10 Cheap Bathroom Remodel Ideas
My newest project is this cheap bathroom remodel, using good ideas instead of my wallet! It takes a little investment, but not a ton, thanks to stuff you already have on hand and keeping it simple!
Today I want to tell you my Top 10 ideas for creating a cheap bathroom remodel that stuns your visitors and takes you away to a spa experience with every new day! As I explain my thought process on starting a big bathroom remodel, I’ll go through and answer a few of your biggest questions!
How much does a cheap bathroom remodel cost?
My experience with bathroom remodels is that you can make a cheap remodel look like it really costs a lot! I follow a few simple rules to achieve a whole new refresh, starting with the cheapest and easiest first. You’d be surprised at how little you can spend on a bathroom remodel! Here is a quick list of my Top 10 rules for achieving a cheap bathroom remodel that creates a mood-enhancing room for your family!
1. Try and use what you have
The cheapest way to remodel is to shop your own house! I don’t know about you, but I put away décor and extras in closets and in storage, and sometimes forget I have them. If you have a few boards or some tile from another project, or a soap dish you no longer use in the kitchen, anything can be fair game for a remodel.
You can also check with friends, making a big remodel list first, to see if they have anything in the garage or a closet that’s on your list! They might be as excited as you to swap a few items back and forth for their own remodel projects!
2. Fix it up rather than replace it
If an outdated bathroom is an eyesore and you have little storage, don’t spend thousands of dollars trying to create the perfect bathroom. Instead, create the perfect bathroom for your family using a limited budget! High-quality paint can modernize and refresh at least half of your wall space, if not more! You might replace an outdated tub surround with tile or cover the old linoleum with new flooring. If you don’t have a budget for big items, start with a primer and two coats of paint, and decorate from there.
3. Update your grout by paint or cleaner
The first problem most of us notice in an old bathroom is the stained, aged grout. Older grout differs in its formula from new grout. How do you clean old grout? There are multiple formulas
out there for cleaning grout. Here are three: one part vinegar to one part water, two parts baking soda to one part hydrogen peroxide, or an off-the-shelf grout and tile cleaner.
Whichever cleaning solution you choose, start with a good scrubbing before you attempt to paint. Grout pens are available for painting, but you can easily find a paintbrush of the correct width and paint using your preferred latex or acrylic paint. Paint adheres excellently to the texture of grout.
4. Add a few high-end items to elevate the whole look
This is a great idea when you’re looking for small bathroom remodel ideas! When your week is full of stress and you need a spa experience, look no further than your own bathroom down the hall! This is where some high-end décor and spa-type gifts come in handy, not just plush towels and hand-made shower curtains, but also the moisturizers, hair products, and fragrances. When you create a tailored, well-designed look, your remodel can become a vacation at home!
5. Replace cookie cutter/builder-grade items
I don’t know about you, but I have watched some HGTV shows and fallen in love with a house, but then the kitchen or bathroom is wall-to-wall cookie-cutter cabinets or white plastic and linoleum. With a little ingenuity, these are all easy fixes! If you are on a super tight budget, paint those cabinets and add new, modern knobs. In the bathroom, a new surround for the tub or new flooring from the clearance aisle might do the trick. Another remedy here is adding tile on the wall around the problem pieces, or just replacing them entirely with something a little more unique.
6. Add in extra storage like baskets and/or shelves
Sometimes your bathroom isn’t the problem, it’s all the stuff you have stacked everywhere and hanging off hooks and the doorknob. Instead of going into full renovation mode, try clearing out the entire space and starting again from scratch. Throw out any old, expired containers or things you don’t use regularly, and then figure out how much storage you need for necessary items and décor. From there, pick up some baskets and shelving that will fit in your space, without looking crowded.
7. Add backsplash or texture to the walls like board and batten
If you’re looking for cheap bathroom remodel ideas for small bathrooms, then this is a place to start. If your budget is tight, then tile or wood, especially with inflation right now, is going to be the big splurge! Board and batten can give you a quaint, cottage look, perfect for an old farmhouse. Or you can use backsplash or texture on the walls to give your bathroom any look you want, from modern and minimalistic, to traditional, country living.
8. Add window treatments like bamboo blinds
A high-quality window treatment can add insulation and privacy to your bathroom, and create a dramatic effect! It can give you a lower bathroom remodel cost while giving you a stunning new way to control morning and afternoon light. A lot of custom shade, blind and curtain options exist, so every uniquely sized bathroom window can be fitted.
9. Add in color with shower curtain and a rug
When you start your bathroom remodeling, it’s a great idea to pick a palette: go bold, use bright, vivid colors, or stay with more sedate, white, and dark farmhouse tones. That’s what I chose to do with my big bathroom remodel!
The easiest way to add in color, without feeling like you made a mistake down the road, is with a shower curtain and a rug. With a multicolored rug, you’ll gain lots of options on which direction you can go with your other décor. You can add other little pops of color in accessories and décor, to really pull the look together, using contrasting and complementary colors. When the look gets old, it’s easy to put it away and find something new!
10. Add in decor and accessories
Décor, décor, décor! I’ve said it a lot in this article and I mean it! The difference between those bland, empty-looking bathrooms and the ones that are relaxing and picture-perfect is the use of the right décor and accessories. I don’t like to use tons of stuff everywhere, just items that are on the cheap and that complement the vibe you’re trying to achieve. If you take a look at my budget bathroom remodel before and after, you’ll see a big difference that décor and accessories can make!
What kind of décor do I prefer? I use a lot of shelves that can be used for storage or décor, giving me the option of changing things up for each season or when the mood strikes me. It also gives me the chance to shop my home, move things from one room to another one, or take something down from a closet I haven’t used in a while.
How do you redo a bathroom under 500?
If you’re remodeling a small bathroom, this is absolutely an easy project to complete! Start with your budget and write a list of your absolute needs. Does your toilet have to be replaced this year? Can you find paint on sale? If it’s a small bathroom, new flooring might be within your budget, if you find the right deal on clearance.
Online deals, Walmart, big home improvement stores, the list is endless when it comes to all your options for sourcing materials to use in a redo. If you’re searching for a cheap bathroom remodel near me, you might try the back of a local tile and carpet shops, to check for cheap flooring and tile deals.
How cheap can you renovate a small bathroom?
If you plan on keeping your tub, classic pedestal sink, and toilet, you can keep the costs to renovate really cheap. I mean, if you spend some time really looking for the best deals, you can fit in a few extra high-end décor pieces to finish it off.
If you’re stumped for DIY bathroom remodel ideas, follow me through a quick remodel that is cheap, easy to achieve, and that gives plenty of great results! If you don’t like mine, and you’re like me, look around on Pinterest to see what successes other renovators have had with their remodel projects.
Can you remodel a bathroom for $2,000?
You can complete a cheap bathroom remodel for any amount, but $2,000 is a lot of money to spend if you are careful in budgeting bigger for the items that will make a difference for your family! This is a great question because a lot of families have limited money to spend on improving their homes. If you have one big eyesore in your bathroom, whether it’s the floor, walls, or ceiling (just repaint it!), you know where you need to start. I love to find new flooring that can take a lot of wear and tear, or paint existing tile so it has a whole new look, with the same sturdy character.
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That’s it for now!
Talk soon,
Kori
