Do It Yourself Bathroom Remodel
and Save $1000's

Do It Yourself
Bathroom Remodel:

One if the best ways that you can add value to your home without spending a bundle is a do it yourself bathroom remodel.

Giving your bathroom an exciting new look will liven up one of the most important rooms in the house.

NOTE for Investors:

When selling, renting, or flipping homes, the Bathrooms and Kitchen are the primary focal points.

Earning the most profit is made from the do it yourself Rehabber because labor is the highest cost of a project.

Further more, there is great pleasure on doing the project yourself especially when you own the property.

A do it yourself bathroom remodel gives you a lot of bang for the buck because you can make a big impact with a budget of $30 to $5,000. 

Yes, sometimes a $30 gallon of paint is all it takes for that fresh new look!

The amount of money you decide to spend will depend on how much of the existing fixtures and materials you can reuse (a money saver) and how much you want to replace. 

You also want to keep your spending within reason so that it is in line with the quality in the rest of your house.

Keep in mind on a do it yourself bathroom remodel you'll be saving money on labor to afford higher quality materials.

If you are putting the house on the market, then a do it yourself bathroom remodel can make a big difference in a potential buyers initial reaction to the home. 

It can make the difference between making or losing a sale so it is money well spent.

The Major Areas to consider for your diy bathroom remodel are:

• Sink, Vanity, and Medicine Cabinet
• Tub and Shower Surround
• Flooring
• Painting
• Plumbing Fixtures
• Accessories

Sink, Vanity, and Medicine Cabinet

There are a variety of different styles and prices of vanities and cabinets that you can choose from ranging from old fashioned to modern.

See the photo of the small bathroom cabinet? That is a less expensive ensemble including the Sink, Vanity, Mirror, and Medicine Cabinet for about $175. Great for a second bathroom or a rental.

The stylish bathroom vanity photo above is in the $2000 range.

The vanity is the one significant piece of furniture in your bathroom, it will Set the Tone and style for the rest of the room.

Get Creative and Artsy

Using Antique Furniture for instance, an antique desks can be refinished and converted into a very stylish sink vanity. 

You will need to cut the top for a nice ceramic bowl and shorten the drawers so that you have room in the back for the plumbing.

Or... You might prefer a sleek looking modern vanity that blends into the wall. 

There is a wide variety of bathroom vanities to choose from that will range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. When you are a do it yourself bathroom remodel Rehabber, time consuming creative projects won't cost you an arm and a leg!

The least expensive option if the vanity is in good condition, you may consider painting or staining the existing vanity a fresh new color. This is a great way to add life to older dated looking wooden cabinets. Keep in mind this method of furniture refinishing and can be labor intensive when you need to strip the old paint off first... Inexpensive, but time consuming.

Do It Yourself Bathroom Remodel means DO-IT-YOURSELF!

Just thought I'd make a point here. There's a picture of Joe the Rehabber installing a bathroom vanity by myself. The camera was on a tripod, I didn't even have someone to help me take a picture.

The point is, if your going to get into a do it yourself bathroom remodel, it's going to be a one person job. There is just not enough room for 2 people to work in a smaller bathroom.

Also... If you are counting on someone other than a contractor that you hire to help you, you might be disappointed.

An medium level do it yourself bathroom remodel project will take several days to a week. If your relying on a free helper like a family member or friend, they're more than likely not going to be able to commit several days or week of helping you.

Is your spouse or significant other on board with you?

Some relationships are great remodeling teams - some are not!

The mind-set... Do It Yourself

Need help? Call Temp-Help, or a temporary labor or job service. For about $12 per hour you can hire an employee from a temp-help service that is INSURED (very important in case of injury) for a minimum of 4 hours or as long as you need them.

As a Rehabber, I work alone! It's my project, I want to do it. I go into my diy bathroom remodel or whole house remodel because I love to do the work myself. 

When the project needs an extra set of hands, I hire a contractor that's licensed and insured or a temporary employee that is insured by the temp-help service.

In other words, I don't want to jeopardize my relationships with my wife, family, or friends by putting expectations on them to help me with my project unless they really are as excited about the project as I am, which is usually not the case.

Just because I want to do a do it yourself bathroom remodel doesn't mean anyone is going to help me! 

This is one of the reasons why a project that only takes a couple days or a weeks never gets finished for years. In that case - Hire a contractor!

Back to the DIY Project

Tub and Shower Surround

A cheap tub is about $150 and a cheap plastic shower surround is about $100.

Since your saving about $2000 in labor on your do it yourself bathroom remodel, I highly recommend spending more money on the higher quality materials.

Tubs and showers can get very expensive, but a good quality one will last a long time.

Before tearing out what you have, maybe upgrading the bath faucet and shower head is all you need. This will give it a whole new look.

There are also tub liners that you can buy that cover older tub shower combinations. 

These are much cheaper then tearing out and replacing the old unit, and easier to. 

It's on option for a rental unit or in a second bathroom in a house your going to sell, but not my choice for a home I'm going to live in.

Having a bathtub re-glazed is not an option for a true Rehabber. The do it yourself bathtub re-glazing doesn't last long before it starts to chip and I've never seen a re-glaze job that looked appealing.

Professional tub re-glazing can cost more than the material cost of a new whirlpool tub and a ceramic shower surround.

If you have more questions, just ask - click here.

Bathroom Flooring

I like hardwood floors or ceramic tile! They are the longest lasting and the highest quality! 

Saving money on the labor in a do it yourself bathroom remodel makes it affordable to use the best materials

Flooring can take your bathroom from ordinary to extraordinary.

Most bathrooms are relatively small compared to other rooms in your house, so it the perfect spot to pick out a really nice tile or wood type. 

With some good advice or a little help, tiling is not a bad diy bathroom remodel job.

If you tight on the budget or this is for a rental unit or a house you're going to sell, the less expensive option can be modern vinyl flooring. 

Vinyl flooring has come a long way and is much nicer than when I first laid my first vinyl floor 30 years ago. It comes in a vast array of colors and patterns so pick something exciting.

Note: With vinyl flooring, it may be required to install an underlayment of 1/4 inch plywood if the existing floor has damage. It's not a big expense but it does add extra time to the job.

Painting

Paint is your best bang for the buck on a do it yourself bathroom remodel. One gallon of paint will do most bathrooms, so you can change the feel of the whole room for under $30. Pick a fresh soothing color that works well with the other accessories you have selected and get to cutting and rolling. You will be amazed at the transformation.

Believe It...

I have flipped house where all that was required was paint in the bathroom plus a good cleaning to freshen up the look and feel. 

A little staging with flowers, towels, and scented soap did the trick. You don't have to do a major remodel to make a reasonable profit... Fresh and clean sells!

Plumbing Fixtures

If you have good quality fixtures like Delta Faucets to start with, a good cleaning and maybe using some lime-away will bring back the sparkle.

If the bathroom is in good shape but needs more than paint, changing the faucets can be the next easiest and least expensive upgrade to tackle.

"Cheap" Faucets Make a Nice Bathroom - "Cheap"!

You get what you pay for with faucets. A cheap faucet is usually plastic with an inferior finish. They don't last long and expect it to leak sooner rather than later.

Ornamental bathroom faucets catch have exceptional eye appeal. When you want compliments, the Ornamental faucets will do the trick. That's what buyers will remember and so will your guests when you put them into your home.

Accessories

The Finishing Touches!

• Curtains
• Towel bar holders
• A little glass shelf
• Cool artwork
• A mirrored corner cabinet
• New door knobs
• Cabinet knobs, and hinges are inexpensive for those finishing touches to add more eye appeal.

Without the accessories, a $10,000 bathroom remodel can look plain and dull.

On the other hand, a $30 paint job and $70 of tasteful accessories can make a dull bathroom look like a brand new bathroom.

Time To Go Shopping

You'll get your ideas from shopping, looking at bathroom displays, lot's of pictures, and it's a lot of fun. A beautiful bathroom remodel can be created from any budget.

Any questions? Click here.

Where would you like to go from here...

Return to the Remodeling Bathrooms page you came from.

Top of this page: Do It Yourself Bathroom Remodel

Visit the Ask The Rehabber Blog

Back to the Home Page Ask-The-Rehabber.com

Today's News in the Home Remodeling News and Your Commentary

Today's News in the Real Estate Investing News and Your Commentary

Your questions are important to me on Ask The Rehabber.com.
Ask Your question here (Plus, you can add your answer and expertise to our Visitor's questions) Rehabber Answers to Questions.

Favorite Projects

Remodeling Kitchens | Remodeling Bathrooms | Hard Wood Floors

Interior Painting Ideas | House Staging