By using some creativity and adding in your fair share of elbow grease, you can remodel your bathroom for less money that you may think. Bathroom remodels can definitely be pricy. In fact, experts have estimated that on average a bathroom remodel can cost upwards of $10,499. Depending on where you live and how upscale you are planning your bathroom to be that figure could easily double. For most people a standard bathroom remodel consists of at least some of the following changes: putting in a toilet, tub with a tile surround, an integrated solid-surface double sink and vanity, recessed medicine cabinet, a ceramic tile floor and vinyl wallpaper. Keeping these changes in mind, here are some tips for how to remodel your bathroom for less.

How to remodel your bathroom for less

 Get a general contractor but use him only when you are in over your head. Bathroom remodels involve many complicated elements including plumbing and electrical work. Not to mention that there are permits that need to be acquired and work that should be overseen in order to ensure that all is being done in the safest manner possible. That being said, there are some things that you can do on your own, careful demolition is one of them. Another thing that you can do to save money on your contractor costs is to buy the materials that you will need yourself. This way you do not have to pay the marked-up price that your contractor will charge.

 Save on the cost of labor by doing the busy work yourself. Remodeling a bathroom is not going to be glamorous, but if you are willing to roll your sleeves up and do some of the work yourself, you will save money. Home improvement stores are great resources for learning how to lay down your tile flooring or tile shower. Painting and smoothing out ceilings can also be learned from simple tutorials.

 Stick with the same floor plan and save yourself some money. Some of the most expensive changes that people make in their bathroom remodels involve moving around the sinks, tub, toilet, etc.

 Tile can quickly become a budget buster if you are not careful to monitor how much you are spending per square foot. You can save yourself a lot of money by getting a simple shower surround instead of spending all that time and money for fancy mosaic tiles. Tiling is easy to do it just takes some training, patience and a lot of time.

 Countertops can be an expensive item on your list of things that you want to get for your remodel. If you are thinking of having two sinks and a long countertop that connects the two, consider having separate countertops. Finding smaller pieces of stone for your fancy countertops is much easier, and therefore less expensive, then cutting a large piece. Remnant stone pieces that can be cut for your countertops will save you big bucks.

Other tips and warnings

Sometimes people get caught up in the fixtures and accessories that may be better in form than in function. Remember that your bathroom needs to be usable and cleanable. Bathrooms should be the most practical rooms in your house and by remembering that and leaving out all of the bells and whistles while renovating you can save a lot of money.