As much as our firm, along with every other home improvement contractor in Toronto, stresses the importance of always paying that little bit extra for quality in high usage areas of the home, such as the bathroom or kitchen, the vast majority of people do have financial constraints and can only afford to spend so much. But that doesn’t automatically mean that your kitchen or bathroom remodeling project won’t live up to your expectations and you won’t be able to get the design that you really want; it just means that you have to be smart in terms of what your money is spent on.
That’s exactly the reason why you are always better off working with a general contractor on projects such as a bathroom renovation, as not only can they help you come up with ideas, but they can most probably suggest ways in which those ideas can be implemented regardless of your financial situation. If you’ve started looking into a bathroom renovation recently and have been taken aback by the costs involved, read about our top cost cutting tips below, as recommended by our bathroom remodeling pros.
Think You Can’t Afford a Bathroom Remodeling Project? Think Again!
Many people overspend or think they can’t afford most of the features they would like as part of their bathroom remodeling due to a lack of experience and know-how. Lucky for you then that we’ve been involved in our fair share of bathroom remodeling projects and that experience has taught us how to get more for less, and how to make the most of every cent of the budget allocated.
Here are our top money saving tips when completing a bathroom renovation:
- Keep the Core Structure the Same – Bathroom remodeling can start to get really, really expensive when you want to make serious modifications to the room’s core structure. So if you’re thinking of moving the toilet to the other side of the room or moving the shower a few metres, those are changes that can seriously drive the price of the project up. Why? Well, anytime a feature that is connected to your home’s water supply is moved, the plumbing needs to be redone; we’re talking about labour intensive, very technical stuff here and that costs money! If you can avoid changes such as these, the overall cost will be significantly lower.
- It’s Efficiency, Not Size, That Matters – Following on from the first point, don’t be tempted to knock down walls and expand your bathroom. Making a bathroom bigger is rarely essential and it’s far more cost effective to work with what you already have and implement space efficient solutions. Closely examine your current set-up in terms of storage and consider whether any of these elements are just hogging space without really doing much. Many old style bathroom vanities and cabinets don’t focus very heavily on function and end up cluttering the room as a whole. Have these replaced with modern solutions that utilize every single square inch. You almost certainly saved thousands by not knocking down that wall – congratulations!
- If It’s Not Broken… – …Don’t fix it. That’s how the expression goes and it’s one that could actually save you money during a bathroom remodeling project. There’s little point in replacing a toilet, sink or a shower that work perfectly well, right?! You might be thinking to have these features replaced due to their appearance and because it detracts from the rest of the room. Well you simply have to address that point rather than rip the entire feature out and start again. Toilet cover, faucets and shower heads and enclosures can all be replaced to provide a cheap but visually pleasing update to these key features. Unless there’s a genuine reason to have a major feature replaced, stick with it and just spruce it up.
- Limit the Use of Tile – With the average bathroom remodeling project creeping over $16,000 according to Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost Vs. Value report, you need to keep away from using expensive materials and they don’t come much more expensive than decorative tile. While it is aesthetically pleasing, reserve its use for a focal point in the room, such as in the shower or on the wall behind the vanity, and use paint to decorate the rest of the room, which is much more affordable.
- Want Long Term Savings? – If you’re thinking past the initial costs for your bathroom remodeling project and want to know how your redesign can help you cut ongoing costs, you need to consider installing water saving technology. Older toilets, faucets and shower heads use tons more water than is really required and a specially designed shower head and low flow aerators for your faucets can curb this consumption and keep more money in your pocket.
- Get Quotes From Several Contractors – We would advise you to do this anyway, as going with the first bathroom remodeling contractor that you get in touch with or the one that advertises a ridiculously low price is often a big mistake. By contacting several contractors you can “shop around” and compare quotes to get the best deal. As we just mentioned, watch out for low ballers though, as these contractors may not be qualified to carry out the services they advertise or may cut corners by using low grade materials. Also, by handling some of the simpler tasks yourself (such as painting), you can further reduce the quotes that you are provided with.
We’ve been helping Toronto homeowners make the most of their budgets for over 15 years and we are confident that we can help you achieve the bathroom of your dreams without breaking the bank. If you would like to arrange a free onsite consultation with our bathroom remodeling team, all you need to do is pick up the phone and dial 416-661-6006 today.