Cutting the cost of your bathroom
You can renovate your bathroom on a budget. Follow our guide and learn how to revamp your room for less
1 Love the layout
Moving or extending pipework in the bathroom can be a major expense, so think about refitting its fixtures but keeping them in the same position to make big savings on the bill for renovating. The existing layout needs to be functional for this to work, with adequate floor space. Ideally, there should be 760mm from the front edge of a basin, toilet, bath, and shower to the fixture opposite, or the wall, although it is possible to have a smaller area of clear floor in front of each if the room size doesn’t permit this.
2 Stylish splashback
A splashback requires only a relatively small number of tiles to create an eye-catching feature that will give the whole room a lift if it’s starting to look tired, or is clinical in appearance. Beautiful tiles that are too expensive to cover a wall or floor won’t be so prohibitive if used only in a focused area. And if you’re hiring a professional to tile it, the labour time will also be less. Since it’s so visible, why not choose a patterned tile so the splashback makes a real impact?
3 Paint power
With white fixtures, bathrooms can end up feeling cold, so consider a colour for the walls rather than matching the suite with white paint. Painting walls is a simple, effective and fabulously inexpensive way to renovate a bathroom, and can be all that’s needed to transform the space if the bath, basin and WC are still sound. Brown-toned neutrals look sophisticated but will warm the room, or consider hues with a gentle pink or yellow tint as alternatives. To ensure the paint finish stands up to the humid conditions of the room, pick a specialist bathroom paint.
4 Swap brassware
Cutting the cost of a bathroom overall means knowing when to invest a little more as well as when to save, and good taps are worth it as they’re made to last. What’s more, they’re an update that can create contemporary style even if they’re all you change. Look for rich metallics or on-trend black finishes. Pay attention to their water use, too. Flow-limiting taps spare a precious resource, and save you money on your water bills if yours is metered.
5 Treat your feet
You can save on bathroom flooring without compromising on the look you want by going for luxury vinyl flooring in place of engineered wood. It’s easy to care for, too, and will tolerate the splashes inevitable in a family room since it’s waterproof, slip resistant and kind under foot. It can create the look of wood boards, but also consider patterns like herringbone and chevron that will add decorative interest to the bathroom. Luxury vinyl can look like natural stone slabs or tiles, too, but will cost less and feel warmer.
6 Put up panels
Wall panels can bring a striking finish to bathroom walls and they’re easy to fit, saving the labour costs[toinpvtoiplv] ed with tiling the room. They can be fitted over
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existing tiles, which avoids the time, mess and the invoice that
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comes with removing old tiles.
Time to tile
Panels can also be placed over plasterboard in an en suite that’s carved out of part of a bedroom. Waterproof and suitable for shower enclosures as well as walls, they can look like wallpaper, or have the appearance of tiles or of stone.
7 Marvellous marble
There’s nothing like marble for a super luxe bathroom and style that won’t go out of date, but it’s not a budget choice. Think marbleeffect porcelain instead to cut the cost. Today’s technology gives the material an authentic colour and veining to create the same impact as the real deal. Mix square and rectangular formats on the floor and walls for subtle contrast.
8 Bring it home
Buying an ex-display kitchen is a great way to save on that room, but did you know the same is possible for bathrooms? ‘Few people know you can buy used and ex-display baths, vanity units and taps at a fraction of their recommended retail price,’ says Looeeze Grossman, founder of The Used Kitchen Company, which also sells ex-display bathrooms. Look for specialist outlets that sell end-of-line suites and stylish fixtures for less. Or consider buying a secondhand cast-iron bath, which can be resurfaced if necessary and still add up to less than a new version.
9 Recolour tiles
Refresh tired or boring bathroom wall or floor tiles with a new colour and the room can feel good as new for just the cost of the paint. Be sure to use a tile paint specified for the particular surface, then all that’s necessary is to get the
Right Enjoy the look of marble for less. Mont Blanc marbleeffect porcelain square tiles, £24.99 per m2; rectangular tiles, £24.96 per m2, both Tile Giant tiles clean and grease-free with sugar soap before you start. Look out for self-priming paints to make the job quicker. If you have more time and a steady hand, stencilling over the painted tiles can introduce pattern.
10 Two-in-one
The more fixtures a bathroom needs, the bigger the bill, so consider fewer to reduce the total. A shower bath can do double duty with P- or L-shaped designs providing extra width at one end for showering.
You might be able to do away with the bath entirely if you prefer to shower over bathing, creating space for a luxuriously generous shower.