Do it yourself- Sweat Equity- Bathrooms

Here are some of the top home remodeling projects during the Pandemic, according to a National Association of Realtors article: creating open floor plans, expanding outdoor space, adding storage in the kitchen, planting a garden, and adding home offices. Another project gaining momentum is bathroom remodels.

The price of remodeling a bathroom will range from $1,500 to $10,000 plus, all depending on the size and the extent of the project. If you are just changing out a toilet and vanity without rerouting plumbing, it will come in at the lower range. If you are planning on upgrading the tub, tile, lighting, adding more space, and heating you can quickly hit the upper range.

This bathroom project (shown below) I took on under the guidance of my contractors. I had plenty of Sweat Equity projects to work on. On this project I saved money by removing the cast iron tub, insulating the walls, and doing all the painting.

A side note, my seven-year-old grandson saw this picture of me kneeling next to the tub. He said, “He is like the Hulk, he just rips the tub in two!” He received an extra big Christmas present that year!

This bathroom needed a remodel to compete in today’s market. We updated the vanity, mirror, lights, and removed the vinyl flooring, and replaced it with tile. We installed a new tub, and then replaced all the tile around it. This bathroom went through two remodels over the 10+ years we owned it. When we first bought this house, we changed out the pink toilet, pink sink, and epoxied the pink tub to white.

I know some people are into the retro look of avocado and pink, but retro does not always appeal to most buyers and homeowners. People are spending more time at home, and remodels are all about style and functionality.