First, what is the difference between a renovation vs remodel?
According to the Webster Dictionary, a remodel is the alteration of a structure. Where to renovate is to restore to a former or better state by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding.
So, your final cost will depend on the size of your bathroom, your location, and if it’s a renovation or a remodel.
After researching this topic and based on my own experience it’s hard to pinpoint an exact cost because there are so many variables that affect the cost of a renovation or remodel. However, there is an average range, and according to HomeGuide the cost for a bathroom renovation of 50 square feet would cost around $6,000-13,000. In a high cost of living city the same bathroom would cost $10,000-$24,000. The good thing is that bathroom renovations increase the value of your home and will be beneficial in the long run. However, if shelling out that much cash isn’t doable for you, there are a few things you can do to stick to the budget and keep costs down.
“According to HomeGuide the cost for a bathroom renovation of 50 square feet would cost around $6,000-13,000. In a high cost of living city the same bathroom would cost $10,000-$24,000.”
Do It Yourself
You can do it yourself. If you are planning a renovation, you can definitely do it! Most renovations include: tile, vanity, lighting, sink, and a faucet. You could install those yourself with the help of the internet. Check out blog posts or how to videos on youtube. I’m more of a visual learner, so I love going to youtube to learn how to complete a project. The only challenging part of renovating a bathroom would be the shower area. I would recommend installing a fiberglass shower or shower pan. These are prefab products that are easier to install on your own with little experience, supplies, and a relatively low cost.
Do Half The Work
If you are set on having a fully tiled shower there is another option. You can do some of the work yourself and hire out the part you aren’t comfortable doing. This is more expensive but you’re paying for the skillset of the tradesmen and their time. This is what we did with our guest bathroom, we hired out some of the work and did some of the work ourselves. We paid tilers to remove the pre-existing prefab shower and install tile all around and up to the ceiling. We also paid them to remove and install tile on the floors. That took up most of our budget so we ended up doing the rest of the work ourselves. We installed the vanity and sink, shower trim kit, lighting, mirror, baseboards, painted, and replaced the medicine cabinet with recessed shelves. Doing just those small tasks on our own saved us money, but it did take us a long time to finally have everything completed.
Use cash
This final tip can help you if you are working with a company who accepts cash and credit, usually they will give you a small discount for paying with cash. I don’t like to always use cash for my projects, but if I can get a deal I’ll use cash for materials I know I will keep and won’t change my mind on.
Additional resources
Here are some additional resources to check out, when planning your bathroom renovation or remodel.
Youtubers I like:
- XO, MaCenna
- Lone Fox
- Mr Build It
- Home with Stephani
Diy websites I like:
- Designer Trapped
- Our Fifth House
- Ugly Duckling House
Reddit forms to check out
- r/DIY
- r/HomeImprovement
- r/Bathrooms
Conclusion
The cost of updating your bathroom really depends on the size and the degree of updating. If you want to save money and do it for the cheap you’re going to have to do most of the work yourself. So if you’re willing to get your hands dirty and put in some sweat equity you can save yourself a lot of money.
Have you ever done any updates yourself?
