We’re all secretly guilty of judging people on the state of their bathroom and although we don’t usually spend that much time in the bathroom each day, it’s often one of the most important rooms when it comes to deciding if we will make a property purchase or not.
A clean, stylish bathroom is a big selling point for most buyers, who will be relieved at not having to spend their own money on a renovation. And of course, you can enjoy a great looking bathroom while you’re living in your property.
While some homeowners spend thousands refurbishing their bathroom, we believe that you can create an attractive, relaxing space spending just a fraction of that. So, here are our top tips for an affordable bathroom renovation.
1. Upcycle what’s already there
The colour and style of your bathroom suite can instantly date the room and depending on when it was installed, you may be desperate to remove it and start again. But this can be costly, even when choosing the cheapest fixtures, as you will need to factor in the the cost of a plumber.
Chances are your bathroom suite is still in perfect working order, so a cheaper alternative to achieving a newer looking bathroom is to refinish or change the colour of your existing suite. This can be achieved by painting or spraying the ceramic ware with specialised products.
Your local DIY store is likely to stock what you will need to do this yourself and with a bit of patience and a steady hand, you could have a completely refreshed, up-to-date bathroom at a small cost of a total refit.
If you’ve saved money by keeping your bathroom’s current layout, you may have some money left over to replace the old taps with new ones. Or if not, you could even have a go at spray painting these with specialised metal sprays for an updated look on a budget.
2. Fake your flooring
An affordable alternative to stone floor tiles is tile effect vinyl flooring, which gives exactly the same aesthetic at a fraction of the cost.
Large bathroom supply shops and DIY superstores have a great choice of products and they start from roughly £8 a square metre dependant on where you are looking.
One of the latest trends to take over our bathrooms in the UK is Victorian tessellated tiles, which are available to buy in vinyl versions. Choosing vinyl flooring is a great way to try out a trend without spending too much and it’s also easier to put down and replace than proper stone tiles.
3. Put life back into unwanted materials
Buying second-hand bathroom fixtures can be a very cheap way to renovate your bathroom. As they’re not something people tend to buy second hand, you’ll often find them available to buy online from people in your local area who are carrying out their own bathroom renovation.
Second-hand materials, such as reclaimed timber and stone offcuts are also an affordable way to give your bathroom a makeover. Swap out a cheap laminate sink unit with a solid wood countertop and wooden legs for a rustic finish, or why not see if you can find marble or granite offcuts to top your sink unit for a luxurious aesthetic on a budget.
Reclaimed shelving units can become storage for towels and vintage light fittings can also add personality to an otherwise plain room. And, as shown in the image above, you can create a sink unit out of an old piece of furniture. Just cut a hole for the sink and you have a cheap, trendy unit for a small fraction of the cost of an off-the-shelf unit.
4. Tackle the tiling
If you have wall tiles in your bathroom that you’re keen to replace, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to rip them off and replace them, which can be an expensive and messy task.
Much like tile effect flooring, you can buy tile boards that give the effect of individually laid tiles or a sleek stone slab. These are applied on top of your existing tiles with a special adhesive and are sealed into place to stop water leaking through to the tiles underneath.
It may look like the real thing, but it definitely doesn’t have the price tag to match and it’s super easy and quick to install compared to proper tiles.
5. A little theme goes a long way
The devil is in the detail and if you’re going to spend money renovating your bathroom, new accessories may be what’s needed to bring the space together.
By sticking to a simple decorative scheme incorporated into things like towels, bathmats and ornaments, you’ll achieve a look that feels well considered and adds a touch of luxury.
But luxury doesn’t necessarily mean expensive when it comes to buying things for the bathroom. Dedicated homeware stores like HomeSense and larger stores with homeware departments, such as Next and M&S, sell a range of bathroom products that are both affordable and good quality.
Bathrooms in modern homes tend to suit a more neutral palette and it’s best to hold back on the colour if you want to attract buyers. But in older bathrooms with traditional-style fixtures, we think you can be bolder with your choices. Some homeowners use eye-catching wallpaper in their cloakroom as a way to express their personality, without going too crazy in the rest of the property.
