Nobody likes to live in a house with leaky faucets or outdated bathrooms.

You can choose to decorate your bathroom in multiple colors, illuminate it with extravagant light fixtures and pricey laminated countertops, but who really wants that?


If you want to remodel your bathroom without watching your hard-earned money poor down the drain, you have to go about it the right way. In this article, we will share the top 10 money-saving alternatives to consider when renovating the most intensely-used area of your home – the bathroom.

Bathroom renovations often tend to be overpriced, but homeowners can benefit from accurate and thorough planning. By considering the following tips, you will have plenty of money left to remodel other parts of the house. After the renovation process, you will have a cleaner, brighter and more functional bathroom.

However, please note that if you have never tried the Do-It-Yourself approach before, it may be beneficial to hire remodeling professionals as a bathroom is never a good place to start experimenting. Hiring experts who know the ins and outs of their job may help you save money in the long run.

  1. Include Some Interesting Accessories
    If you want to change the look and feel of the bathroom drastically, search online for some posh accessories to add an artistic feel to the room. You can choose a new shower curtain, a new rug, plush bath towels, or put some flowers in a decorative vase to brighten up the space. You can even place freshly laundered around fancy soaps and towels around your existing vanity for a fresher look.
  2. Shop Around for Fixtures and Vanity
    When renovating a bathroom, you can shop around for new a vanity and fixtures as these are the least expensive renovation accessories. You can shop online, in stores, or watch for clearance sales to find fixtures that suit your requirements. You can always compare prices and find a much larger selection online as compared to traditional stores. But when choosing a vanity, please don’t go too modern if you’re just going to keep the same tub and toilet. It’s essential that each element in this small space complements the other, so make sure to have continuity when choosing your fixtures, vanity and other elements of the room.
  3. Paint the Walls
    Don’t underestimate the impact a pop of color can have on your bathroom. To give the space a new dimension, paint the walls in complimenting colors. Changing the color will also make any new accessories stand out against the new background. So, make sure to choose accessories and paint that complement each other. Stay away from the darker colors in this space as they tend to be more dramatic and less cheerful. After all, no one wants to be depressed as they relax in the bubble bath, it defeats the purpose.
  4. Tile it Up
    Instead of using tiles throughout the entire bathroom, why not consider using tile in just the small area around your tub or shower. For the rest of the area, you can use drywall and dress it up with a modern decorative wall paper. Yes, that’s right we said wall paper! We know it’s not the 80’s but wall paper is back and relatively inexpensive. However, if you do choose to use tile, please remember that the cost of tiles greatly depends on the type you choose. While ceramic tiles cost somewhere around $1 to $5, some ornamental and more intricate design tiles can cost upwards of $100 per square foot. So, before you go all out buying decorative tiles, consider other less expensive options such as modern wall paper and use the savings for better fixtures or unexpected costs you may run into.
  5. Change the Showerhead
    Showers and tubs are overpriced because they are considered showstoppers of a bathroom. You can find a wide selection of showerheads ranging from massage showerheads to rain showerheads and other models to give your bathroom a facelift and improve your showering experience. Whatever you do, remember to use the same finish on all fixtures throughout the space. There’s nothing worse than seeing a bathroom with a brass sink faucet and a polished chrome shower head. Oh yes, we have seen this!
  6. Renovate a Small Section
    If you have a limited amount of budget, refrain from tearing down the whole bathroom, instead we recommend you renovate the space in small sections. Consider repainting the area or changing the showerhead or vanity first. Making a few but noticeable changes can give a new vibe to any space. So take a look around and see what can be changed first.
  7. Use Shower Curtain
    Do you have a glass shower enclosure? How about using a shower curtain with interesting prints? If you are sick and tired of cleaning the glass enclosure to keep it sparkling clean, try replacing it with a curved shower curtain rod. An adjustable curved shower rod with chrome finish adds a decorative element to the space while making it easy to conceal the mounting hardware. Furthermore, there are various cheap yet beautiful and modern prints to choose from online. Look into it first, you may be surprised with what you find.
  8. Spice Up The Mirror
    To give your bathroom a glamorous look instantly, try choosing a new framed mirror to spice up the wall behind your vanity. You can find endless types of these frames online or in department stores that goes well with the décor of the space. If you have a small mirror, you can easily find a frame at a thrift store, but if you have a large mirror, you can build a frame using molding. Along with improving the outlook of the space, a frame also hides the signs of wear and tear.
  9. Consider Open Shelves
    Instead of building cabinets, you can go in with open shelves. While we understand that a bathroom is a private place, open shelves create an illusion of space. You can use baskets to house private items and put other fun stuff such as colorful towels, soaps and other bathroom décors on open shelves.
  10. Lots of Lights
    When renovating a bathroom, many people choose to change the builder grade lighting. This is because the fixtures don’t appeal much to the eyes. By adding lots of light to a bathroom, you can make one of the most valuable changes to the space. You can shop for lighting at home improvement stores or buy them online at great discounts.

The Bottom Line

While DIY renovations are a great way of saving money, it can often leave you in a bind if you’re not careful. Therefore, before starting the remodeling project, make sure you know what you can handle and what to leave to the professionals.

For the past ten years, the IB Homes remodeling division has been helping homeowners renovate their homes at competitive prices. Reach out to us at [email protected] or connect with us at (239) 205-5976 to schedule your free estimate today!