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Decor & Renovating Interior Design // Bathroom // Updating a Bathroom on a Budget
If you would like to rejuvenate a tired old bathroom but you’re on a tight budget, there are a lot of things you can do besides eliminating things you really want to do with the bathroom. The costs of any renovation project can be broken down into two areas: labor and materials. These are the places we’ll look for ways to keep your decorating budget in balance.
Regardless of the size of your renovation project, the more you can do yourself, the more you can save. The only thing you need is time and the right attitude. Assuming you have more than one bathroom, you can stretch the duration of the project out to meet your time availability. The time you will invest must be free time. It doesn’t make sense to take time off from an income generating activity to save money on a renovation project.
The more important quality you’ll need is attitude. You have to believe that with some self –education, you can learn almost everything you need to know to tackle a project on your own. Start by going to your local library and checking out books on bathroom renovations. Look for books with diagrams and illustrations that show you what to do as well as tell you what to do. The spatial limitations of articles on the Internet make them a poor substitute for old fashioned illustrated books. Don’t be afraid to get advice from knowledgeable sales associates at major home improvement centers. They have a vested interest in helping you through a do it yourself project. If you succeed in the bathroom, you’ll be willing to take on more DIY projects.
As you study you’ll get a feel for what parts of the project you can handle and what you can’t. For renovations involving removing old plumbing fixtures; anyone can do it. If you don’t feel you’re up to changing existing wiring to allow for adding new light fixtures, even the simple removal of the existing fixtures will save you some money.
Electricians and plumbers structure their bids around estimated time for completion; so they won’t have to factor in the time it will take to remove and dispose of existing toilets, sinks, medicine cabinets and light fixtures. If you’re planning on wall and floor tile and you feel the skills needed are beyond you, removing the existing tiles will save you money.
The other area where you can save is on the cost of materials. Once again, if you can stretch the project out you can wait for sales at your local home improvement centers. Become a frequent visitor to as many as you can since they are always putting different merchandise out on clearance discounts. Sink and shower faucets, flooring tile, and light fixtures are all items that you can find on clearance. It’s all a matter of investing the time it takes to find them and having the patience to wait for products that fit your decorating theme.
