Low-Cost Luxury: 9 Small Bathroom Remodel Ideas on a Budget
According to a Yahoo Finance article, over 50% of polled Americans plan to spend at least $5,000 on home renovations in 2025. Four in ten said their plans involve spending at least $10,000.
If you intend to take on a renovation project yourself, you don’t have to spend that much money. Instead, you can focus on small bathroom remodel ideas on a budget that can enhance your home in the Bay Area yet won’t dig too deep into your finances.
To that end, our team at LRL Builders put together this guide exploring bathroom remodeling on a budget. Read on for ideas and tricks to help you get started.
1. Upgrade Bathroom Fixtures
“How much is a bathroom remodel?” is likely one of the first questions you’ve asked after you decided to take on such a project. Bankrate says the national average range is $6,622 to $16,744. However, the cost still depends on the project’s size and scope.
So, if you wish to stay on the lower end of the budget spectrum, consider starting small, such as by upgrading the fixtures first. For example, why not change the taps instead of pulling out the entire bathtub? You can also have your renovation contractor replace your shower screen with a new one.
Another idea is to replace your old shower head with a new one boasting water-saving features or a “WaterSense” label. According to the U.S. EPA, products with the WaterSense label provide a satisfactory shower that is better than, or at least equal to, conventional showerheads while using much less water. So, with one in your bathroom, you can enjoy pleasant showers while saving precious water and money on water bills.
2. Update Bathroom Flooring
Is the grout of your bathroom tiles beyond scrubbing? Perhaps they are old, scratched, tired, or made of a less-desired material.
If so, consider getting them replaced with ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone tiles by a local licensed Bay Area general contractor. Natural stones provide a longer-lasting finish and are more aesthetically pleasing than other materials, such as vinyl.
If you’re unsure which of these three flooring materials to choose, here’s a quick overview of their characteristics and benefits.
Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles are hardy and durable. Made from a mixture of kiln-fired natural clay, sand, and water, they come in many different sizes, patterns, and colors. So you’re sure to find one that suits and complements your bathroom’s existing or future interior design.
Ceramic tiles are affordable, making them ideal for bathroom renovations on a budget. They also feature stain- and moisture-resistant properties, making them easy to clean and maintain.
Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles are “next-level” ceramic tiles. They’re still a kind of ceramic tile, but manufacturers make them out of finer clays and fire them at higher temperatures. As a result, porcelain tiles are denser, hardier, more resistant to moisture, and more durable than conventional ceramic tiles.
Like traditional ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles come in various colors, sizes, and styles, providing design flexibility.
Natural Stone
Natural stone tiles include granite, limestone, marble, and travertine. Extracted from quarries, they are elegant and can add a touch of uniqueness to your small bathroom.
Because they are natural, each stone tile has a unique pattern. So, if you want to give your bathroom a one-of-a-kind feel and look, consider remodeling with these flooring options.
Many natural stones, particularly marble, granite, and slate, are incredibly hardy and durable, withstanding even heavy use. Indeed, according to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), these flooring options can last 100+ years! Vinyl, on the other hand, can only last about 25 years.
So, while natural stone tiles cost more than vinyl upfront, they’re an excellent long-term investment thanks to their much longer lifespan.
3. Get Your Bathroom Floors Heated
You should also consider adding heated bathroom flooring to make your morning baths and showers more pleasant. It can make your bathroom feel more luxurious and inviting. Plus, because you’re remodeling a small bathroom, the cost to heat its floors won’t raise your energy bills drastically.
4. Replace Outdated Lighting With Energy-Efficient Options
If you’re looking for the best energy-efficient hall, small master, or guest bathroom remodel ideas, consider replacing all your dated, electricity-guzzling lights with LED ones.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LED bulbs, particularly ENERGY STAR-rated ones, use at least 75% less energy than incandescent lighting products. So, they can help you reduce your lighting-related energy bills. LED lights also last up to 25 times longer than their incandescent counterparts.
Another reason LED upgrades make for excellent small master, guest, or hall bathroom remodel ideas is because they are available as ambient lighting. Ambient lighting can help give your small bathroom a spa-like feel, a relaxing atmosphere, and a cozier ambiance.
5. Add a Custom Vanity
Custom vanities are storage solutions handcrafted by artisans and tailored to your exact bathroom interior design, specifications, and preferred materials. So, they’re an investment based on a combination of your:
- Personal needs
- Design preferences
- Build quality
- Suitability to the space
For those reasons, custom vanities look better and last longer than their pre-fab counterparts.
Custom vanities, sized and shaped to fit and complement the size and specifications of your bathroom, make excellent small master bathroom remodel ideas. They can also maximize your bathroom’s space.
6. Boost Storage With a Mirrored Medicine Cabinet
In addition to a vanity, consider installing a mirror medicine cabinet in your bathroom. It combines storage and mirrors into a single, neat package.
With one in your bathroom, you’ll have a mirror perfect for applying makeup or shaving.
A mirror medicine cabinet also gives you a safe and secure place to keep medicines and toiletries out of reach of children. You want this feature if you have kids (or pets), considering that, per the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, U.S. poison control centers receive over a million calls related to accidental poisonings of children 5 years and younger. The primary causes are accidental exposure to makeup, personal care, and medicines.
7. Make Your Small Bathroom Feel Bigger With Strategically Installed Mirrors
Used creatively and correctly, mirrors can create incredible optical illusions, including making a small room appear bigger. They can do so with their reflective properties, making rooms look brighter, which then helps “expand” the space.
An effective way to use mirrors for this purpose is to install one that spans the length of an entire wall. A wall mirror can reflect more light and give the illusion of the space being twice as big. Frameless mirrors are perfect for this project, resulting in uninterrupted visuals and a seamless look.
8. Convert Your Shower Into a Steam Shower
Converting your regular shower room into a steam shower is another excellent way to remodel and update your small bathroom. It costs less than a steam room because your general contractor will install it in the existing shower space. And because you can add it on, it takes up less room than a full-sized steam room.
But why exactly should you get a steam shower?
For one, steam showers, like steam rooms, can bring potential wellness perks through the steam bathing they provide. According to WebMD, the health benefits of steam bathing may include:
- Helping clear congestion
- Reducing joint stiffness
- Alleviating symptoms of bronchitis
- Improving blood flow or circulation
- Boosting skin health
- Lowering blood pressure
At the very least, steam showers offer a calm and serene space for relaxation.
Another reason to invest in a steam shower is that it can help enhance the value of your home in the Bay Area. After all, it’s a quality feature that can support wellness goals. With more people focusing on their health and well-being, a steam shower is a great home addition for which they may be willing to pay a premium.
9. Seal or Re-Seal Grout
Sealing or re-sealing grout may not be the first thing you think of when planning a bathroom remodel, but it’s essential to tile installation. Grout, used to seal tile joints, is naturally porous, quickly absorbing dirt, moisture, oils, and stains. Contaminants can enter and seep under the tiles unless you seal the grout.
So, if you’re investing in new tiles, you should include grout sealing in your bathroom remodeling plan. Do the same, even if you’re not upgrading the floors but updating other bathroom areas. Re-sealing grout is just as crucial to maintaining the appearance and durability of your existing tiles.
Ideally, you should get your bathroom grout sealed immediately after the grout cures. For bathrooms with heavy foot traffic and use, schedule grout re-sealing every six to 12 months.
Consider These Small Bathroom Remodel Ideas on a Budget
From upgrading bathroom fixtures to updating the flooring, installing floor heating, and switching to energy-efficient lighting, these are just some of the top small bathroom remodel ideas on a budget that you should consider.
