At Matter Designs, we have all of the necessary know-how to help you to conduct your bathroom renovation project successfully, on time and within your upper spending limits. When it comes to choosing new materials and items for your bathroom, it is easy to start spending without really realising how much you are committing to. As such, it is a good idea to keep your eye on your expected costs at the design stage. After all, it is much easier to lower the overall cost of a bathroom renovation project by making the right choices at the outset.
There are plenty of ways that you can obtain your dream bathroom or en-suite bathroom without breaking the bank. Of course, a little expertise in cost control helps, which is where our design team can help. That said, there are numerous things you can do for yourself which will mean you don’t overspend unnecessarily. Read on to discover some of the most important considerations to keep in mind when planning a bathroom renovation.
-
-
in this article
Don’t Remodel – Unless You Have To
-
Some people understandably get carried away with a bathroom renovation, especially when it is part of a wider project for redesigning the interior of their home. Although it is very much on-trend to remodel a bathroom these days, especially those which are on the upper floor and that might be able to ‘borrow’ some space from an adjacent bedroom, doing so can really push your costs up. Any structural work on moving even partition walls will mean running new electrics and plumbing, in many cases, too. Then, you will have much more disruption to take into account plus new carpets and redecoration costs in the affected area to take into consideration, as well.
On the other hand, if you can keep your bathroom the same shape and size that it currently is without compromising too much on your ideal, then do so. Remodelling projects often throw up unexpected costs that you cannot plan for. When you renovate within the current limitations, the costs you will encounter should always be much closer to your estimations. If you really do need extra space for your bathroom, then avoid taking down structural walls which will require expensive steel work and professional fees to do properly.
-
Consider Keeping Your Current Bathroom Suite
One of the big expenses with nearly every type of bathroom renovation project is to rip out the old bathroom suite and replace it with a new one. The bath, or shower tray, the toilet and the wash basin are the mainstays of any bathroom, after all. However, they do come with a hefty price tag in most cases. Ask yourself whether or not you really need new ones. If you do, then so be it. There is certainly nothing wrong with putting a new suite in, especially if you minimise costs as far as possible by using the same location for each – bear in mind that moving your bathroom’s toilet, for example, is considerably more expensive than keeping it where it currently sits.
However, you should also bear in mind that you can update a tired bathroom suite without necessarily having to rip it out. Professional recolouring will make an old bathroom suite look like it is almost brand new and some people swear that they cannot tell the difference. This is a good way of lowering your costs if you cannot stand the colour scheme of your suite, for instance. However, you can also have your bathroom suite resurfaced in the same colour as before, if wanted, which will make it look almost as good as new.
-
-
Go For Painted Walls
-
There are many ways you can deal with the walls of a bathroom. Of course, one of the tried and tested ways of treating your bathroom’s walls is with tiling. After all, it is attractive, practical and keeps your walls free from moisture since it can be wiped down easily. However, you might also like to consider lower-cost options for your walls instead.
These days, modern paints are so sophisticated that you can use them in wet rooms and bathrooms with complete confidence. Paint is obviously a lot easier to apply than tiles so it is a more cost-effective option to consider. What’s more, you can purchase waterproof paints in just about any colour you could think of. Just like tiled walls, painted ones are able to help prevent unwanted musty smells and mildew from occurring. Bear in mind, however, that splash resistant paints are more expensive than conventional emulsion which will not be up to the job.
-
-
Focus on Flooring Costs
-
It is tempting to choose very cheap flooring for bathrooms, especially when you want to keep the costs down. Because bathroom floors are one of the last things to be fitted in a bathroom once the rest of the renovation work has been completed, some people try to claw back an overspend by opting for the cheapest option they can find. However, this can be a false economy in many cases because low-cost floors tend to bubble up and deform in bathrooms due to the level of airborne moisture they are exposed to.
If you want the real cost of your bathroom to be kept down, then don’t skimp on your choice of floor for it. A mid-range bathroom floor is likely to be much more cost-effective in the long run. No one wants to have to replace their bathroom’s flooring system a couple of years after they renovated it, after all. Ensure you don’t spend too much before your floor is chosen so you can buy something that will last.
-
-
Set a Budget and Stick to It!
-
When you embark on a bathroom renovation, work out how much you want to spend even before you get to the point of designing it. Any professional bathroom designer will tell you the same – it is easier to maintain a budget when you know what it is from the outset rather than having limits imposed halfway through the process. By making the right design choices from the outset, it is possible to come in within budget – and even considerably below it – in many cases. This means there is more money left over for those all important finishing touches which make such a difference to a newly renovated bathroom.
Want to know more about cost reduction in bathroom renovation projects? Talk to a bathroom fitting expert today!