One of the most challenging and time-consuming things you can do to your home is to remodel your bathroom shower. It is a complicated job that requires a lot of expert planning and execution. However, the majority of households want to do a shower remodel that is way above their budget. You can do a few things to get the cost down and have the shower you want.
Learn and Do Everything Yourself
One of the easiest ways to get the job done cheaply is to do it yourself. While you might be an average person with no experience, you will have access to a wealth of knowledge on the Internet to get information from. You can watch YouTube videos and read articles from experts, and there are many forums where you can talk to people and get feedback. You could send them photos and have them tell you what you should do next. The part of the remodel that will likely cost the most is the labor of having a professional do the job. Do it yourself and save a lot.
Have Friends Help
In the same vein as having a professional do the job for you, why not have your friends help? While they won’t be enthusiastic about helping, your real friends are likely going to come over and help you anyway. There is also a high chance that one of them has the knowledge needed to complete the remodel. In fact, if you can put your head together with your friends, you will be able to get the job done quickly and easily. You all also have access to the Internet. Another positive thing is that there are certain parts like Kohler showers that make it easy for you to install and replace.
Do the Demolition Portion Yourself
Every remodel starts with planning and then the demolition. One of the easiest ways to save on labor is to do the demolition yourself. If you decide to go the route of professional contractors, you can start by doing the demolition and cleanup yourself. The person doing the remodel will just have to come and install everything and cleanup. That will save you a lot of money on the cost of doing the remodel. The demolition is also the part that requires the least amount of skill.
Keep the Tiles and Bathtub
When doing a remodel, you have the option of replacing a lot of things. Things like the tile and the bathtub can stay, so you don’t have to spend extra money replacing them. Keeping small things like this will help you save a lot of money. These are often the most expensive parts of completing a remodel. The most important thing during this process is to complete the demolition without destroying these precious things. It can be difficult, but with care and a lot of help from friends or family, you will be able to successfully demolish the shower area without destroying the tiles or anything else.
Look for Deals on Materials
Many hardware stores will often have deals on certain materials. Instead of trying to find the materials that you dream of, you can find whatever materials they currently have a deal on. That will save you a lot of money on some of the material costs. You can also shop around and compare various deals going on from the different hardware vendors available.
Replace the Cabinet with a Mirror
You can reduce the complexity of your shower area considerably by not having things like a cabinet. The cabinet is often very expensive and difficult to install. You can replace more complicated pieces of the remodel with simpler things. For example, the cabinet would be replaced by a small mirror that then does the job. You can always opt for a more affordable cabinet at a later date. This will help you keep costs under control for peripheral things that don’t change the outcome of the project.
Have a Detailed Plan That You Stick To
The easiest way to win before you get started is to plan well. The quality of your plan will determine if you can keep costs under control or not. Creating a detailed plan that is easy to execute will keep your bills under control. It is often the easiest way to be successful before doing anything. You can opt for something more affordable, like choosing Kohler showers rather than the competition.
Give the Contractor a Smaller Budget Than You Actually Have
It seems that it is the law that the contractor will almost always go over budget. It feels like this always happens, no matter what. The easiest way to stop this from happening to you is to give the contractor a much smaller budget than you actually have. You can run some calculations in your head and estimate how much they are likely to go over your current budget. All you have to do is then tell them the smaller budget, and when they go over, you are well-positioned to still stay under your real budget. It will also put more urgency on them to work if they are given tighter constraints. This type of effective planning and preparation has many great benefits.
Keep Lighting Simple
Lighting is another aspect of the remodel that can cost a lot of money. Many people opt for complicated lights that look great but do nothing. You can opt for the simplest lighting possible, which will save you a lot of money in energy and installation costs. It should also be simple enough that you might be able to install them yourself.
Wrap Up
Doing a remodel is one of the most difficult things you can do. However, it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, and you have many ways of reducing what you have to pay. By following simple rules and getting help from friends, you can come out ahead with many savings.