A Bathroom Facelift that on a Budget
The kitchen and bathroom are the rooms most often chosen as needing updates. This is because they are used so often and by both the homeowners and guests. These two rooms are often typically regarded as the most expensive rooms to renovate. The reason is simple- major renovations often require rerouting of the plumbing and the electric. This involves tearing out floors, walls, and tiling and replacing all. If you look around though, you may find you can do a lot of high end updates to the bathroom without disturbing the plumbing or electric. This will allow for a completely new and updated look while keeping it in the budget range that does not require a home equity loan to consider.
If you can manage to avoid major plumbing and electric changes, most homeowners have the tools and skill level needed to do the work themselves making a bathroom into a weekend or two project that looks like a full remodel.
- The shower and bathtub – Nothing will add more instant visual appeal than replacing a shower rod and vinyl curtain with glass doors or enclosure. Since 90% of all bathtubs and showers conform to standard sizes, you can purchase the doors or enclosures mad to fit your exact size at many home stores or order them online. Installing these requires little more than caulking and a screw gun and excellent professional looking results can be had by even a novice that takes their time and follows the directions.
- Vanity and Mirror – You can purchase vanities and mirrors for $200 often. Shopping the sales and discount outlets even greater bargains can be found. Simply turning off the water at the shutoff safety valve under the sink will allow for the faucets and drain to be temporarily disconnected. Once again, if you measure you will find that a standardized height and sizing makes switching out very simple and YouTube videos will show even the most inexperienced how to do it safely and easily.
- Lighting – If you already have an overhead light or downlight as most bathrooms do, swapping out the light fixture with a combination downlight and heat lamp will allow you to enjoy the infrared luxury heat found in hotels when you step out of your shower. It will also be cheaper than running a portable heater to keep comfortable after your morning shower. Try http://www.downlightsdirect.co.uk/lutron.html to see a selection of possibilities. Obviously the lighting will require a small knowledge of electricity and safety precautions of turning off the power bu tit is not a difficult task if you read up on it and a small enough task that an electrician can do easily in an hour.
