Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Discover the challenges and rewards of a small bathroom renovation. Learn how to avoid potential problems and increase your home’s resale value.
How To Renovate A Small Bathroom On A Budget
Please don’t be alarmed by my renovation sarcasm hidden in this post, but it gets depressing as a homeowner to find so many problems with the most significant investment of your life.
Even though we paid our mortgage five years after we bought this house, we put off updating it because it was livable until things started to happen.
We have a small bathroom, a standard 4-piece vanity, toilet, bath, and shower upstairs.
On the main floor, we have a large master en-suite that needs updating for top resale value.
Although the dollar signs keep rolling, we’re learning to avoid potential problems.
Coming from the UK, I’m learning about Canadian homes, and one thing is for sure: there’s not a lot of love for some of them.
Problems have developed in our small bathroom thanks to some horrible home-building techniques 20 years ago.
What was supposed to be a small bathroom renovation has turned into a budget grab.
Unfortunately, it’s what homeowners don’t see before buying a home that becomes the problem.
Should You Renovate Your Bathroom?
Everyone who comes to our house asks us why we are renovating both bathrooms because they “look” great.
Well, they may look great, but upon closer inspection, you will see the cheap quality products starting to deteriorate.
In 2014, I blogged about the start of our master en-suite bathroom renovations, which sadly are not completed, and I’ll tell you why.
I’ve started working on the small bathroom upstairs again because we ran into a soggy problem.
This wasn’t by choice, as I wanted to finish the master en-suite, but we had a bit of a flood that could have seen us ringing the insurance company.
Related: How our budgeted bathroom renovation saved us thousands
Home Inspectors Don’t See Everything
When we first moved into our house, we had a complete home inspection, which we thought was the right thing to do as new buyers.
Well, it is, and it isn’t depending on who you hire and their background.
I’m hiring tradespeople in the next round, even if it costs me more upfront.
Problems Began Surfacing
Initially, the first sign of problems arose from our water softener not being looked after and sending hard water through the water pipes and faucets.
After replacing our failing water softener, we noticed all the faucet valves started leaking due to the softer water breaking up the scale. That’s great.
Well, kind of, but it made so many of our faucets around the house start to leak all the time.
Related: Soft or Hard water- Is Your Water Softener Costing You Money?
One problem led to the next, and when we woke up, the kitchen ceiling started to drip water.
However, it was hard to determine where it was coming from in our small bathroom.
We eventually traced it back to the toilet after my parents, visiting from the UK, used the small bathroom upstairs.
Home Repairs Can Be Scary
Mrs. CBB was in the kitchen getting some breakfast ready, and when the toilet was flushed, water came dripping out the crack in the kitchen ceiling.
A frantic Mrs. CBB called me to grab towels, so I knew I was in for a big surprise.
I kept telling her the kitchen ceiling wouldn’t come crashing down to relax her fears.
It wasn’t as much water as you’d think, but any water is more than enough.
After ripping off the toilet upon inspection, it turns out the hole cut in the floor was so big that the bathroom was only bolted to the floor ring on one side.
The foam sealing gasket for the toilet was also installed off to one side.
The Emergency Renovation List
After calming my wife down, who was unhappy about the water damage, and while soaking it up, I knew this was another job to add to the “emergency renovation list.”
This is another reason why having an emergency savings fund is essential.
When a problem arises, you’ll have to seek other ways to get cash quickly without extra savings.
Often, this can put homeowners into debt situations, causing increased stress and financial uproar.
A Renovation Drop-Zone
So, in our small bathroom upstairs, we now have a leaking shower and a floor that needs to be replaced and re-plumbed for the toilet.
To top it off, the bath has a chip in the enamel that’s started rusting.
I disconnected the shower valve because we already have a shower in our en-suite bathroom, and the toilet is still working due to a temporary repair and a new wax bowl seal.
Renovating our small bathroom has been on my to-do list for some time, so over the past two years, we’ve purchased a new vanity cabinet, medicine cabinet, and mirror.
Our unfinished basement has turned into a renovation drop zone.
Much to my wife’s dismay, we have renovation materials for our bathrooms and hardwood flooring cluttering the space.
Living through a home renovation is always hard, especially when a child is involved.
Hiring The Right Tradespeople
I plan to replace the bathroom floor and install a unique quality tile, but it will require some help from the “family plumber” when replacing the bathtub.
Luckily, we can count on him for any plumber-related issues, and he doesn’t charge us anything but a hot meal.
A reasonable estimate for a plumber to come and remove your old tub and install a new one is approximately $1,000.
Remember, that’s just the labor; you still have to add in the cost of the tub to begin with.
If you’ve never completed a small bathroom renovation, contacting tradespeople for a project estimate is essential.
You may have to pay for this, but some tradespeople offer free estimates.
Doing this will give you realistic figures to budget for your small bathroom renovation.
Planning Small Bathroom Renovation Aesthetics
Now that we have a good idea of what needs replacing, we can work on ideas about how we want the bathroom to look.
Mrs CBB likes to look on Pinterest for ideas for small bathroom makeovers, layout inspiration, or concepts for bathroom plans to give me more work.
I’m okay with that, though, because we both have to love our new small bathroom when it’s done, so I’d instead make sure she’s happy the first time around.
Choosing Bathroom Tile
There are great ideas online; however, be careful that the cost of a small bathroom renovation doesn’t turn into mega-bucks.
For our small bathroom, we’ve budgeted $5,000,
Included in our bathroom renovation budget will be the following;
- Bathtub
- Faucets
- Showerhead
- Revamped plumbing
- Vanity with stone (possibly granite) countertop
- Medicine Cabinet
- Lighting
- Mirror
- Sink
- Floor-to-ceiling tiles
- Baseboards
- Caulking
- Insulation
- Drywall
- Lighting Wall Plate
- Exhaust Fan
- Floor Vent
Small Bathroom Renovation Online Inspiration
Looking online for tile ideas to give our small bathroom a unique look brought us to ABL Tile Center’s website.
The website gave us tiling solutions and is the brainchild behind our current tile choices.
ABL stocks an extensive range of bathroom tiles, but unfortunately, they are on the opposite side of the world.
What was important during the research phase was being able to stimulate ideas from what’s hot in the market, even if we had to source ideas from around the world.
Walking through Home Depot or other Canadian big box stores doesn’t cut it for us, as we want a unique wow factor and not a cookie-cutter look for our small bathroom.
Even our master en-suite design and look will be motivated by some pretty cool projects we’ve seen on Pinterest, which is a must for anyone who needs renovation ideas.
Research Renovation Materials In Advance
My advice for someone looking to start a small bathroom renovation is to take some time to visit showrooms to see first-hand and touch the materials you like.
Some online companies may even send you tile samples through the mail for a small cost.
Remember that not all tiles are the same, and that price usually gives you a better quality.
Inform yourself of the different materials that tiles are made of and what suitable locations they best thrive in.
Porcelain tiles compete better in wet environments because they are non-porous and better for bathroom renovation.
The last thing you want is a bad case of mold or having to rip it all out shortly after.
Colour Selection For A Small Bathroom Renovation
Pick a color theme and try to stick with it.
Having second thoughts or changing the theme halfway through could leave your look disjointed.
An all-white bathroom is excellent but a bit clinical; break it up with some hardwood colors in the vanity and natural stone on one feature wall.
If you use a colored tile, be careful how many colors you add because you don’t want it to be hard on the eyes.
I’ve often ripped out 1970s bathroom suites because the suit was maroon, purple, or black.
Bold and vibrant colors were probably great when fitted, but they dated quickly.
Keep things neutral and add accessories that can be removed or updated quickly and cheaply.
A white bathroom suit never goes out of fashion unless it has sea shells embossed into the bath itself.
Hard Water Considerations For A Bathroom Reno
Another point to remember is that if you have hard water in your house, choosing dark tiles will only showcase the white residue of the hard water.
Think about how much that will bother you, and if it does, then you should go with a lighter tile.
We’re going with a white suite, a stainless shower faucet (with a ceramic valve as they last longer), a dark wood vanity and cabinet, and some neutral-colored tile.
We haven’t gotten as far as settling on a concrete plan, but we’ve narrowed down a few tile ideas from research.
Bright Colours Open Up Spaces
Whatever we choose will be light in color to keep the bathroom bright.
Giving your bathroom too many dark accents will make the bathroom dull unless you have enough natural light to compensate.
Also, keeping it dark will give the allure of an even smaller space if you renovate a small bathroom.
Quality Bathroom Flooring
Don’t forget the importance of quality bathroom flooring.
We’re fans of tiles and not hardwood in the bathroom for obvious reasons, but many homes have been upgraded this way.
We will install heated floors with a controller by the light switch and then tiles over the top.
Picking tiles for the floor differs significantly from picking tiles for the walls and bath surround.
You will have to think about the coefficient of friction, which, believe it or not, is printed on the box when you buy it.
When smooth tiles get wet, they become dangerous.
We currently have builder-grade linoleum floors in our bathrooms, a death trap.
They have all the grip of a greasy fish, and unfortunately, our little guy has fallen a few times, which is never a good thing.
Small Bathroom Budget Surprises
You may be wondering where the rest of our $5000 bathroom renovation budget will go, so I’ll tell you.
Don’t get caught with your pants down.
I’m taking the drywall down on the interior wall because you can hear the toilet paper rustle in the bedroom next door.
I’ll fit safely and use sound insulation to reduce noise transfer because no one likes to hear what’s happening in the bathroom when it’s not them sitting on the bog.
Related: Prepare your budget for the renovation money monster
While I’m replacing the flooring, I’ll inspect the damage from the toilet leak simultaneously to see how that will affect our bathroom budget, which is why it’s essential to budget over.
Plus, this house has had many surprises already, so why not throw in more for me to tackle?
I can be very sarcastic about our house.
Even though we like it, we don’t care for all the imperfections that could have been avoided.
The Cookie-Cutter Home Effect
Our next house may be custom-built, depending on how much zest I lose for this house.
Cookie-cutter homes may look nice, but I bet misery lurks around them.
Be prepared that your renovation budget may suddenly increase if you find something more important to fix first before calling it your finished small bathroom project.
This is why finishing the first bathroom renovation is taking me so long.
I’d instead do it right the first time, even if we don’t plan to live in this house.
https://canadianbudgetbinder.com/2014/11/06/bathroom-renovation
Quality Renovations Matter
I’ll keep plugging away at our bathroom renovation and share photos of the finished space in an upcoming blog post, along with the total amount we spent renovating our small bathroom.
Nothing is worse than setting up the next homeowner with a low-quality, shady renovation that will only cost them money to replace.
You wouldn’t like it if someone did it to you, so budget appropriately and spend the money to buy suitable materials that will protect your housing investment in the long term.
Discussion: Have you done a small bathroom renovation which turned into a bit of a money pit?
Share your comments below.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. CBB
Oh wow! We are currently just painting the bathroom and some small tiles! The guy at Home Depot caught us looking at some different tiles and he does the workshops there. He suggested that if we buy the more expensive tile to buy less and to frame it with a plain tile. I go onto Pinterest all the time and as I am being frugal will be using the blue paint from Rhias room. Paint is so expensive here but, again, we have budgeted for more than needed. Will take some before and after pics for you! Hopefully this is done next week. All depends on getting the guest room finished!
We renovated our bathroom from November to April this year, for a total cost of $3,800, including towels and accessories. It was a long time coming, from the 1970’s black and bubblegum pink porcelain tiles, with at least with a couple of “suit coat and tie” freshen up’s in between. The long and short of it is that we had floor space that we replaced with 8 tiles from time to time, so imagine living with that for 25 years and 7 people in one single bathroom! It was too small and too unmanageable.
Everything needed replaced top to bottom. The tub finish had worn off, the floor was peeled (right down to the plywood, thanks to a particular housemate who loves to pick at things incessantly), and the faucets, sink and toilet leaked. The vanity was plywood that had split. Enough of that nightmare.
Living with renovations is tough on everyone, pressure on the renovator, pressure on the Mum who has to ensure everyone gets clean and stays sane.
Ripped out a closet in an adjacent bedroom to bump it out another 3 feet, use the old chimney frame from the oil furnace to create a towel/storage area with a laundry chute.
Budget brilliance…..tub surround from a Restore for $75 (it was new but had some minor cracks in the finish from people moving it), refinished with $100 of material. A vanity from an old dresser found on Kijiji for $200 (mostly solid wood.), new laminate on top to make it waterproof (with an edging to ensure the rest didn’t get ruined. Everything done by hubby, he has so many talents. New faucet handles that are in sync with the bathroom style. (Silly, I know, but brilliant because it doesn’t look stock.)
Budget busters…..first toilet broken in the first few days as the hammer fell off the ladder. Tin ceiling (special order). New type of laminate floor that is water resistant (for real.) Cedar walls. Special order laminate for counter top.
Creative custom bathroom, built with our hands, definitely not your ordinary retreat.
I put our reno on Pinterest, so proud of the results! It fits our style and personality and location. And our family size.
Our two bathrooms are in desperate need of renovation, but we haven’t made room for them in our budget. I’m also afraid that we may end up with more than we bargained for due to “surprises”. If we decide to make it happen at some point, I’ll come back to this post to remind myself of your wise tips. I look forward to seeing the photos when you’re done.
Yes it’s amazing what we can uncover if we really look. I can see why people who have their house built are constantly on the job site to make sure things are done right however you would expect the company that is hired to do that. It’s a rushed world my friends.
Nice bathroom renovation! Hope you could post the before and after. Congrats on having a job well done!
I’m hoping to mate. Thanks
We also reworked our master bath 2 piece to add in a shower. We refer to it as the “Tiny Bathroom” and jiggled more room out of a 5×5 space by borrowing 1 foot from the bedroom. Some space savers we used – we installed a pocket door and instead of towel bars ( not enough wall space) we installed IKEA wall hooks and sewed loops on the towels. Oh, I should mention a bit of a disaster with shower install, broke a glass door and it shattered everywhere – what a mess. We were anxious about having another one shipped across Canada in one piece but breathed a sigh of relief when It arrived safely. In the end it was all worth it, our little bathroom has everything we need and no more:)
Good luck with your bathroom renos!
This a great info and tips for anyone looking to renovate but not sure how to afford it! Thanks!
The most important thing in bathroom renovation is to update the cabinets. They create the main style for the room, like wheels for a car.