How To Plan For A Shower Remodel On A Budget
Are you gearing up for a custom shower remodel? If so, here’s the best way to plan for it while on a budget.
Looking to remodel your shower? Like most remodels, it can get pricey fast if you let it. While it’s important not to skimp on a good shower, you really can save money on that remodel.
Here are some ideas that will help you improve your shower without breaking the bank.
Plan Ahead
The first thing to understand is that you need to have a plan for your remodel. If you know just what you want to do, before you even go ahead and buy the materials you need, then you will actually save money.
This is because when you change your plans halfway through, you’ll actually find that it’s going to cost you more. For example, if you decide to use different tiles in the shower after you’ve bought the tiles, then you’re going to lose money on the tiles you bought. Plus, if any of the work has been done, then it’ll have to be undone before you can carry on.
Instead, make a plan before you do anything to your shower, and be sure that it covers everything you need. When you do this, you’ll only spend money on what you need, and you’ll get the results that you really want.
Make A Budget
It’s hard to stick to a remodel budget when you don’t know what the budget is. You need to really think about how much you want to spend on your shower before you go ahead and remodel it.
Having that number in mind will help you make choices later on. You won’t overspend if you know how much you have to play with. It is worth keeping a little extra set aside though, as sometimes emergencies happen. If you do have something come up while you’re working on your shower, you’ll then have enough to cover it without having to sacrifice something else in your renovation.
Decide On What Needs To Change
In an ideal remodel, you’d have enough cash to completely change up the shower in your bathroom. However, if you’re on a budget, you’ll need to think about what you can do with your renovation.
Because of this, you’ll have to consider what the most important thing about your renovation will be. Do you need to change out the shower itself? Do you want to improve the look of the area around it? Have there been some issues with mold, and need to change out the walls behind the tiles?
Pick out the most important part of the renovation, and focus on that.
Pick Your Tiles Carefully
If you’re looking to change out the tiles in the shower area, then think about the tiles that you’re using. On average, more elaborate patterned tiles are going to cost more than plain colored tiles. You can keep costs down by using more plain tiles, so you’re spending less overall.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t have elaborate designs, such as mosaic style tiles. You just need to be more discerning about where you use them. For example, you can create a border with these tiles, with the plain tiles making up the bulk of the wall. That way you still get visual interest, without eating up your budget.
Update What You Already Have
Are you on a very small budget? If you don’t have a lot to work with, you can still update your shower and make it better. There are ways to update what you already have, to make it look brand new.
For example, you can repaint the tiles and the shower base, if they’re looking a bit old and tired. You can do this yourself or hire experts to handle it for you. It will mean that you have to give up the use of the shower for a few days, but it’s very much worth it.
You can also paint any cabinets around the shower too if you have any. It’s fairly quick and easy to do, and can really brighten up the bathroom as a whole.
Keep The Shower Set Up Where It Is
For those with big budgets, they’ll think about moving around the fixtures in the bathroom. It’s great if you can do it, as you can make the most of the space that you have in the room. However, when you don’t have the budget, it’s something you want to avoid in most cases.
If you try to move the shower around, it’s going to cost a lot to do so. If it’s the biggest thing you need, then you can go ahead with it. Otherwise, though, you want to reserve the budget you do have for more pressing renovations. You’ll see more value from those renovations than trying to change the placement with a small amount of cash.
Think About Ageing In Place
While renovating your shower, think about aging in place. It’s something a lot of homeowners are doing, as they think about adapting their home ready for when they get older.
The concept of aging in place is renovating your home, ready to be safe for you to live in when you’re older. When you have the right design in place, you can delay having to move into assisted living. This is especially true in your shower, as it’s such a dangerous place for those with less than great mobility.
In your shower, you can make some very simple changes to make it more aging in place friendly. For example, you can add a grab bar to the wall, or make the shower zero entry so there’s no lip to trip on. They’re very easy changes to make, but they make all the difference.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of things you can do to renovate your shower, even if you are on a small budget. All it takes is some planning and some creative thinking, and you can get a brand new look in your bathroom. Try these tips and see what you can do with your shower.