How To Renovate A Bathroom On A Budget

If you’re willing to put the time into shopping around and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, renovating your bathroom on a budget isn’t as hard as you might think. Whether you have a specific idea or not, we've put together our best tips on how to carry out a budget-friendly bathroom makeover!

One of the first steps you should take before attempting any interior makeover is decluttering. Clearing and organising your space allows you to start with a blank canvas, which makes it a lot easier to plan your bathroom design and make sensible decisions when it comes to practical storage solutions.

Begin by emptying all the clutter and remove any out-of-date toiletries. Next, categorise your items and split them into groups. You should now be left with manageable groups of items and you can begin to think about any storage solutions you might want to include in your bathroom makeover.

Before you start renovating your bathroom, it is essential to sit down and decide exactly what you want.

• - Are you a shower person or do you need to have a bath?
• - Do you need more storage and therefore need to compromise on the fittings you want?
• - Are there any difficult areas you need to think about, for example, a water tank?

Once you have a list of non-negotiables, create a budget for the project (don’t forget to include accessories such as bath mats and soap dispensers!) Be realistic and remember that cheap doesn’t always mean cheerful.

If the planned costs for your bathroom renovations seem a bit high, consider whether you can save any of the original features. Additionally, you may need to prioritise within the set budget, do you want to spend more on a shower or have a less basic tile? Compromise is necessary when working with a tight budget.

It may not be the ‘fun’ bit, but without having a budget in place, it is very easy to overspend.

When renovating a bathroom, you may be tempted to buy a whole new suite from one company. While this may be extremely convenient, it is not necessarily the cheapest way to revamp your bathroom. Instead, shop around to find the best deals; one retailer could be selling a particular brand much cheaper than another.

Pro tip: visit showrooms to get inspiration and then shop around online to get the same product at a lower price.

If you are after something a little more unique, shopping sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace can be a great way to carry out a bathroom revamp on a budget. You can often find amazing freestanding baths that just need some attention and a lick of paint to look brand new again. Be wary when looking at electrical goods like showers: sometimes spending more money to get brand new and a guarantee is worth it.

For a cheaper bathroom makeover, waiting for the sales can be a great idea. Online retailers often have more sales than store-only retailers and are easier to track. But don’t get sale-happy and start buying everything because it’s cheaper: plan ahead and only buy the things you need. Remember to stick to your budget!

Pro tip: The best sales are at the start of the New Year, but they can start as early as November with Black Friday, so keep checking your favourite websites to see if the price drops. If you really can’t afford something, hold your nerve and wait, the longer the sale goes on the better the price is likely to become. Of course, you could always try going into a store and haggling but being British, we find this difficult.

A scary prospect and perhaps not an option for some, but getting involved in some DIY is a great way to renovate a bathroom on a budget. With so many resources out there from YouTube tutorials to in-store experts, it has never been easier to revamp your bathroom without calling in a professional!

Pro tip: If you have a family or friend who is in the trades, ask them for support, maybe you have skills to exchange.

Tiles are an investment and cater to a range of budgets. Shop around and you can usually find something you love that’s within your price range. If you can afford the repayments, payment plans are a great way to invest in a more inspiring product range, after all, you should love your new bathroom for years to come!

Pro tip: If you opt for a more basic tile, tile it in an interesting laying pattern, like herringbone, to make it look more expensive. Alternatively, choose a contrasting grout to achieve the same effect! Not too sure how this will look in your home? Use our Tile Visualiser to bring your ideas to life.

If you’ve opted for a fairly plain suite, create personality and warmth by adding accessories. A second-hand, upcycled rustic sideboard with a bargain basin sink on top can look fantastic and is a great way to bring a sense of style to your bathroom revamp. You can then splash out on some nice taps for that touch of luxury and nobody will ever know!

A simple way to revamp your bathroom on a budget is to introduce more light into the space, this will automatically make your bathroom feel bigger. Even if you’ve only got a small bathroom you can optimise what you’ve got by using light colours on the walls and floors and accessorising with pale tones. To add extra light to your final look, add or change the mirrors in your bathroom to create the illusion of extra space.

Why not design your dream bathroom using our Tile Visualiser to find out what’s right for you?

Pro tip: If your DIY time is limited to the weekends only, we’d recommend creating a new splashback for your sink. Tiles with a gloss finish, especially white tiles, will maximise light in your bathroom.

Switching up the colour palette in your bathroom is an easy, yet effective way to revamp the space. So why not embrace the current trend for bringing the outside in by introducing some greenery into your home? Indoor plants not only create a sense of zen but they are an instant splash of colour in your bathroom.

If you are after something a bit bolder, opt for vibrant colour combinations or simply change your bathroom accessories. Colour can have a big impact on a room, so put a distinctive stamp on your home with a bright, bold colour statement.

Any room looks better once it’s had a bit of a spring clean and tidy, yet tidying a bathroom is often easier said than done. To balance practicality and functionality opt for a mirrored cupboard. Not only do these come in many sizes, but they are a great way to hide all your bathroom essentials and minimise sink clutter! Shower caddies are another space saver and are ideal if you don’t have space in your cabinets for all your bottles.

No bathroom revamp is complete without a deep clean. Get a steam mop (there’s something for all budgets) and bring out the sparkle in your bathroom. Don't forget, your tiles may need a little TLC when cleaning so check out our advice for cleaning tiles.

A fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest ways you can make a big difference to your bathroom. If you’ve only got a small bathroom and you want to make the space appear bigger, you can optimise what you’ve got by using light colours on the walls and ceilings. Alternatively, if you want to create a more moody feel, dark colours like forest green and deep blue are ideal.

The placement of the paint you choose can also be used to change the shape and dimensions of a room. For example, extending a dark-coloured paint beyond the walls to include the ceiling can help to create an intimate space which is ideal if you are looking for a more dramatic look. Full coverage, known as colour drenching, which covers walls, ceilings and wood work will help a space feel bigger as there's no visible joints in the room. If you're looking to add height, extending a light ceiling colour down the walls can give the illusion of a taller ceiling.

Worn and drab grout can make your bathroom feel tired. Perhaps what once was a sparkly, bright white grout has now turned a yellowish shade of cream. Deep cleaning your tiles or regrouting tiles that already exist in your bathroom is a great way to refresh the space without needing a full tile replacement. It's certainly cheaper and can also be completed in as little as a few hours.

Instead of just refreshing with the same colour, you could try opting for a different coloured grout to transform the space. If you previously had white grout with white tiles, why not try black grout for a more contemporary feel? Or perhaps brown grout for a more rustic feel?

The current trend for bringing the outside in reflects our love for the great outdoors and the bathroom is the perfect place to introduce some greenery into your home. Indoor plants create an instant splash of colour in your bathroom whilst also helping to create a healthy and relaxing environment. If you're not green-fingered, there are lots of realistic faux plants available too.

Switching out your existing bathroom fixtures and fittings is a relatively cost-effective way to give your space a refresh without needing to have a complete refit.

Black taps and showerhead fittings provide a nice contrast against most colours but look particularly striking against white or neutral tones. For a more vintage look, gold and brass should be your go-to. These two finishes look fabulous with any colour scheme but they look particularly luxurious with emerald green bathroom tiles and colour schemes.

Secondhand marketplaces are your best friend when it comes to budget bathroom makeovers. You can often find some unique pieces at a fraction of the price.

For example, repurposing ladders as an alternative to shelves is a great way to add a statement piece in your space without sacrificing practicality. Woven baskets not only make for useful storage boxes but they can also be used as aesthetic planters and vintage wooden stools also help to add character and serve as useful sidetables without the need for installing new bathroom cabinets.

Secondhand marketplaces really are a treasure trove and a great place to find hidden gems that add that wow factor.

Explore our stunning collection of bathroom tiles to revamp and refresh your space. You can also use our online visualiser to play with different looks to find what's right for you.

For more tiling inspiration, check out our Instagram, @toppstiles. We also post new tile design idea boards regularly over on our Topps Tiles Pinterest page.