Have you ever felt embarrassed any time guests visit you and use your bathroom? Why? The reason is; that any time you decide to do a home makeover, you will always prioritize living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and balconies. Bathrooms never come into your mind. It’s time to start considering a makeover for your bathroom and here are easy and affordable steps to remodel a bathroom.
As a homeowner, before doing your bathroom makeover, shut off tap water, drain and remove the toilet to avoid any spillage.
If you decide to remove the bathtub, start by removing the bath tile down. This makes it easy for your plumber when fitting your new bathtub. Also, remove any insulation on your walls.
Before looking at the steps involved in this process, let us first look at the reasons why one can decide to remodel his or her bathroom.
Reasons for Remodeling Your Bathroom
Anybody looking to change the appearance of their bathroom has their own reasons for doing so.
If you are worried about the renovation cost, there are cheaper alternatives that work perfectly too.
1. To modify the appearance of your bathroom
There comes a time when you get tired of your bathroom and decide to give it a change.
You will definitely be looking for a stylish and modern bathroom by adding or changing your flooring and other accessories.
2. To increase storage space
This is highly achieved by adding cabinets to your bathroom. They offer both visual appearance and more storage space.
3. To repair any damages
Most bathrooms always have a problem of water leakage which gives rise to the growth of molds and rotten floors.
This is one of the reasons why one will choose to remodel his or her bathroom.
4. To improve energy effectiveness
Lately, most people are becoming conscious of the environment.
Using radiant flooring, water-saving fixtures, and low-flow toilet suites among others, massively increases the efficiency of your bathroom.
5. To add functionality
If your house is always full and busy with many people using the bathroom, consider renovating it.
Shower bases, bathroom basins, shower screens, and other bathroom products will definitely add a touch of functionality to your bathroom.
6. To increase the resale worth of your house
Looking to put your house on sale in the future? Stand out from the rest. One of the surest ways of insuring a fast sale and avoiding competition is to modify your bathroom.
This will put your house or home’s sale value at a higher price. It is definitely a good investment.
7. To add safety to the bathroom
If you have young children, I highly recommend you modify your bathroom. It’s no news that accidents do happen in the bathroom.
You can prevent this by installing slip-resistant floors and having wider doorways as additional safety.
Easy and Affordable Steps to Remodel a Bathroom
1. Shop for cheap alternatives
Most people love installing tiles in their bathrooms but I consider it costly and hard to install. I recommend installing tiles on either the walls or floors but not both.
If you can avoid tiles completely, your bathroom remodel will be cheap.
For light fixtures and toilet holders, shop at your local store. They are likely to be cheap. Configure electrical fixtures and fix your desired lighting. If their measurements are bigger or smaller compared to the former ones, adjust the wiring.
Pro Tip: If you have never done home wiring before, you will be required to call in an electrician. Safety comes first.
2. Buy bathroom floors that are easy to install
The first step was to source alternative and cheap materials and we recommended avoiding tiles. Consider using peel-and-stick tile, laminate flooring, or engineered wood because they are affordable and easy to install.
- Peel-and-stick tile
For as low as 20 cents per square foot, you can have your bathroom remodeled. This bathroom flooring is easy to install and will spare you many hours of work.
If you decide to change your design later, it is easy to remove compared to the regular tile.
- Laminate flooring
This flooring snaps perfectly into place, unlike tiles. To easily gauge the number of pieces you need, measure the dimensions of your bathroom before installing. It is also perfectly friendly, costing approximately $2 per square foot.
- Engineered wood
Hardwood floors are not recommended for bathrooms because they aren’t waterproof. Go for engineered wood. It will bring you a nice feel of your bathroom.
The wood can be installed easily using nail guns or gorilla glue and it is less prone to moisture.
Pro Tip: ensure you have protective clothing i.e. gloves and goggles.
3. Look for other bathroom wall ideas
If you choose not to tile your bathroom floor, the walls don’t have to have tiles either. In most cases, paint is used on bathroom walls in place of tiles. You can also use acrylic panels and fiberglass which are easy to install and inexpensive.
- Paint
Paint can be used to modify your bathroom.
Regardless of the color you choose, ensure the paint is waterproof and contains a semi-gloss finish. This type of paint is resistant to mildew and mold and it is also easy to wipe down. Paint is a simple way of modifying your bathroom while saving some money.
In addition, painting freshens and gives your bathroom a whole new look.
- Acrylic panels
They are mostly used in showers and they are waterproof. You can use normal woodworking tools to easily install the panels.
- Fiberglass
It is mostly used on the wall above bathtubs and for shower inserts as well to give your bathroom a feel of smoothness.
Also, there are several patterns you can choose from including brick, marble, and solid colors.
4. Choose your bathroom wall art
We all know bathrooms are hard to beautify. There is a lot of moisture in the air that can easily destroy good artwork. I highly advise you to avoid paints because they are easily damaged by steam.
To cut it short, posters and framed pictures will work well for your bathroom wall. In addition, you can opt for ceramic pieces like beautiful plates.
Above all, be sure to have the frame sealed completely with a strong backing before hanging it up.
5. Repeat your bathroom vanity
There are several cheap ways to redo the bathroom vanity.
- Get new hardware
For instance, if you are looking for new bathroom doorknobs, make sure they have the same finish and color.
- Paint the bathroom vanity
Change the color of your vanity by using semi-gloss latex paint. Cover the wood close to the mirror, the door, and drawers while repainting it. Finalize with a shiny topcoat.
- Change the countertop
Use peel-and-stick countertops which are waterproof, cheap, and easy to install, rather than marble countertops that are far from cheap.
- Put a new light fixture
Other than changing the whole bathroom vanity, consider changing the lighting above it. A vanity cannot be complete without beautiful lighting.
- Buy new-to-you
If the entire vanity is beyond repair, get a completely new one. Most vanities are made in a way that makes it hard to remodel. However, no matter hard your vanity may look, it can be remodeled.
6. Reorganize your bathroom
Another easy way of remodeling your bathroom again is to reorganize it. You can create space in your bathroom by utilizing the space well. You can do this by:
- Using drawer dividers
Use dividers to keep your bathroom drawers organized. Each section can be used to store toothbrushes, makeup, hair wigs, etc.
- Using your bathroom door
The bathroom door can be used to hang your bathrobe and towels.
- Using baskets
Baskets can give you lots of counter space. You can store extra toilet paper, lotions, and other toiletries in baskets.
- Installing shelves
Shelves help create space efficiently. If you have an unoccupied wall above your vanity, make use of it. You can keep your toiletries on these shelves.
- Thoroughly cleaning your bathroom
Cleaning your bathroom thoroughly can help you keep off needless clutter.
7. Pay Attention to details
After being contented with your bathroom vanity, floor, and walls, you can also opt to change hand towels and the shower curtain.
However, ensure they match your other design preferences. If you have extra space, you can also add a mirror.
Conclusion
When considering a home renovation, bathrooms are always snubbed. Most people start and end their day in bathrooms hence they should not be overlooked. The above-mentioned steps to remodel a bathroom are easy and DIY guides.
Choosing to remodel your bathroom is completely a game changer.
There is a saying that states, “normal is boring and a change is as good as a rest.”
Remodeling your bathroom is cost-friendly and gives you a beautiful picturesque of your bathroom space. With the right materials and a professional contractor, you can remodel your bathroom to sparkling new.