Mark Schwartz 

Remodeling a bathroom can turn into a huge, expensive task that can cost up to several thousand dollars. Yet, a bathroom remodel is sometimes a requirement, whether you want it to look better for your own family or so that you can entice people to purchase your home. So, here are 8 inexpensive bathroom remodeling tips that can help you keep your bathroom budget under control:

Avoid Using too Many Tiles While Remodeling 

Bathroom tiles are expensive. It’s one thing to install a tile floor. It’s quite another to use tiles on the walls and in the shower. If your budget is tight, you can save a huge amount by limiting how much tile you use in your new bathroom design. One horizontal strip of it halfway up the wall can help to tie the room together without breaking the bank. This way, you will have extra spending money for other upgrades such as lighting fixtures, granite countertops, and new faucets.

Purchase or Create Inexpensive Bathroom Counters

One of the most expensive parts of any bathroom can be the counter and there are tons of ways you can cut that cost. If you are shopping for a granite counter, don’t be afraid to purchase one with defects. Almost anyplace that sells granite counters will have “seconds,” which are pieces with imperfections. If those imperfections are minor, they might be totally invisible once the counter is installed. In fact, you might even find that the defective section will be removed anyway to make way for the bathroom sink or faucet handles.

If You’ve Got Grimy Grout, Clean it Out

An easy thing to focus on when remodeling your bathroom is the grout and caulking. Be sure that your tub and shower are properly caulked. If your grout is grimy you can revitalize it with something as simple as baking soda or toothpaste. You can also choose to reapply fresh grout and caulk in certain areas.

Make Sure You Only Have to Paint Once

Painting is often so inexpensive that people don’t worry about it too much. If you don’t like the paint, you can just paint over it in a different color, right? But, if your budget is tight and you don’t want to do the job twice, be sure to do it right the first time. Use mold-resistant paint that is specifically meant for bathrooms and tape everything off properly so you don’t have to do the process over again later.

Don’t Replace the Shower or Tub

If you plan to sell your home, there’s no point to totally replacing the shower or tub. Replacing either one would be far too expensive. You can save a lot of money by simply having them relined. You might not increase the sale value of your home that way, but you will minimize your losses and make your bathroom look more desirable.

Focus on Updating Your Fixtures

Bathroom fixtures are not as expensive as you might think. Replacing anything from the sink faucet to the lighting can actually be easy. You can either purchase these items at secondhand stores or when they are on sale, or you can even choose to make some of them yourself. A DIY light fixture can make your bathroom look totally unique.

Make Your Bathroom Environmentally-Friendly 

It might cost a little more to do things like purchase low-flow showerheads and toilets, but it’s always a good idea. Not only will homebuyers love it when you’re ready to sell, but in the meantime you and your family will reduce how much you have to pay on your bills.

A Little Imagination and Used Items Go a Long Way

When you’re trying to put the finishing touches on your bathroom, remember to use your imagination. A little creativity can easily make up for a low budget. Make your own shelving; purchase some used items to use as decorations, and generally put your own personal stamp on the space. That way it will look and feel inviting.

Your home is the one place where you should be able to relax, enjoy, and be able to escape all the hustle and bustle from work and the city. A part of making it feeling like this is creating a place that you can enjoy looking at every day! You’ve probably seen lots of home improvement shows where they’ve done complete overhauls on massive budgets and wondered, “How in the world would I ever be able to afford something like that?”

The truth is, there are plenty of ways you can spruce up your own home without the need for renovations or large budgets. Here are some easy décor tricks you can do yourself to change up your room’s look for cheap!

1.  A Fresh Coat of Paint Does Wonders

If you’ve ever paid attention to home improvement shows then you’ve noticed that one thing they do to pull a room together is change the color of the paint. Generally, when homes are sold, the rooms are white, beige, or neutral in color. While this can be ideal in the beginning, after a few years of staring at blank walls, you kind of want a change. Paint can allow you to go as drastic or as simplistic as you want.

Take a look around a home improvement/décor store at the paint section. You’ll be amazed at how many shades and hues of colors there are for you to choose from. Choose a color that speaks to your personality or even select colors that will affect your mood. Paint is often very affordable to purchase. Even if you can’t afford to repaint an entire room, painting one wall as an accent wall is a great way to switch up the look of a room.

2.  Bring Your Room to Life With Artwork

Any piece of artwork that you enjoy will add loads of life to your room! Check the home section of certain stores, you’ll see artwork of all types ready for your purchase. Choose an abstract painting to add to a bedroom, living room, or bathroom for a reasonable price. If that’s still too expensive for you, or you want to add more of your personal touch to things, then why not create your own artwork? Purchasing a blank canvas and a few paints and paintbrushes can easily turn into a one of a kind masterpiece that you can place in your home.

Not into artwork per say? You can also add family photos all around your home! Nowadays you can easily take your SD card from your phone or digital camera to a photo-printing kiosk and create photos that are varying sizes, shapes, and colors. Adding a nice picture frame with a mat that contrasts your paint colors is a great way to bolded things up a bit. Even huge frames in mismatching sizes add a nice layered effect and look super expensive!

3.  Refurbish Your Furniture

Are you tired of looking at the same tables, chairs, or furniture in your room, but don’t have the money to replace everything? Well the good news is you don’t have to. You can easily refurbish your furniture to make it look as good as new. Adding new hardware to your cabinets or tables, re-staining or painting the wooden furniture, and even throwing a furniture cover over your couch or chairs can make something old look like something new all over again.

4. Buy Second-Hand Furniture

If you’re not so handy with do it yourself projects but you really want to switch up the furniture in your home on a budget, you can also consider buying used furniture from various shops or at local yard sales. You’ll be surprised what you can find for a bargain. Even if the furniture is mis-matching (like a set of random dining chairs), you can paint of reupholster it all in the same fabric to make it look like a complete set!

5.  Shop SMART and Find Deals

Lastly, when looking for little accessories to add to your home décor, shop around to find the best deals. Coupon code sites like CouponBox often have discount codes that can be used to purchase items you need from home improvement stores. This can save you a ton of money and will also save you the trouble of having to go to the store to find the items you want most.

Redecorating the home does not have to be something that you invest thousands of dollars into. In fact, if you shop smart and follow the above advice, you can easily transform a room at a time with only a few hundred bucks. While it may not seem like a lot of change on paper, once you put these elements together, you’ll be amazed at how far a fresh coat of paint, a few photographs, and refurbished furniture can go. Your guests will be asking you who you hired to decorate your home, and you can feel proud in knowing that you did it all on your own!

Photos: House of Harper, Pink Friday Blog, Eclectically Vintage, Apartment Therapy, Domino, Style Me Pretty

Laundry rooms are no longer the cluttered, dark, and tiny rooms of the past – designers are now turning them into multifunctional living spaces full of light and style. Here’s how you can makeover your space into an fun area the whole family can enjoy!

Laundry rooms are turning into workhorse spaces in our homes that get put to use every day! Even in the tiniest laundry rooms you can make space in one corner for a family control center. Here you can place your telephone, calendar, schedule and a space to place your keys and mail.

If you have enough space you can transform your laundry room into a craft room for yourself of your kids. This is the perfect way to confine a mess into a smaller space and avoid having paint and craft scraps all over the house!

Choose a bright colored wallpaper that’s bold and a little unexpected. Remember that your laundry room can be a place to experiment with color and new design trends. Don’t shy away from slathering your whole room in one wallpaper – even the ceiling! You’d be surprised at what a dramatic statement your laundry room can make for your whole house.

If you don’t have a large enough kitchen pantry, the laundry room makes an ideal spot to store canned foods, jarred vegetables, cereal, and even pots and pans that don’t fit in the kitchen. Make sure to insert ample storage space – installing a shelving unit is easy and cheap that you can do yourself. You don’t need to invest in built-in storage units that cost tons and need custom work.

Shopping Guide: Makeover Your Laundry Room with Our Stylish Product Picks!
 

JL Bathrooms Tall Storage Unit, Storage Cart, Laundry Sorter Ironing Board,  Chevron Laundry Basket, Kilner Striped Rug, Wall Mount Basket 

Photos: Houzz