Bathroom Remodeling Ideas: 6 Affordable Effective DIY Projects

Jan 3, 2012 by Frank Scherer

Just ask any realtor or home appraiser and they will tell you that the two most important rooms in any home when it comes time for sale are the bathrooms, and the kitchen. It’s these two areas in a home that prospective buyers are going to inspect closest of all, so if you plan on selling in the future and you have some money to invest in your home those would be the two best places to put it.

However, do be aware that there’s a good reason why buyers like to see up-to-date, “already remodeled” kitchens, and bathrooms. That reason is that those two rooms also tend to be the most difficult and costly to do remodeling work in. They would much rather prefer that you got it done and over with for them prior to the sale.

Find Cost-Efficient Upgrades

So now that you’re aware that, your job should be to find the most cost-effective upgrades that you can do so that it doesn’t become a “money pit” project. Things you can do that are the least labor intensive, yet at the same time give you the most “bang for your buck”. Quick, easy, and “clever” bathroom remodeling ideas that don’t take a lot of money.

1. Scrap Your Old Toilet

So for starters you’ll probably be surprised to learn that replacing a toilet is probably one of the easiest and fastest bathroom remodeling ideas you can do. It’s also really not that messy either, just as long as you you drain the bowl well first with a dip cup after you remember to turn the faucet off behind it then give it a flush to drain the tank.

Then simply remove the caps off the nuts on each side of the bottom of the toilet, unscrew the nuts then unscrew the hose in the bottom of the tank and the toilet should simply lift off. To install the new toilet in place just repeat the process in reverse. That is after you put the new wax doughnut around the flange on the underside.

2. Replace Your Sink and Faucet

Now if you’re unhappy with your sink, and brain-storming for a “new look”, before you take the sink out consider this. Removing and replacing the sink is considerably more work than changing out a toilet. In fact it’s a lot more work because it has to attach the wall or counter, and you have both hot and cold water plumbing components, as well as the drain plumbing components deal with.

So why not consider simply changing out the faucet or faucets with new up to date set. Just think of all the money you can save by not having to buy and install a brand new sink? Extra cash that you can use to splurge on some really nice high-quality faucets that can really work to set off a whole new look for the sink.

Sink faucets are also surprisingly easy to replace, and as long as you buy the right style to fit the faucet openings in your sink they should “pop right in”.

Go ahead and take a flashlight and look up under your sink and you’ll see how easily everything unscrews, and comes apart. So if you can follow a set of simple step-by-step instructions, and don’t mind getting your hands dirty you can replace your faucets.

Not quite ready to spring for new fancy faucet fixtures? Check out how Kristi from addicted2decorating actually spray painted her old brass fixtures.

“If you decide to try this, I would highly suggest waiting a few days before regular use just to allow the paint to fully cure.

I’m actually still debating whether or not to use a clear topcoat. If I do, I think the only type I would really trust is the clearcoat made for cars. You can purchase it at most auto parts stores, and a quart costs somewhere around $25. The only thing that’s holding me back is that the only sheen it comes in is glossy. I’ll let you know what I decide.”

3. Update Your Shower and Tub Fixtures

Then turning your attention to the tub, and or shower, the exact same theory also applies there. That is that a shiny brand-new set of faucets, and fixtures can work great to draw the eye away from and give a brand-new look to what would otherwise be a monumental remodeling job. Now the good news about the tub and shower fixtures though, is that they’re often even easier to change out than sink faucets .

Go and take a close look at what’s on there now, and you’ll see if you look carefully along the sides that there’s small octagon shaped lock-screws in place. Loosen those up on the hot and cold water handles, and they should unscrew or pop right off. Then reach up and grab hold of the shower spigot, give it a counterclockwise twist, and what you’ll probably find, is that it simply unscrews by hand. Just the same way the water spigot probably comes off as well.

4. Re-Doing Tile Grout

Then if the tile work in your bathroom is looking old and dated, chances are that what you’re seeing is degraded grout lines. The grout that fills in the cracks between the tiles may be missing in some places and recessed back due to prolonged exposure to water. This in turn causes it to become prime habitat for mold, and no sooner do you scrape it out than it’s grown right back.

Re-doing the grout in old tile work is a surprisingly simple task. Just head on down the hardware store, go to the tile section, and pick up a grout scraping tool, and a bag of powdered grout. That’s it. Go over all the tile with the scraper to remove out as much as you can, then mix up and push in new grout with a plastic spatula. Wipe it off smooth with a clean sponge and then apply a good sealer after it’s cured, and dried.

5. To Paint or Not to Paint?

Then if you’re like most folks mulling over bathroom remodeling ideas you’re probably “hot” to get a paint brush in your hand, so you can go over every wall, cabinet, and ceiling. Now no doubt about it but that a new coat of paint can probably serve it well but don’t let the smaller room size of the bathroom fool you. You see, your bathroom is without a doubt the most tedious, and problematic room in your home that you can paint.

There’s just so many things in to workaround in, and so many places for drips if you’re not careful. Also keep in mind that it will require gloss latex enamel paint because of the moisture, and gloss paint like this often requires up to three coats for solid coverage.

So then why not consider stencils as a fast and easy alternative for giving a drab paint job a brand-new look. Stenciling is so easy that kids do it  for grammar school art projects, so once you check it out you’ll see that you can do it too.

You can pick up stencils locally at an art supply store because they all carry them or online, and they come in just so many design choices. Stenciling is super-cheap too because a little paint goes a long way.

Consider running a stenciled on border design on the top of each wall around the entire perimeter of your bathroom for brand-new, stylish up-to-date look.

Here’s what one blogger did to her bathroom with stencils, check out the picture on the right. Here’s what she said about it:

“Check out the stenciling process. It wasn’t too bad, and I tried it with both a small paintbrush and a sponge. They were both about the same as far as look and effort. I used painters tape to hold the stencil in place and this worked perfectly. The process took awhile because you could only do about four zinnias before the stencil was too saturated with paint. I then had to rinse and clean it to get the paint build-up off.”

 

6. Re-Caulk for A Finished Look

Then there’s nothing like “fresh, shiny, new” white caulk around the sink, bottom of the toilet where it meets the floor, and the tub or shower to lend a new finished look to a dated bathroom. At the same time though, what you don’t need is a sloppy amateurish caulking  job either, which is what most beginners inevitably end up with. You see, it is a bit of an art that requires a little knowledge, and practice.

So step one is to remove all the old caulking, and then rather than buying one “big budget sized tube of caulk to save money, buy a few “hand sized”, more controllable tubes, and you’ll be much better served. Then the next step is to use a nice new sharp razor blade to slice away the tip in such a way that leaves you a “medium-size opening”. One that’s not too big, and not too small.

Then find something around your home, perhaps two pieces of wood that you can nail together to form a “crevice” that you can practice on. You see, there’s just no way that you’ll do get it right the first time around, so you’re going to need to do a few “test runs” first on something other than your bathroom fixtures to get the hang of it.

Then the big “secret of the pros” is to use denatured alcohol instead of water to dip your finger in to smooth out the caulk bead after you’ve applied it. Gently squeeze out nice, long smooth, and consistent runs, dip your finger in the denatured alcohol then gently rub it over the top to give it a nice “smooth, and even look”.  Make sure to bring plenty of paper towels for wiping your finger off.