12 Bathroom Remodel Ideas on a Budget

Remodeling a bathroom can quickly get expensive, with bathroom remodel costs averaging around $12,000 and luxury bathroom remodels climbing up to around $55,000. Luckily, all hope is not lost if you don’t have the funds to afford a complete bathroom makeover. These 12 bathroom remodel ideas on a budget can help give your space a new look without breaking the bank.

Quick Takeaways

• Focus on updating old fixtures, wall coverings, and cabinetry. A fresh coat of paint and new sink and tub faucets can go a long way.

• Save on labor costs by choosing bathroom design ideas you can tackle yourself if you have some experience with DIY.

• Whenever possible, reuse materials to save money. Consider refinishing your vanity and reglazing your tub instead of installing new ones.

1. Apply a Fresh Coat of Paint to the Walls

You’ve probably heard before that painting the walls and ceilings in your home is one of the most effective ways to increase property value, so why not bring that rule of renovation to your bathroom? 

Painting the bathroom walls can instantly transform your space from old and drab to modern and fab. It’s also a great way to add some personality to your bathroom, and you should be able to do the work yourself for under $50. Talk about budget-friendly.

Read more: What’s the Best Type of Paint for a Bathroom?

2. Modernize Your Grout Color

 You probably have tile in your bathroom, whether it’s floor tile, a tiled shower surround, or a backsplash above your bathroom sink. And if you have tile, your grout is almost certainly plain white. 

Bring a touch of modern flair into your space by removing it and replacing it with a dark grey grout. You can even use grout pens to stain the existing grout a custom color for an even more affordable bathroom update.

3. Refinish Your Vanity

Sick of that old bathroom vanity? Sand and finish your existing vanity instead of installing a new one. With just a few simple tools, you can do the work yourself and bring new life into your bathroom space, all while saving money. 

If you have some extra room in your budget, you can really make a difference in your bathroom by replacing the countertop material and the sink body. Just be sure you get the same size materials to avoid a more complicated and expensive replacement.

4. Install a New Mirror 

You look into your bathroom mirror every day, but do you ever really look at it? It could be outdated, dirty, and damaged, and you may not even realize it because you more often focus on its reflection. 

Upgrading to an oversized mirror above your vanity is a great way to add functionality and convenience to your bathroom, and it could be just the thing your bathroom needs for an updated look.

5. Update Your Window Treatments

Replacing the windows in your bathroom might be an expensive undertaking, but you know what isn’t? Replacing the window treatments that hang in front of them. 

For just a few hundred dollars, you could install modern plantation shutters. Or, for under $50, you can create a light and airy feeling in your bathroom by installing a curtain bar and hanging sheers from it. 

For a bit extra, you can couple the sheers with new floor-length curtains if your window is set behind a freestanding tub or clawfoot tub, which will instantly add a sense of luxury to your bathroom.

While you’re at it, replace that old, drabby shower curtain, too, and consider one that matches your new window treatments.

6. Replace Fixtures

Plumbing fixtures like tub fillers, new faucets, and showerheads can really add to or detract from the overall look of your bathroom. Take a look around your bathroom and look for signs of rust, water spots, chips, and other damage on your plumbing fixtures. 

You can replace them for just a few hundred dollars to improve the overall appearance of your bathroom. Upgrading to brushed nickel or even copper fixtures will cost a bit more, but the impact on your bathroom will be even more pronounced.

Don’t forget about electrical fixtures, too. Check out the light fixture above your vanity to see if it could use an upgrade. And while you’re at it, see if your towel bars, hand towel rings, and toilet paper holder are old and outdated. Replacing these is a quick and easy DIY bathroom upgrade and should cost under $100.

7. Install a Backsplash Behind Your Vanity

An affordable way to add intrigue and personality to your bathroom design is to install a small backsplash behind your vanity. A backsplash can cost quite a lot if you have a professional install a custom one for you, but if you’re an avid DIYer, you can get the installation done yourself for just a few dollars per square foot. 

You’ll need some tools and other materials aside from the tiles — as well as some patience — but overall, you can get this eye-popping bathroom upgrade done for under $250 in most cases.

8. Paint Your Bathroom Tile

Retiling a bathroom floor, wall, or backsplash is a surefire way to maximize the room’s appeal, but if you don’t have the skills to install tile yourself or the budget to hire a pro, you can still freshen up the room by painting your bathroom tile. 

Go basic with a solid color, or mix it up and customize with a pattern. Even if you choose multiple colors, you’ll be able to tackle this DIY project for a fraction of what you’d spend retiling the area.

9. Reglaze the Bathtub or Shower Surround

Nothing detracts from the look of a bathroom like a tub or shower body that’s chipped and stained. Replacing either would cost hundreds or even thousands, but reglazing is another option that’s far more budget-friendly. This will require hiring a professional, as the process requires specialized tools and experience, but you’ll still get a new look for a minimal investment.

If you have a bit more in the budget, you can also consider a tub cover from a company like Bath Fitter, which manufactures facades that go over your tub and instantly make it look like new. You can go one step further and use a bathtub-to-shower conversion kit to ditch that bulky bathtub and modernize with a walk-in shower. 

This will cost around $4,000, on average, but that’s still far less than you’d pay for a custom shower remodel.

10. Replace the Flooring

If you’re not on a super tight budget, you can really upgrade your bathroom’s appearance by replacing the flooring. In many cases, this is a job best left to professionals, but if you have some serious DIY skills, specifically with flooring, you can spend just $2 to $7 per square foot replacing the flooring yourself — that’s $300 to $1,000 for an average-sized bathroom. 

Installing a tile floor is a big undertaking, but luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and luxury vinyl plank (LVP) are some of the best flooring options for bathrooms, and they’re relatively easy to install as a DIYer.

11. Accessorize

Sometimes, all your bathroom really needs is some decor to look its best. If your walls, fixtures, and flooring are all in good condition and fit the aesthetic you’re going for, then you could spend minimal money on baskets and floating shelves for organization, faux flowers and wood accents for decor, and hanging decorations to add visual height to your space. 

Consider introducing different textures to create depth. You can even consider hiring an interior decorator for help. Accessorizing a small bathroom with professional help won’t be nearly as expensive as getting advice for an entire home.

12. Add an Accent Wall

Finally, you can make your bathroom really pop by adding an accent wall. Feel free to customize here and go as bold as you dare to go. This is a great small bathroom remodel idea because what would typically be an overbearing color or pattern in a larger room will add personality without the gaudiness in a small bathroom. 

For the most cost-effective upgrade, you can use a complementary paint color or install wallpaper yourself. If you have a bit more room in your budget and some tiling skills, you can create a DIY bathroom accent wall for even more of an impact.

FAQ: Budget Bathroom Remodel

The cheapest way to redo a bathroom involves focusing on refinishing and refreshing over replacing and remodeling. For example, reglazing a tub or shower surround is a more affordable option than replacing it, as is refinishing a bathroom vanity over swapping it out with a new one. Freshen up the walls with a new coat of paint, replace plumbing and electrical fixtures, and refinish (rather than replace) the rest for a budget bathroom remodel.

It’s possible to do a bathroom renovation that costs around $5,000, but don’t expect the result to be the bathroom of your dreams. A full bathroom remodel costs around $12,000 to $17,000, so a $5,000 budget is going to limit your options. You can reglaze your tub, paint the walls, and replace plumbing fixtures for under $5,000 in most cases, and you can stretch your budget a bit further if you DIY most of the work. With a relatively small budget, you’ll need to avoid custom tile work and major replacements, and you’ll almost certainly not have the funds to change the bathroom layout.

The most expensive part of a bathroom is usually the shower/tub combo, especially if you have custom tilework as the shower surround on a walk-in shower. Replacing a bathtub/shower combo costs around $6,000, on average, and installing a walk-in shower costs around $8,000. With an average bathroom remodel cost of around $12,000, the tub and/or shower will usually account for more than 50% of the total.