Is your old bathroom out of date, tired and worn down? Then it's defiantly time for a bathroom renovation. But not everyone can afford the luxury of new cabinets, opulent faucets or mosaic tiles. Use these five tips for saving money on a bathroom renovation and lower the costs of your new bathroom. With the money you save, you might be able to afford the upgrades in tile, fixtures and other bathroom accessories you want for your bathroom renovation project.
Choose the Right Contractor
When looking for a bathroom-remodeling contractor to do your job, it's best to receive multiple bids from several companies. Relying on just one or two bids isn't going to cut it if you want to get the best price possible. Multiple bids will let you get the big picture when it comes to final costs. Ask each contractor for a cost breakdown of the materials and labor so you can compare them to each other. This will ensure each contractor is on par with the renovation and no one has left any important details out.
Another reason multiple bids are a good idea: they can give you insight into other areas of the renovation you or other contractors may have overlooked. Multiple contractors give you multiple design element choices with your bathroom renovation project.
Know your Stuff
Before you begin work on any bathroom-remodeling project, research the materials that are going into it. Pricing materials through every available outlet allows you to control costs more effectively as well as allowing you to make sure the right products are being used.
While a professional contractor probably can get most new materials cheaper than you, it doesn't mean they always will. Resources like used building supply stores, newspaper want ads and even garage sales can prove to be a great asset when trying to save money on building materials.
Water Saving Fixtures
Fixtures are an essential part of any bathroom-remodeling project, but costs can add up quickly. A great way to recoup your initial investment is through water saving features. While many fixtures already save water, opt out for the most impressive water saving fixture possible to save the most water—and money. Old sinks, baths and showers can all be retrofitted with newer water saving fixtures when they can't be replaced. Consider installing an on-demand water heater to save even more money in the long run.
Do it Yourself
Some bathroom renovation contractors will let you get your hands dirty by allowing you do some of the work yourself, helping to keep down costs. Demolition and debris removal is one of the most common ways to save money when working with a contractor. Hauling your own trash to the dump takes the savings even further. Know your limits before taking on any work though, or you could be wasting time and money instead of saving it.
Delivery Deals
Many of today's large home improvement centers and materials supply companies charge a delivery fee. By picking up the materials yourself, you not only save money on delivery fees, you also ensure you get the right product delivered at the right time, preventing costly returns.
Sometimes suppliers will have too many items in stock and offer free delivery on the items the want to move out of their store, so keep an eye out in the local newspaper for sale ads.
Posted by: TrustedPros