How to Do An Affordable Bathroom Remodel Under $1,000 in 2025

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Budget friendly bathroom remodels are well within reach when you use creative solutions and avoid demo! Let’s walk through the best creative solutions to achieve an affordable bathroom remodel in 2025.

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Top Tips for an Affordable Bathroom Remodel

The term “budget friendly” means something different to everyone. One person will consider a $5,000 bathroom remodel budget friendly while someone else would call that expensive. So let’s keep in mind that “budget friendly” is actually determined by what your budget is to begin with.

Personally, if I’m doing a budget friendly project, then I like it to cost less than $1,000. Realistically, full remodels will cost significantly more than that.

So today, I’m focusing on updating a bathroom in ways that will improve the aesthetic and increase functionality, rather than a full gut remodel.

Here are my best tips for how to achieve an affordable bathroom remodel. Then, I’ll dive deeper into my own bathroom remodel. I’m doing this one for under $700!

DIY With No Demo

1. Plan to do all the work yourself. If you think you can’t, take advantage of what YouTube has to offer in the way of tutorials to help you where you lack certain skills.
2. Do not demo. Instead, get creative on how you can update what exists.
3. Do not move plumbing. While it might be ideal to change the layout of a bathroom, it is a major budget killer!
4. Keep items that are in good shape. Just because a vanity is from the 1990s doesn’t mean it should be replaced. If it’s in good shape, update it in smaller ways like paint or a new vanity top.
5. Remove dated items like shower doors, rather than ripping out an entire shower. Replace instead with a simple curtain and rod!

Deep Clean and Think Outside the box

1. Do a deep cleaning and purge unneeded items. Items that you think are outdated may look and function much better with a deep clean and good organization.
2. Do regular maintenance. Replace old caulk, clean dirty grout, dust grimy baseboards, clean walls impacted by steam. These regular maintenance items can make a space feel brand new again.
3. Paint. Paint fixes everything. Walls, trim, and ceilings are obvious. But what about updating hardware, hooks, vanities, light fixtures, floors and even countertops? You can paint just about anything. This $300 bathroom remodel is evidence of this!
4. Update flooring. There are many ways to update flooring without taking out the old. Peel and stick tiles, floor paint, vinyl, or even just updating the grout can give you a whole new look.

Things to Replace for An Affordable Bathroom Remodel

1. Replace broken items. Towel bar constantly falling off the wall? Faucet leaking? Tackle the must-haves first.
2. Replace smaller dated fixtures. It’s amazing what a quick swap of a mirror, shelving or medicine cabinet can do for a bathroom remodel.
3. Update switch plates. Modern screw-less switch plates can update any room; but they are especially impactful in small spaces when they are prominent by mirrors and vanities.
4. Update hardware. A bathroom vanity can be totally transformed with new hardware, even if it’s decades old. Our 90s vanity looks brand new with updated hardware!
5. Update lighting. Nothing dates a space like old lighting. Lighting is also particularly important in a bathroom where you get ready.

What to Add

1. Add character. Wallpaper, wall moulding, tile, artwork or even murals are all great ways to bring character into a space. You want it to be slightly unexpected for a greater impact. Adding character makes a room feel completely transformed and most of the time, it’s fairly affordable.
2. Add window treatments. Getting the proper privacy is your first goal. But make it pretty at the same time! You can bring a lot of personality into a space with window treatments.
3. Don’t ignore the fifth wall. You can totally transform a bathroom with a ceiling treatment, even if it’s just paint.
4. Add storage accessories. Sometimes a bathroom feels like it needs to be updated simply because it is unorganized. A bathroom that doesn’t have intentional storage will continue to feel “wrong” even after a full gut remodel if you don’t organize it. Get drawer organizers, floor cabinets or simply place a tray on the countertop to corral items you use daily.

What is the cheapest way to redo a bathroom?

The cheapest way to redo a bathroom is to keep all flooring, vanities, and showers and do cosmetic updates to the space. No demo. All DIY. You will be surprised how you can transform a room without gutting it.

I accomplished an affordable bathroom remodel in my primary bathroom by:

• Keeping the vanity and countertop and replacing the knobs and faucet.
• Painting all walls, ceiling, trim and bulk head the same color to blend all the harsh angles of the room. (Paint Color: SW Agreeable Gray)
• Removing the gross and chipping shower door and replacing with a curtain.
• Updating the builder grade mirror.
• Updating the bulky 90s canned lights with retrofit LEDs.
• Replacing all the broken towel bars and hooks.
• Resealing the floor grout in a new color.
• Adding a faux tile backsplash with wood trim.
• Adding functional storage to drawers and toilet area.
• Replacing broken switch plates with modern versions.

Cost Breakdown for Primary Bathroom Makeover

Here are my exact costs and sources (purchased in 2025) for my bathroom makeover.

Items 1-9 available from Lowe’s, linked here.

1. Primer: $50
2. Paint (Color: Sherwin Williams Agreeable Grey): $52
3. Paint supplies: $88
4. Grout paint: $18
5. Cabinet knobs: $20
6. Switch plates: $22
7. Towel rod, hooks and toilet paper holder: $36
8. Mirror: $109
9. Backsplash Trim: $5
   
10. Backsplash tile: $100
11. Bath mat: $14
12. Counter tray: $12
13. Shower curtain: $29
14. Shower rod: $29
15. Toilet paper storage: $31
16. Can light replacements: $37

Total: $652

Items I already owned: artwork, faucet, stool, hand towels, shower accessories.

However, even if I didn’t own any of those items, it would be completely possible to add them and still keep the budget under $1,000.

What is a realistic budget for a bathroom remodel?

A realistic budget for a bathroom remodel completely depends on what you want to do!

Cosmetic updates can easily be accomplished for $300-$1,000.

However, once you start to do demo of any kind, the budget jumps significantly.

The average bathroom remodel costs around $15,000-$20,000 for a full remodel. This is dependent on:

• bathroom square footage
• geographic location
• materials chosen
• plumbing and electrical needs
• labor if hiring it out

Can you renovate a bathroom for $5,000?

Yes, you can renovate a bathroom for $5,000! However, you will be limited.

A budget can quickly be eaten up with moving plumbing, new flooring or expensive tile.

A $5,000 budget probably won’t get you stone counters or high end lighting and plumbing fixtures. But it can get you a beautiful and functional room!

More Bathroom Remodel Resources

I hope this realistic look at an affordable bathroom remodel gets your wheels spinning on what you can do in your own space.

I’ve personally remodeled 5 bathrooms in the last few years. Some with very limited budgets under $500. Others were full gut remodels with high end finishes. I hope you find all of the below resources helpful as you plan your bathroom remodel!

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today.

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~Sarah