Dress Up a Bathroom for Less than $500

The first step in undertaking a bathroom remodel on a budget is to evaluate what you already have. Deciding what works and what doesn't will prevent you from spending money on unnecessary items.

Evaluate everything, from your floors to your lighting. What items in your bathroom do you absolutely, positively hate? Which ones make you cringe when you enter the room? Those should be the first items on your hit list. This way, you won't run out of money before you fix what's really bothering you.

So, now that you know what absolutely has to go, you can look at what's left. Maybe you've decided that, while the green tile on the bathroom walls isn't exactly your favorite, you're certainly not up to the task of tearing it out and replacing it. You know now that any decorating decisions will have to be made with that green wall tile in mind. If you choose your accessories and paint to work with that tile, believe it or not, you will actually notice it less. When everything in a room is in harmony, it will just feel better.

Unless you live in a twenty bedroom mansion, your bathroom is probably not humongous (and if you did live in a twenty bedroom mansion, would you be reading this?) The good thing about a small room is that it doesn't take a ton of work to have a big impact. Bathroom walls are a good example. Even if you have tile in the shower, and maybe tile wainscoting all the way around the room, that still leaves a fair amount of painted wall space. Here's where you can really set the mood for the bathroom. Let's keep the example of the green tile from above. You can decide to go the soothing, spa-type route with your color choices, choosing a crisp white or super-pale blue. You can go retro by adding lemony yellow paint. Or, you can go totally dramatic and paint the walls black. If wallpaper is your thing, it shouldn't be too hard to find a pattern that incorporates the tile color. It may take some searching, but you will be rewarded. The walls set the tone for the rest of the room. Once they're set, and exactly the way you want them, the rest is easy.

If you're the rare person who has very little tile to work with, paint is your friend. Many newer bathrooms are installed with very neutral tile floors and shower surrounds. In this case, just choose a color you love and run with it. Lacking inspiration? Take a look at a favorite work of art, piece of clothing, or flower and find a paint color that matches. You're on your way.

Most bathrooms have tile floors. A few lucky people may have gorgeous mahogany floors in their bathrooms, and a few unfortunate souls may have carpet. No matter what you have, there are easy fixes:

Carpet: Get rid of it! Carpet hold on to moisture from showers, and we won't even mention how disgusting it can be if your toilet backs up. One word: unsanitary. Rip it out, which will be a fairly dirty, but easy job. You may be pleased to find tiles underneath, if so, you're good to go. If not, and you are faced with bare subfloor when you tear up the carpet, your options are wide open. You can choose everything from traditional porcelain tile to peel-and-stick vinyl squares, to vinyl roll-out flooring or laminate floors. The hardest thing will be choosing a color and style. If you're unsure, it's always better to go neutral. That way, you can work with the floor you put in no matter how many times you redecorate the bathroom.

Wood: Lucky you. If the wood is in really rough shape, you may have to sand and refinish. This is inexpensive to do, but it does take some elbow grease and a little patience. If it is only worn in a few spots, and has not been stained (only polyurethaned to protect) then you can simply spot-sand and apply polyurethane over the worn patches. If the floor is in good condition, but looks a little dull, the best thing to do is to clean it thoroughly and then apply one to two coats of polyurethane, which will bring that glorious luster back.

Tile: Take a good look at your tile floor. Does it really need to be replaced? Is the tile itself worn and cracked? If so, then it's time to bust it out and replace it. This can get fairly pricey, depending on what type of tile you choose, and rather labor intensive. It is well within the abilities of most homeowners, though, and will make a dramatic difference in the bathroom. If, however, you look at the tile and realize that the tile itself is fine, but the grout is dingy and stained, that's an easy, cheap fix. All you'll need is a grout saw and some new grout. Simply use the saw to remove the old, dirty grout, then re-grout with new grout. It will look like you have a new floor.

Unless you have a toilet in a really bizarre, awful color (anything other than white of off-white would qualify here) or your bathtub is chipped and stained, don't bother replacing them. As long as they work fine, and don't show a great amount of wear, don't waste your money replacing them. If you do have to replace them, you're getting into a lot of money, between buying the new unit and hiring a plumber to install them. Some homeowners can handle this kind of work, but most aren't comfortable enough to undertake such large jobs (a tub especially can be tricky).

The sink, on the other hand, is fair game. Everyone looks at the sink when they're in your bathroom. If you hate it, replace it. Pick a stylish pedestal sink, or a vanity with plenty of storage, depending on your style and needs. Choose a faucet that you love---it's like jewelry for your bathroom. Sinks don't have to be expensive, and the plumbing involved in replacing a sink isn't that complex. It's well worth looking at.