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The affordable bath: Remodel your bathroom without taking a bath financially


Stacy Downs, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Apr. 6--With all the bling plumbing fixtures and tile out there, it's easy for brushed nickel and marble to blow a bathroom remodeling budget.

Even small fixes can mean a lot of money. And total re-dos typically cost tens of thousands of dollars, a frighteningly expensive venture, especially in a shaky economy.

"I've seen people add $20,000 onto a bathroom project just through finish upgrades," says Al Felman, owner of Mission Kitchen & Bath, a remodeling company in Johnson County.

But there are definitely ways to save big money in the bathroom without compromising durability or looks. Skipping a custom vanity and installing a pedestal sink, using classic ceramic tile instead of natural stone and forgoing fancy finishes for faucets, showerheads and towel racks take thousands of dollars off a budget.

A mid-range smaller bathroom remodel will average about $15,000, according to Remodeling magazine's "2007 Cost versus Value" report. Locally, a typical master bathroom remodeling job costs $25,000, using good-quality materials and a professional contractor, say remodelers. Modernizing outdated plumbing in an older home will add at least $5,000 to the cost.

Homeowners' expectations of remodeling projects have changed during the housing slump, says Diane Crispell, executive editor at GfK Roper Consulting in New York, which recently completed a home-improvement report. "They're not investing in their homes to get their money back by basing decisions on what they think potential buyers want. They're doing it more for their own benefit."

And they are finding ways to save money in the process.

Interior designer Deborah Cook of Pleasant Hill and her husband, Alan, recently remodeled their master bathroom, installing tile, heated flooring and a luxury tub themselves for a little more than $5,000. One of Cook's discoveries was a vanity with a built-in sink and granite countertop for $500 at Inside Outlet in Overland Park.

"It was a definite bargain," she says. "I think it looks and performs wonderfully."

Buying stock items from bath showrooms, Home Depot and Lowe's is a smart way to save money, says Bob Markovich, home and yard editor for Consumer Reports. "Off-the-rack faucets and vanities work and look great," he says. "They give people a custom look, which is what buyers want."

Another way to save money in the bathroom is to comparison shop. Markovich sees huge price differences for the same products all the time. For example, he found glass tile for $21 per square foot at one store and the same tile for $12 per square foot at another.

On these pages are tips on how to get the best value in all areas of a bathroom remodel.

Tile is the personality of the bathroom. Consumer Reports suggests being judicious with tile, using it only in the shower and tub surrounds and halfway up the wall behind the toilet and vanity. However, you can save more and skip the tile, except for the floor, and still have a functional, beautiful bathroom.

There also are economical ways to use a small amount of tile as a large-impact decorative focal point for the bathroom, says Heidi Hullman-Davis, owner of Steve Knox Gallery, a tile and plumbing showroom in Overland Park. For instance:

--Install one large designer tile, surrounded by a group of inexpensive tiles.

--Create an accent wall the same width as the vanity or slightly wider than a pedestal sink.

--Border the mirror with one or just a few rows of tile.

A shower or tub doesn't have to be surrounded in natural stone or glass tile. A solid-surface shower, including doors, is attractive yet economical, say contractors. Solid surface is a mixture of resins and mineral fillers.

A 32-by-32-inch solid-surface shower costs $1,187 for a glossy finish and $1,447 for matte plus $480 for the door, says Averie Chapman, showroom manager of Ferguson Enterprises in Lenexa, Independence and Topeka. Solid-surface showers cost less than tiling but more than a similar-sized fiberglass shower ($784 without the door). However, most people prefer the look of solid surface.

Another cost-saving option is to plumb a shower head above the tub instead of creating a separate shower stall. Use a shower curtain instead of a door.

Jetted whirlpool tubs can run up the budget. A standard bathtub from a home-improvement warehouse costs about $250. But a good-quality soaker tub, at $600 to $1,000, is worth the money if you love baths. The next upgrade is an air tub, a quieter alternative to a whirlpool. They start at $1,500.

A one-person tub is cheaper than a two-person tub and may be more practical.

"When you want to relax, you want to be alone," interior designer Deborah Cook says. "If you want a party, buy a hot tub."

Buying a pedestal sink (starting at about $200) instead of a vanity can save hundreds of dollars if the vanity is a stock item and thousands if it's custom. With a vanity, you're paying for countertops and cabinetry, which often doesn't provide sufficient storage. An attractive medicine cabinet, a nearby linen closet or a freestanding piece of furniture can be better bets budget-wise for storage.

If a vanity is important, vitreous china is the cheapest sink option, and it looks fine. But glass sinks top the durability charts, and prices have come down, starting at $130 for clear glass vessels at Home Depot. Vanities made for vessels start at about $325, bringing the total to roughly $450."It takes a lot of force to shatter a glass sink," Bob Markovich of Consumer Reports says. "They're tougher than you'd think."

If you have a vanity built, an engineered stone countertop performs the best for the money, according to Consumer Reports. Laminate is the cheapest countertop material, but it scratches easily so it isn't strong enough for everyday bathroom use. Solid surface countertops are durable but can cost as much as engineered stone (a natural stone surface composed of more than 90 percent quartz plus polymers) or granite and don't look as nice.

There isn't much difference between a $140 toilet and a $400 toilet, says Clay Lyon, owner of Lyon Construction + Design in Mission Hills and chairman of the National Kitchen & Bath Association's Builders/Remodelers Advisory Council.

"The more expensive one might look a little better," he says. "But they're both going to perform similarly and last about 20 years."

A standard height, round front toilet is less expensive than a taller, elongated toilet. But the added height might be important for people with mobility challenges.

Any color but white, including ivory, adds to the price and risks looking dated later.

"Light, bright and white is the color of clean," Lyon says. "And it's best to associate clean with the bathroom."

The fancy finishes du jour are definitely more expensive than classics. So stick to chrome showerheads and faucets.

"Brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze can add hundreds of dollars," remodeler Al Felman says.

Large showerheads, like the trendy rainfall showerhead, can also ratchet up the price tag by at least $200. Plus, because they use the same water pressure, they might not perform as well as a smaller showerhead that sprays more concentrated streams of water. Some even require larger piping to function properly, a hefty expense.

"The bigger showerheads sure look great in magazines and catalogs," Bob Markovich of Consumer Reports says. "But I used a $35 adjustable showerhead that did a fantastic job."

Vinyl is the cheapest bathroom flooring option. But even in new updated designs, people don't like it.

"You really don't want anything except tile in the bathroom," Bob Markovich of Consumer Reports says.

Ceramic tile is the least expensive type of tile, starting at just $2 per square foot uninstalled. Glass tile starts at about $10 per square foot. The cheapest natural stone is about $6 per square foot.

"Not only is natural stone more expensive as a material, it's more expensive to install," remodeler Al Felman says.

Because of the humidity in a bathroom, it's best not to cheap out on lighting. Fixtures from discount stores and home warehouses often look nice, but their finishes typically wear out in a few years from the moisture.

Good-quality fixtures for vanity lighting start at about $50 a piece from local lighting showrooms such as Western Chandelier and Wilson Lighting, says John Goehausen, owner of Goehausen Remodeling in Leawood.

"You can save in a few areas and splurge on a few," he says. "If it's all installed right, you'll get a great bathroom."

AT KANSASCITY. COM/HOME

--See what you can get for your money in the bathroom using a fun, interactive remodeling tool we created.

--Read remodeling advice from Kansas City Star staff members who have recently completed home-improvement projects.

VALUE REMODELING SERIES

Today, the House + Home staff launches a three-part series on remodeling. Contractors, showroom managers and homeowners share insider tips on how to get the most for your money.

THE BATHROOM: Today

THE KITCHEN: April 13

THE BASEMENT: April 20

Professional labor is pricey. A ballpark figure for bathroom remodeling labor is that it costs at least as much as the materials you select. But trying to save on that by paying a buddy with a six-pack or doing the work yourself may not be the answer. A lot of skills are needed to do a good remodeling job. A new bathtub requires sufficient support. Tile should be set using proper moisture barriers. New plumbing lines may need to be installed. Those are just a few of the tasks that many of us know nothing about.

DOING IT YOURSELF

Pros:

Can save thousands of dollars.

Work can be done in stages as money becomes available.

Cons:

Might not function as well or look as good as a professional's work.

Work might have to be redone, costing more in the long run.

The project could take much longer or never get finished.

HIRING A PROFESSIONAL

Pros:

The room typically functions well and looks good.

The work comes with guarantees.

Cons:

Costs thousands of dollars.

Strangers are in your home.

DOING PART OF THE WORK YOURSELF

Customers often ask their contractors how they can save money on a remodeling job. There are two major DIY projects contractors say homeowners can do that will take hundreds of dollars off their total bathroom remodeling bill.

Demolition. Removing old tile and the toilet, but only if the job is done right.

Painting. Painting the walls after everything is installed. Important prep work such as cleaning, filling in nailing holes and priming shouldn't be skipped.

--Ferguson Enterprises, 9301 Rosehill Road, Lenexa, 913-752-5660, ferguson.com

--Goehausen Remodeling, Leawood, 913-381-0586

--Line Construction Co., Overland Park, 913-341-1212

--Lyon Construction + Design, Mission Hills, 913-236-5966, lyondesign.biz

--Mission Kitchen & Bath, Mission, 913-362-4242, missionkb.com

--Steve Knox Gallery, 8912 Nieman Road, Overland Park, 913-541-8266

Read more about bathroom remodeling at consumerreports.org. A search for "bathroom remodeling" will bring up several articles.

NOTE: The Star does not endorse any products or services.

To see more of The Kansas City Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kansascity.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Copyright 2008 The Kansas City Star

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