We’ve already given you some pointers on how to renovate your kitchen inexpensively. If you are thinking of fixing up your bathroom as well, you might want to follow these tips:
Image: Juan Sonin / Flickr
1. Plan, plan, plan.
You should have a plan for any renovation you undertake, but a bathroom is especially important. While you can survive on take-out and sandwiches if your kitchen is a mess, going without a bathroom – particularly if it is your only bathroom – can be potentially more problematic. As well, the bathroom features a lot of running water, and improperly fixing up your bathroom can easily cause water damage, or let mould develop. Think of this as cost control: you don’t want to be forced to pull out your bathroom in three years because it wasn’t built properly. Planning well means writing out all of the steps you are going to take in your reno, and when and if the key components of your bathroom are out of order.
2. Don’t move the sink.
Most importantly for your plan, is whether you are going to change your bathroom’s main features. If you can, you should likely avoid any major changes. Moving the toilet or bathtub will substantially increase your costs. You can then channel all of your cost savings into installing top-of-the-line faucets or by upgrading your shower stall.
3. Budget and don’t budge it.
Figure out everything you need to spend right down to the bolts, nuts and tiles. The closer you determine your need for everything, the more likely you will be able to get deals. For instance, you might be able to find just the right number of tiles at a clearance sale. If you don’t know how much you need, how will you snag these deals?
Also, stick to your budget. You may feel like suddenly adding a new bathtub will not adversely affect how much you are spending, but when you stray away from your budget, you are going to suddenly find all sorts of costs wracking up that you didn’t think of. Budgets are there for a reason.
That’s it for today. Next week I’ll provide you with more helpful tips to ensure that your bathroom reno doesn’t turn into a money pit.
Heleen Jacobsen
Broker of Record with InfoMarket Group GMAC Real Estate
www.infomarketgroup.com
