How The DIY Master Bathroom Renovation Began
I’m saving all the videos and pictures of this DIY Master Bathroom Renovation on my Instagram Highlights. Click here.
What started out as a generous gift from Anthony’s mom has turned into a total DIY master bathroom renovation. And, I’m not even mad about it. 😉
Over the holidays, Anthony received a $500 check. He decided he wanted to use the cash to fix up the ceiling in our master bathroom. (I swear I had nothing to do with his decision!) We live in a condo built in 1978, and I’m pretty sure the only updates that have happened over the last four decades are fresh paint and a new toilet.
Our ventilation fan had been bugging out toward the end of the year, and we knew we’d need to replace it soon, so that’s where we started: the ceiling in the shower/toilet room. In addition to needing a new exhaust fan, we also needed the tools necessary to scrape, sand and repair the ceiling, as it was cracked and chipping in many places.
I quickly took the reigns and before we knew it, we were also planning to replace the bathroom hardware (towel hooks, toilet paper holder, bathtub fixtures, vanity lights, light switches and covers, outlets and covers), baseboards and vanity. Basically, an entire master bathroom renovation.
Pretty sure my husband was thinking, “This chick is cray! I only wanted to replace the vent fan and paint–not take on an entire renovation!”
But, he entertained my visions are here we are, one month in and enjoying the process!
Yessss, I am 100% wearing swim goggles. I hadn’t found our construction eye protection, yet, and the eye protection we have for target practice when shooting wasn’t cutting it. Thankfully, I’ve since found the proper eyewear … and threaded my eyebrows and got some sleep 😉
Month One Cost Breakdown
We decided from day one that we’d purchase what we could when we could. No rush. We didn’t want other areas to suffer (savings, entertainment) financially, and accepted that this would be a lengthy process. I remember thinking three months seemed like a reasonable amount of time. Hope we’re still on track for that. 🙂
Here’s a look at what we purchased during the month of January:
- paint + paint supplies like tape, naps, etc.
- pole sander, sand paper, dust mask
- drywall mud, tape and trowels
- caulking
- ventilation fan, duct tape, multitester analog tool to make sure we weren’t gunna fry ourselves
- bronze outlets, light switches and covers
- drywall (to repair holes in the wall from removing the medicine cabinet and moving an outlet box)
- decorative shelf brackets
- vanity lights + the light bulbs
- towel hooks, toilet paper holder, shower rings, shower curtain & liner, towel ring hooks (for sinks)
- frames for artwork
- art print downloads (ordered from Etsy, have yet to print them)
- baseboards … and an extra baseboard cause my homeboy cut one about an inch too short after lecturing me that it’s always better to cut it a bit too long … 😉
- various tools like a pipe wrench and utility knife
- knockdown texture for the wall repairs
- trim kit for the bathtub in bronze: drain plug, overflow cover, spout, handle, and shower head (Note: Not including the cost of the plumber’s help replacing the shower handle since it technically happened in February, but will include for February’s breakdown)
For a grand total of $1,431.53.
So, $931.53 out of our pockets when the $500 gift in considered.
Wowza. That’s a lot! I was originally hoping we’d be able to keep the entire project around $2,000 since we were planning to DIY everything, but that number is out the window. New hopeful number not to exceed is around $3,500, realistically. Honestly, that’s a heck of a lot cheaper than hiring out all the work. Longer to DIY? Of course! But, I don’t work, have the time, and am loving learning all these things. I also find it quite satisfying knowing that I’m the one who’s done the majority of the work. Don’t get me wrong, A has done a shit ton, and will continue to help, but he works and has less time to spend on this project.
Here’s what we have on the horizon for month two:
- plumber service to replace the tub handle (old one was corroded and past our skill level)
- old vanity demo (hoping I can DIY this–will ask plumber’s advice on the water situation when removing old sinks, and hire help if needed)
- vanity rebuild & installation–we have a couple feelers out on this project right now. I’m not 100% that this is the route I wanna go. I want to try to do it myself, but fear of messing up is holding me back + we’d need to purchase some costly tools for woodworking. We’ll see what the estimates come back as, and go from there.
- vanity countertop
That’ll likely max us out, spending wise. But, if a birthday fairy drops money into my lap this month, then we may also be able to get:
- vanity sinks + faucets + drain assemblies + caulking
- mirrors–we’ve been browsing, but don’t want to settle until the vanity is close to completion
- fun decor stuff like new bath and hand towels (have my eyes on these or these), printing the art I previously purchased, a couple of plants
I’ll do a similar report for all expenses during month two of our master bathroom renovation. Hopefully this transparency will encourage others to tackle a project like this! And, if you’re reading this and have any helpful advice or ideas, please share in the comment section below!
xo,