I recently read on realestate.com.au that a money ‘expert’ recommended spending 10% of the value of your home on your bathroom renovation. So if your house is worth $750,000, you should be spending $75,000 on your bathroom reno!
Um, what?
We’ve created 14 bathrooms over the past decade and our average spend is $4,500. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t know a single person who has that type of money laying around for a single bathroom reno. That’s like our renovation budget for an entire house, no kidding.
So before you go and believe the ‘experts’ (because why wouldn’t you?), let me let you in on a few of our secrets to get that beautiful bathroom at a tenth of that cost.
1. Plan it properly
Our number one advice for any person about to embark on a renovation is to plan it properly. And it’s no different if it’s just your bathroom you’re tackling.
Ask yourself:
Does it feel awkward?
Is there wasted space?
Does it meet your family’s needs?
Does it flow and function well but just need aesthetic updates?
Then set to work planning it out! Measure, mark it out, start Pinteresting design ideas and making a list of your practical, must-have inclusions.
How much storage do you need?
Do you want a freestanding bath or walk-in shower?
Having a clear, pre-considered plan has the potential to save you thousands. You don’t want to be changing the layout on the day the plumber arrives because he thinks it won’t work!
Of course, it’s cheaper to keep your plumbing where it is. But if that’s going to be at the cost of a functional and spacious bathroom, we think it’s worth the investment to move it around.
And if you know it needs to change but can’t see how, seek help/advice from someone you trust that isn’t going to charge you more than a couple of hundred dollars (like us 😉).
2. Stick with standard sizes
Familiarise yourself with what sizes bathroom products come in off the shelf. Google it. Head to your local bathroom supplier. Ask around.
Why? Because avoiding custom-made products will save you big time on the budget front.
Sure your space might fit an 1100mm vanity, but they come in 900mm or 1200mm, so go with one of those. You want to be checking standard sizes in shower screens, baths, vanities, even mirrors prior to starting!
And we even go one further than that by designing our bathroom around standard sizes! For example, there’s been times we’ve wanted to use the back wall of a shower for a ledge but chose not to because a straight glass shower panel costs under $300, a custom-made stepped one over a thousand!
3. Shop around for fittings
There are literally hundreds of places you can buy bathroom fittings from, but understandably, when faced with the prospect of renovating a bathroom (or building new!) people tend to go to the big chains.
This is my blog so I think I’m allowed to say this. Don’t go to Reece. We are constantly flabbergasted by their prices. You’re not getting a superior product; you’re not getting a larger warranty or a locally handmade item or even better customer service than you’d receive elsewhere. They just have inflated prices. And if you like to shop by physically touching an item and chatting to the salesperson you have plenty of other, much more realistically priced, places to shop. Harper’s, Highgrove, Samios, Hardware stores, even some tile shops – all great options.
But want to know what we do?
We buy online.
We have literally saved tens of thousands of dollars by buying tapware online. Mostly from eBay! And we’ve yet to be bitten. We’ve even bought shower screens and baths online - but remember to factor in freight for these.
We make sure the products we buy have the Australian Watermark, a decent warranty, and are made of the right stuff. Then we read reviews and feedback from the seller and we don’t get too caught up with each item being of the same ‘line’. Mostly you’ll find all varieties of matte black, chrome or brushed nickel looks the same and you don’t view it all directly next to each other anyway. Brushed brass, however, can be fairly varied so that’s something to be aware of.
4. Don’t pay too much for tiles
But what’s too much? A good rule of thumb is half whatever your wife tells you!
But in all seriousness, you are leaving yourself with an amazing selection from any local tile supplier if you stick with no more than $40sqm. There’s been a couple of times we’ve splurged and gone for something more, but it’s been for one feature wall or a smaller splashback where the budget sting isn’t as great.
You can also save in this area by limiting the walls that you choose to tile; leaving some plaster or feature paneling like we have here. Especially if you’re paying for a tiler!
We would much rather tile less of the walls than stop the tile 3/4s of the way up. This short cut instantly cheapens the look of the bathroom and the value add of going floor to ceiling with your tiles is well worth the extra investment in our opinion.
5. Consider DIY
Let me be clear from the outset, not everyone should try DIY tiling in a bathroom. Splashback? Go for it. But if the thought scares you, you’re not handy or don’t have access to someone who is, steer clear. If you are handy and are prepared to be patient and learn to do it properly, it’s an area that can literally save you thousands. Take the time to set out your tiles perfectly and even consider dry laying them before getting stuck into the gluing (pun intended).
Then depending on your state or territory, there are rules around whether or not you’re allowed to DIY your waterproofing. Look into them with your local council. It is as simple as painting it on but comes with some liability as the smallest hole or crack will leak water and potentially cost you thousands in repairs.
Other areas you can definitely jump in and give DIY a crack are demolition and painting. That and project managing are a great way to save.
Have a look at this incredible before and after by Carly + Josh @our_emerald_home. This is a perfect example of the type of beautiful, budget-friendly bathroom renovation that can be achieved by two people without a trade background. They did everything here themselves except for asbestos removal, plumbing and electrical, and used a combo of $9sqm and $29sqm tiles from Bunnings! All for under $4,000.
How do you save on a bathroom renovation? Good planning, clever sourcing and giving it a crack yourself.
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