10 Bathroom Remodel Ideas on a Budget

bathroom sink

Bathroom remodeling does not necessarily mean tearing everything down and spending the most amount of money. Homeowners should know that you can remodel and make your bathroom stand-out without breaking the bank.

So here are some affordable tips you can make on your own. These will help spruce up the look of your bathroom without spending too much. The best part is some of the ideas I will suggest even takes less than five hours to accomplish.

Take notes and read up so you can consider doing it over the weekend. I got you covered.

10 Cheap Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

1. Update The Shower Head

A way to add a touch of luxury to your existing bath is by swapping out your old shower head with a new rain shower head. All you have to do is unscrew the old shower head and screw the new rain shower head in its place.

You can also consider some products with an optional extension arm. This allows you to add height or length to the head so you can get the best look and feel while bathing.

Rain shower heads are a low-cost addition that can really give your bathroom a touch of elegance and class. To find out how inexpensive these products are and what features to look for, check out my rain shower head reviews page.

2. Update Your Toilet Look

toilet

A lot of homeowners overlook the toilet when they remodel a bathroom, or they take it out and completely replace it. If you’re looking for ways on how to remodel your bathroom, buying a new toilet could blow your budget.

Instead, a simple way I suggest is to replace the toilet seat and lid. You can consider updating the looks of your toilet seat, lid cover, tank cover, to match with your bathroom rug and shower curtain.

This minor change can instantly make your toilet look upgraded without breaking the bank. While you’re at it, you may also want to change out your bathroom trash can with a more modern, automatic one.

These days, you can get small touchless trash cans that unlock their lid automatically at the wave of a hand. If this sounds interesting to you, look at my list of the best touchless trash cans.

3. Coordinate Accents

Speaking of matching toilet seats and cover, try to color coordinate your bathroom design too. You can color coordinate everything from the bathroom tile, wall tile, wall paint, wallpaper, curtains, and other fixtures.

It is suggested to install matching fixtures and stick with the color scheme you desire. While others use monochrome (one color) for the bathroom color scheme.

The most effective and simple way is to combine two to three colors that match. For example, you can combine the colors white, dark rose pink and light pink to create a sophisticated female look.

Others even match their bathroom robe, floor rugs, slippers, and soap. Coordinating accents in your bathroom won’t take up too much of your budget but will make a great finish.

4. Touch Up Your Vanity

Chances are your vanity already has a lot of scuffs and nicks, or it’s just plain ugly. This centerpiece can really bring down the bathroom design and over-all style. It’s actually something you can fix quite easily.

Take a trip to a thrift store and find a vintage dresser that has a lovely charm to it. Vintage doesn’t mean old; it just has more class and value to it.

You can then put this in place of your old vanity. To make it work, just cut out a space in the back panel for the plumbing to come through and seal any drawers that you don’t want to open.

You can also cut out a hole in the top to set your old sink in for a one of a kind piece that’ll become the talk of your new bathroom remodel. In this way, no one will ever know that you didn’t break your budget to get it.

5.  Frame Your Mirror

bathroom mirror

You can make an old builder-grade mirror seem like brand new by adding a touch of luxury with a pretty frame. You don’t need to change the whole mirror, and you can add a frame to it instead.

This is a DIY task that could be done in a few hours. Here is a more detailed instruction on what you need to make and how to add frame to your mirror.

  • To do this take the measurements of your existing mirror.
  • Head down to your local home improvement store or hardware. Look for affordable materials and accessories you need. Go to the aisle that contains crown molding and door frames and find some trim that you think looks nice.
  • Framing your mirror is going to be an easy project. Just hold up a piece of your new trim, so it covers the width of the mirror and make a small mark on each side, so you know where to cut.
  • At these marks, cut a 45-degree angle. Each end will start the corner of the frame. Do this again for the bottom piece and tack (or glue) both pieces in place over the mirror edge.
  • For the two side pieces, hold the molding up in place and make two marks where you need to cut for it to fit into the gap between the upper and lower trim. Once cut, tack (or glue) these into place, you have an instantly updated mirror.
  • The final step is you’re going to need to cover it with some paint or stain to match your existing bathroom decor or any creative materials.
  • If not, you can buy a mirror with sophisticated wood frame details in thrift stores, hope that it’s your lucky day.

6. Create the Illusion of a Larger Space

A lot of bathrooms are small and cramped, especially in outdated homes. But you can give the illusion that the room is bigger than it is by having an open shelf or cabinet and adding more mirrors.

An open shelf or cabinet made of wood is a good hack to display pretty soaps and bottles, as well as wicker baskets to hold personal items and towels.

It’s a storage hack and, at the same time, a secret to an illusion of a wide space. If possible, place wall-mounted racks or cabinet to save floor space.

This will help in making the bathroom look more organized and not cramped. Everybody knows that adding mirrors (in any part of your home) can create the illusion of a wider space. The same concept applies to the bathroom.

7. Update the Fixtures

When it comes to cheap ways to redo a bathroom, updating the bathroom fixtures is an affordable idea. These fixtures include:

  • Lighting: Replacing and adding a few bright light bulbs, small lamps, or even battery-operated candles will bring life to the bathroom vibe. Not just only in the bathroom but in any other part of the house.
  • Sink Faucets: A stylish sink faucet adds beautiful details to your bathroom, and it’s not that expensive.
  • Towel Racks: If you don’t have a towel rack in your bathroom, maybe it’s time to get one. There are modern-style towel racks you can see in the hotels. They are installed usually above the toilet and wall-mounted. It can be bought in a local improvement shop or the hardware.
  • Drawer Pulls: Replacing the drawer pulls in your bathroom is also a good idea. You can install it yourself and can even get matching ones with the towel rack. Most drawers are made of wood, so it’s easier to unscrew the drawer pulls and install a new one.

These fixtures are little details that can make big changes for every bathroom. Only a couple of materials and tools will be needed. It won’t even cost that much, but it can make a great addition.

8. Repaint Your Wall

painted wall

A fresh coat of paint on your bathroom wall can instantly freshen up the vibes. You can add fresh paint to the walls and match the floor rugs, floor tile, and other fixtures.

For example, if your flooring is deep green tiles, it makes sense to choose in a green color palette with the wall paint or something that matches like neutral brown colors.

To save money on this project, look for paint in the clearance aisles of your local home improvement store instead. Often they have a rack of discounted paint; these are surprisingly good finds.

9. Update The Wallpaper

If you’re not into painting the walls, you can always go for new wallpapers instead. This is an inexpensive bathroom makeover idea that can be done by anyone.

Having new wallpapers is the obvious remodeling hack because of its impact. Its the first thing people when they enter the bathroom.

It is a good idea to cut costs, simple to place on the walls and can be done in a couple of hours. Make sure to use a wallpaper that goes with your overall color scheme, especially the flooring.

If you have stone floor tiles, then it makes sense to choose a wallpaper that matches the stone theme. It’s always a good idea to consider the color of your flooring when choosing the wallpaper.

In many cases, walls are what other people see when they enter the bathroom, and the flooring has the second greatest impact.

10. Fresh Caulk and Grout

bathroom caulk

The last bathroom remodeling idea I can suggest is to apply fresh caulk and grout in your bathroom. I bet you have not heard of these two, but trust me, it’s all over your home, and you just don’t know it.

  • Caulk: Caulking is a sealant or filler used for home repairs, and is resistant to water. In the bathroom, it is usually used as a sealant between the tub and the wall. It’s the white silicone or latex material lining that you can see.
  • Grout: Grout is a cement-based powdery material place in between the bathroom tile (both floor and wall) to fill the gaps. [1]
  • How to Re-apply Caulk: You can apply fresh caulk by scraping the old ones using a utility knife. Purchase a caulk gun with latex caulk to re-apply on your bathroom. Apply the caulk around the sink, bathtub, and shower tiles. Instead of the most common silicon, latex caulk is the most recommended bathroom caulk.
  • How to Re-apply Grout: For grout, it is better to consider epoxy grout because it is resistant to water. Make sure to choose a grout color that matches your bathroom tile. You need to clean out the old grout, and apply new ones around each bathroom tile. It’s relatively easy, and there is a lot of online guides for this.

A fresh caulk and grout will make a huge difference. It will make your bathroom floor tile and wall look like brand new. You can do this on your own and save money on labor costs.

Happy Bathroom remodeling…

When remodeling your bathroom, make sure to plan out what are the changes you want to see and make a rough timeline. Then prepare the budget you are willing to spend on the remodeling.

List the materials and accessories you need to buy and its costs. You can also save the most amount of money by checking out thrift and antique shop for things you might like.

Keep in mind that you’re trying to save money by cutting costs, so always set a realistic budget. I hope you found useful bathroom remodeling ideas in this post. Of course, don’t forget to enjoy the process and appreciate your efforts afterward.

References:

  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/grout

Joe Castro is the Director of Trusty Joe. Under the guidance of his father, a general contractor, Joe has been involved with a lot of handyman projects from a very young age.

He combined this love for building with another passion of his, creative writing. Trusty Joe allows him to merge these two interests and offer the best of both worlds.

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