Poor person doing a rich project. Please help!

amother

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 8:12 am

Due to an emergency we have to redo a bathroom and we are very tight for funds. I have no idea what I am doing. We have a contractor to do the work but he told me I need to pick the peices:
Tile
Paint
Bathtub
Toilet
Vanity
I have no idea what to pick or how to decide any of this. I want basic. I went into a bathroom showroom place and literally walked out, everything was just way beyond our budget and super fancy.
Friends told me go on Pinterest or Houzz, I did but not only is it crazy overwhelming none of those bathrooms look anything like what we would be building.
Can anyone help me here????
Someone told me just go to home Depot. How do I know what goes with what? Or what is the right thing to buy?

amother

Emerald

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 8:22 am

I redid a bathroom on a lower end budget. We got tiles from Floor & Decor. Vanity from Wayfair and toilet from Lowes or Home Depot. I know decor a little and what I like, but maybe you can take along a friend or someone that knows these things.
Loads of luck and wishing you abundance in all areas you desire.

mha3484

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 8:24 am

I replaced my shower with a similar situation to you and need to finish the bathroom soon also on a tight budget.

We bought the bathtub at home depot, the tiles at home depot, the hardware for the shower on amazon warehouse. Paint we bought at home depot when we moved but my husband was not happy and said next time he would go to Sherwin Williams.

We bought a toilet when we moved on amazon using credit card points.

amother

Gray

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 8:37 am

It is important to get good measurements for what you need to purchase, so there isn't much waste. You do have to get some extra in case there is damage or a glitch. Go to a library and look at some home magazines or books for ideas. Many bathrooms are basic white today and the decorative elements come from mirrors, window treatments, hanging bars, and flooring accents. Is your bathroom a sink, toilet, shower, and tub? Is the shower combined with the tub? I agree with the advice to speak with Home Depot to get guidance. Bathroom fixtures can range greatly in price depending on the materials and whether they are machine made or handmade. You can get vanity cabinets from places like wayfair or other online sites, but I think it's good to see it before purchasing. You may also find a plumbing supply store that can help you. Look at the website on this link for the "inspiration gallery" photos toward the bottom left. https://www.bestplg.com/

Rubber Ducky

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 9:17 am

Pinterest and Houzz will steer you to ideas beyond your budget, but can be useful as far as understanding what styles you like and selecting a color scheme.

Tile: Basic field tiles are something you can buy at a big box store.

Paint: a washable paint flat or eggshell.

Bathtub: The acrylic/fiberglass ones are not as durable as the (usually more expensive) porcelain enamel tubs. Ask your contractor whether a standard 30x60 alcove tub is what you need and whether it is right or left-handed. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Ameri.....54232

Toilet: An elongated toilet assuming you have the depth for it. American Standard, Toto, and Kohler are good brands to look at.

Vanity: Make sure you can open doors and drawers if the vanity is against a a side wall. Check construction — you will want a plywood box and some descriptions try to hide construction details.

You did not give bathroom dimensions or told us whether anything is moving.

amother

Molasses

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 10:23 am

First
Do you have a total budget you can’t go past
Do you know the cost of all installations
Ask the contractor how much to spend after the installation
He should be able to tell you not to go over x amount for each item

Pick your tile FIRST
Everything else is easy once you have a tile

Floor & Decor, Home Depot, Lowes, are great places to look
You can ask if the tile is suitable for bathroom

At the box stores they sometimes have complete vanity sets which includes sink with fixtures, cabinet, mirror
Or- you can buy seperately

But the first thing you need to pick is a tile

amother

Jade

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 10:32 am

amother DarkViolet wrote:

Do not buy a homemdepot vanity. They are not made well at all. You can’t afford to have to replace it or have it fall apart.

You have to get one that’s solid wood.
I bough on wayfair for $200. It’s three yrs and lasting great

amother

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 10:36 am

So I need tile for the floor and for around the shower and maybe halfway up the wall? any advice on this?
I want tile that is inexpensive and easy to clean, I don't love stark white to be honest.
Do I need different tiles for the floor and the shower? How do I know what matches?

The contractor said he will give me the dimensions of everything I need to buy.
If I don't buy a vanity from Home depot (we already have one in another bathroom that is falling apart) where do I buy one? How do I know what quality it is or if its worth the money.

The bathroom will have a shower/bathtub combo, a toilet (we may just use the toilet that we have in there now because it wasn't damaged) and a vanity with a mirror and a light.

We have a budget - it was our bar mitzvah budget Sad

$15k total.

Amarante

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 10:46 am

Do you have a design and total budget.

Are you going with a tiled shower? Tiled showers are very expensive because they require skilled workers to build them correctly and ensure they are waterproof. It is far less expensive to get prefab showers or enclosures. It also is cheaper to get a prefab shower pan rather than having one built and tiled on site. These are not as elegant as tiled shower or enclosures but they are less expensive AND you can be sure that they won't cause problems by leaking because they weren't done correctly.

Kohler or Toto toilets are both first class.

You should get either Delta or Moen faucets and shower fixtures because these are the best quality for the money. They both have lifetime guarantees. Of course they make styles and finishes that are expensive but they also have budget choices - and the quality would be there.

Don't forget to factor in items such as knobs, pulls, towel racks, hardware etc.

amother

Molasses

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 10:46 am

boysrus wrote:

just do tile on th floor, it saves a lot of money.
it will cost yu a couple of thousand more to have tile going halfway up the wall.
been there done that recently.

Is that possible inside the shower?

Amarante

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 10:49 am

amother Molasses wrote:

Is that possible inside the shower?

See my post.

Tiling a shower is very expensive and needs to be done correctly. It needs to be waterproofed correctly and the tile floor needs to be sloped and tested.

Investigate enclosures because they are inexpensive and you don't need skilled labor to ensure they are waterproof.

Labor for tile is expensive because it needs to be done correctly or the outcome is terrible - aesthetically and functionally.

boysrus

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 10:49 am

amother Molasses wrote:

Is that possible inside the shower?

oh I thought OP meant the whole of the bathroom with tiles halfway up the wall. no, in the shower the tiles need to be all the way up, or at least to about 7 ft high. no choice there...

amother

Molasses

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 10:52 am

amother OP wrote:

$15k total.

Do you know how much the plumbing/electrical tile installation will be
In other wards the part the contractor does

Go to Tile & Decor
Pick 3 samples you like
Make sure it’s for bathroom
Then ask contractor how much it would cost to install from a-z
Once the tile is picked out the rest is much easier

amother

Gray

Sun, Jan 08 2023, 1:24 pm

OP, I'm so sorry that these repairs are hitting your simcha budget. Do you have homeowners insurance where you can make a claim for the damage that is requiring you to make these repairs? You are not limited to white tile. There are many other neutrals available that you can choose. Another option is to choose a solid with a texture. This is particularly helpful for a floor so that the surface will be nonslip. There are so many choices with sizes of tile (large square floor tiles, small octagonal tiles, "subway tile" or rectangular tiles laid in a railroad pattern.) In terms of matching, you literally get samples and lay them next to each other. For wall tile, you would try to stand them up at a 90 degree angle to the floor tile since the light hits differently from tile laid down. On the other hand, you do not have to tile up the wall if it's outside your budget and you can choose to limit tile to around the tub and a backsplash to save money. The suggestion of a shower liner is a choice that does limit expenditure, but it also limits function and appearance. Before making that choice, you might want to price out the cost of materials with a supply store and installation with the contractor and see what you can afford. Good luck and hope that you end up with something budget friendly, functional, and beautiful.