you do them yourself and then end up spending a lot more money fixing the mess you make.

For anything that involves plumbing or electrical work, or anything structural, it’s normally a better option to hire a contractor to prevent any expensive disasters unless you really know what you are doing, all the more when it can be illegal to perform some tasks without a proper licence.

Use Lower-Cost Materials

This is perhaps the most obvious way to save money when you renovate your bathroom, but it’s incredibly important. When you start planning your bathroom project, you will quickly realise that some materials cost a lot more than others.

For example, stone tiles are fantastic, but they can be expensive. If you are on a budget, you might want to use a material like luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) instead, which is more affordable while still being durable and waterproof. LVT is also available in a huge range of designs.

You should obviously choose whichever materials you want that will have the final effect you are trying to create, but just remember that some will add more to the overall cost of your project.

Reuse and Refurbish

It always makes sense to reuse what you can when renovating any room in your home, including the bathroom. If you can find items that can be refurbished, these will be much less expensive – or even free in some cases.

For example, you could use old furniture and turn it into shelves to store towels in the bathroom. Or you might want to use some old vintage hardware, such as taps and doorknobs. Not only will these look amazing, but they may be cheaper than buying them new.

Find and Use Leftovers

If you use a contractor for your bathroom renovation, or you simply know someone who works as a contractor, ask them about leftovers. Quite often, you will find that they have materials left over from other jobs that they are not using. Buying these from them could lead to big savings.

If you know anyone who has had a recent renovation, ask them about leftovers too. They may have lots of extra materials they want to get rid of, and you might be able to take these off their hands. You could even search the ads in your local newspaper or check on eBay to see if anyone has any leftovers they want to sell or donate.

Consider Cheap Fixes

Sometimes, you might be able to make a big difference by sprucing up your bathroom rather than making big changes. Cheap improvements can include things like changing the shower screen or investing in some new taps. These can make a big difference to your bathroom without costing too much.

Refresh Existing Items

Rather than buying new items, give existing items a refresh instead. The bathtub, for example, might not need to be replaced – you could resurface it instead for less. This can make it look like new, but it will usually be cheaper than getting a whole new bathtub.

Plan for the Long-Term

Think about overall cost savings when you renovate your bathroom, which means planning for the long-term. It may be tempting to use some cheaper materials, but it’s often better to choose things that will last a long time. If you have to renovate again in a few years, you’ll end up spending more, so consider investing in good quality products even if they cost a bit more.

Don’t Miss Out on Custom Furniture

Custom furniture usually costs more than buying standard items. However, there are times when it makes sense to go custom. After all, this is your bathroom and you want to make it truly yours and a room that you will enjoy using every day.

A custom vanity can provide the central focus you need to finish off your bathroom perfectly. So don’t deny yourself – by saving money on other areas of the renovation, you can spend a bit more on custom items.

Start Planning Your Bathroom Renovation

As you can see, there are many ways to save money when you renovate your bathroom. Remodelling a bathroom is fun and can be hugely rewarding – it can make a huge difference to your home and can even increase its value.

But before you go ahead and start knocking down walls and tearing out the bath, have a think about where you can save money – and start planning a bathroom renovation that won’t blow your budget. Our team can help you pick furniture that will stay within your budget.