Your bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. When looking for a new property, the bathroom can make or break the sale. A beautiful, well-appointed bathroom can make you picture sinking into a delightful bubble bath, while a dingy, shabby bathroom can have you running for the door.
Bathroom renovations have a reputation for being expensive and difficult to complete. And yet there are many changes you can make to have your bathroom looking like a million bucks without breaking the bank. Read on to discover just how much your renovation could cost, and check out our top tips for brightening up your bathroom on a budget…
How much does an average bathroom renovation cost?
The exact amount of money you can spend renovating your bathroom will vary, with options ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. You can choose the best materials, the fanciest of bathroom sets, and the most expensive of finishes. Or you can attempt to create a beautiful room for a fraction of the price.
In general, bathroom renovations can cost you between AU$5,000-35,000 or even more. You can spend less than AU$100 per square metre if you really budget, or several hundred if you don’t. With so many important factors impacting the price, it is really impossible to say exactly how much you can expect to spend.
Some factors that impact the cost of a bathroom renovation include:
- The size of the bathroom
- The extent of the renovation
- The materials you want to use
- Whether you can do any jobs yourself
- Where you are and so on.
Clearly, a larger bathroom will likely cost more to renovate than a smaller one, while a bathroom that needs a complete overhaul will be more pricey than one that just needs cosmetic changes. Work out a budget for yourself, deciding which jobs are the most important, and what you can afford.
How can I freshen my bathroom on a budget?
When it comes to renovations on a budget, there are many ways you can bring about a dramatic and impressive improvement to your bathroom without it costing you an arm and a leg. Some of the biggest and best changes you can make to renovate and refresh your bathroom include:
- Painting – giving your bathroom a new coat of paint can make it look good as new, brightening the room, and giving it the fresh look you desire. Hiring a painter or decorator is often a better idea, guaranteeing you a professional finish, yet if you want to save the most money, you can paint it yourself.
- Changing your lighting – changing your light fixtures and even adding some different lighting options can help you to see your bathroom in a new light. You can opt for an LED mirror, recessed lighting, or an impressive fixture such as a chandelier. You could go brighter, or add a dimmer switch to allow greater choice in the light setting you have.
- Get a new mirror – mirrors are fantastic for opening up a room and making it seem more spacious. You can reflect back your new brighter paint and lights, and also make a real feature of a modern or antique mirror in your bathroom.
- Change your taps – you don’t always need a new sink or bath to make your bathroom look and feel better. By changing your taps, you can give the room an ultra-modern or classic look in no time, and for far less money.
- Replace your bath or shower – getting a free-standing bath can immediately make your bathroom feel more luxurious, while a new shower can smarten up the room in an instant. New baths can be a little pricey, but if you shop around you can find excellent options that come in under budget.
- Update your accessories – instead of replacing all your bathroom furniture, update your accessories instead. A smarter towel rack, new toothbrush holder, new blinds, or a shower curtain can make a huge impact while costing relatively little.
- Retile and grout – old tiles and faded, yellowing grout can severely age your bathroom, leaving it looking dirty and unpleasant. Consider retiling your bathroom in feature colours, or go for something neutral and elegant. The fresh-looking grout and tiles will instantly elevate your bathroom, leaving it looking clean and bright.
- Keep the layout the same – one big way that you will save money on your renovation is if you keep whatever you can the same. Hiring a plumber can be expensive, and if you need to move around your bath, shower, or toilet, you will quickly find the bills piling up. By keeping your layout the same, you can change how your bathroom looks without the same price tag.
You can make any one of these changes, or all of them at once. If you have a strict budget to consider, think about the small alterations you can make that will have the biggest impact. Sometimes all you need is a new shower curtain and a coat of paint to make it look like a whole new bathroom. Other times you may desperately need a new bath or sink.
Plan out exactly what it is you need for your bathroom, and then think about what you want. Stick to your budget, and remember that a bathroom renovation is an investment in your happiness as well as the future value of your home. Spending a little money here can have huge benefits further down the line.
Final thoughts
Bathroom renovations can set you back tens of thousands of dollars, but you can also make a big impact for a fraction of the cost. Small changes like improving your lighting, retiling, or updating your accessories can give your bathroom a makeover without breaking the bank.
However, if you do choose a full renovation, you will see that your investment now is money well spent. You can enjoy a beautiful new bathroom for yourself, while adding value to your house, and making it more appealing to potential buyers in the future.