Real Renovation Budgets // 3 Bathroom Remodels Under $3000 from our Archives

Over the past handful of years, Garrett and I have remodeled a dozen bathrooms in our old homes. Budget is always a factor in our design, and it comes at no surprise that three of our bathroom remodels cost under $3000.

Budget is a driving factor in everything we do because like most people, we have limited funds, and because unlike most people, our homes are investments (as in they provide us with rental income). We rely on these homes for our livelihood - you can read more about that here - so the money we invest in them needs to equate to returns. But even so, we're not cutting corners. We're investing in good-quality, age-appropriate materials that will last forever and look beautiful. And we’re updating the plumbing and electrical too.

With all of these bathroom remodels under our belts, I thought it would be fun to showcase a few and talk about what they cost us.

Dexter Bathroom

Budget: under $1000

Description: I don't think you've seen this bathroom on the blog before, but it's the main bathroom at the Dexter House. When we first bought the property, this room was the nicest space in the whole house, so we didn't touch it during the renovation. But once everything else was renovated, this space felt kind of lackluster, so we did a budget-friendly refresh. We swapped out the sink and faucet, installed new wainscot, replaced the sconce, brought in a cabinet from elsewhere in the house, and painted everything. Then we gave the existing floors, tub, and tiles a good scrubbing.

Read more: money savings lessons from renovating old homes (on Apartment Therapy),

Porch House Powder Bathroom

Budget: $1,220

Description: this bathroom was a brand new addition to the Porch House. We stole 34sf from an adjacent bedroom and framed in this rectangular bathroom. We added paneling and wallpaper on the walls and installed a pedestal sink, faucet, sconce, and toilet.

Read more: Porch House powder bathroom, design, wallpaper ideas, reveal and sources, budget

Dexter Master Bathroom

Budget: $2,995

Description: this 36sf master bathroom at the Dexter House was originally the dining nook. We walled it off and added an entrance into the bedroom and then created this tiny, cute bathroom. We brought in a salvaged tub and sink, painted the floors and walls, and repurposed the existing storage.

Read more: master bathroom construction, reveal, budget