Revamp your bathroom on a budget: our top five tips

The smallest room in the house often has the least time and attention paid to it, but nothing is worse than a horrible bathroom. This is where you come to feel clean, so grubby surroundings should be a deal breaker – and who can relax in the tub when staring at grimy walls?

Finding a way to remodel your bathroom on a budget doesn’t necessarily mean ripping out the bathroom suite and forking out for a new one. There are a few tips that mean you can smarten up this space without breaking the bank.

Hit the suite spot

Let’s start with the bathroom suite. If your enamel bath or sink is chipped or stained you can refinish it yourself over the course of a weekend with just a little elbow grease. Simply clean the bath or sink with an abrasive cleaner, then sand with rough sandpaper to remove grease and dirt and to create a rough surface to apply product to.

Once the bath is prepared, paint it using epoxy, a synthetic paint. Painting in one direction only, apply a thin layer, and a second layer an hour later, then simply caulk around the corners – and your bathtub or sink will look as good as new.

Be careful, though – this trick works on enamel, but it’s best not to try it on plastic!

Add style with tiles

If your bathroom suite is in decent condition, then take a look at the walls.

New tiles always make a huge difference; take a trip to the bargain section of your local DIY shop and you will often find end-of-batch tiles that are for sale at a reduced price.

If you aren’t up for retiling, then consider repainting your tiles; tile paints are available in a large number of colours, from most big DIY stores.

Make your floor flawless

Bathroom floors can be easily replaced by searching out offcuts of vinyl, but if you fancy something a little more special then why not take a trip to the beach (or at least your local garden centre) for some smooth pebbles?

Once you have the pebbles it’s a case of applying grout to the floor, carefully placing the pebbles in an interlocking fashion (make sure they are flat and smooth and roughly the same size, otherwise they will be agony on your feet).

When dry, simply paint over with a sealant, to seal in the colour and protect the floor from water.  I won’t lie, it takes a bit of effort, but it’s oh so worth it for the result.

Shed some light

Consider the lighting; a harsh overhead bulb isn’t at all flattering when you are in all your naked glory.

If you have a luminescent strip consider replacing it for something softer; in some cases, this may be as simple as swapping a 100 watt bulb for a 60, or you may have to replace the fitting.

…and accessorise!

When you revamp your bathroom, finishing touches are everything.

So, spend a little bit of money on soft towels in stylish colours and a matching bath mat.

If you have space, then mirrors or pictures add a feeling of luxury. Consider shelving options and buy some unusual jars and vases from a flea market or boot sale to proudly display all your bathroom paraphernalia.

Photo credit: Ivonne Wierink