When it comes to favourite home renovation projects, many homeowners will mention washroom renovations. But such a project can end up costing a small fortune if you don’t plan things out carefully. You’ll want to remodel a bathroom in your home while avoiding the type of cost overruns that can obliterate your budget to eye-watering proportions.

Here’s a look at the cheapest way to pursue a washroom renovation. It will involve several steps.

Don’t Alter Size or Layout of Bathroom

One way you can remodel a bathroom in a cost-effective way is by ensuring that you don’t change the layout or size of the space. Taking a sledgehammer to the wall so as to change the dimensions or layout of the bathroom will mean a more expensive renovation project. If you have to relocate things like the sewer pipe, that will translate into higher costs. So if you can avoid changing the layout or size of your bathroom, you’ll be able to contain expenses.

Don’t Mess with Load-Bearing Walls

You’ll also want to avoid doing anything that adversely impacts any load-bearing walls. Failing to do so will constitute a substantial structural change that could impact your home in ways you don’t want. Your exterior walls will be load-bearing while your interior walls running parallel to your ceiling joists are typically not load-bearing. If your washroom renovation project requires expanding the space, ensure that this expansion goes through walls that are not load-bearing.

Get a Prefabricated Bathtub or Shower

You can also remodel your bathroom on a smaller budget if you get a pre-formed, single-piece shower stall as opposed to a tiled shower stall. One reason you’ll save money by going this route is that you won’t need to get tile setters to put in the tiles. The job will be done sooner if you get a prefabricated unit, and you’ll also save a tangible sum.

Use Existing Drywall if it’s Still in Good Condition

There’s no doubt that you’ll need new drywall when undertaking a washroom renovation project. But that doesn’t mean that all of the existing drywall will need to be cut out, thrown out, and replaced. You can save money by using any used drywall that’s still in good condition. That will cut back on having to replace all the drywall, which will save on labour required to prepare the drywall for painting.

Stick with Standard Toilet

While it might seem like a good idea to get a fancy new toilet, you’ll want to ensure that it will work with the existing plumbing. If you have to make any changes to the drainage in order to accommodate the new toilet, you will end up spending more money.

Keep Electrical Circuits Where They Are

If you’re getting a bathroom remodeled, chances are that you might also need to upgrade the wiring. The reason for this is that the wiring that was installed in your home at the time it was built might no longer be up to existing electrical code requirements. 

Find Reputable and Affordable Professionals

While you might be a handy do-it-yourselfer, there are some aspects of a washroom renovation project that should be handled by licensed plumbers. If you do it yourself and end up making mistakes, the cost to fix those mistakes might exceed what you may have saved by initially doing it yourself. So find a reputable plumber to get the job done right the first time around.

You’ll definitely be best served by hiring a licensed plumber to help you remodel a bathroom. Find a reputable service provider, tell them your budget, and then get started on your washroom renovation project.