Honestly, the hunt for deals and salvage finds is half the fun for me, even if it takes forever.
Totally get that—sometimes I feel like I spend more time scrolling marketplace listings than actually working on the bathroom. I’m in the middle of my first reno and decided to try restoring an old pedestal sink I found at a salvage yard. It was covered in grime and had a few chips, but after a bunch of scrubbing and some epoxy, it looks pretty amazing. Way sturdier than anything new I could afford.
I’ve been tracking every expense in a spreadsheet, but it’s wild how much you can save if you’re willing to put in the effort. The only thing I splurged on was a new faucet—couldn’t find a vintage one that wasn’t totally corroded. Did you end up restoring your fixtures yourself, or did you hire out for any of it? I keep wondering where to draw the line between DIY and calling in a pro...
Honestly, I get the appeal of hunting for deals, but sometimes I wonder if it’s actually saving me money or just eating up my weekends. Like you said,
—same here. I tried to DIY as much as possible, but after a couple of YouTube disasters (let’s just say grout shouldn’t look like oatmeal), I caved and hired a plumber for the tricky stuff. Cost more upfront, but saved my sanity.“I feel like I spend more time scrolling marketplace listings than actually working on the bathroom.”
I do think there’s a point where DIY stops being worth it—especially with plumbing or electrical. Fixing mistakes can get way pricier than just paying a pro from the start. That said, nothing beats the feeling when you actually pull off a salvage find and make it work. My spreadsheet is half receipts, half “what was I thinking” notes at this point...
Totally get where you’re coming from. I’ve lost entire weekends chasing “deals” that ended up being more hassle than they were worth. Here’s my take:
- Marketplace finds: Sometimes gold, sometimes junk. I’ve scored a $40 vanity, but also wasted gas on stuff that looked nothing like the pics.
- DIY: I’ll tackle demo and paint, but plumbing? Not worth the risk or stress. One bad solder job cost me more than just hiring out.
- Time vs. money: If you value your weekends, paying a pro can be worth every penny.
My last bathroom flip ran about $7k, mostly because I stopped trying to save on the stuff that actually matters (tile, plumbing). Learned the hard way—sometimes cheap is expensive.
I hear you on the “cheap is expensive” lesson. I used to think I could outsmart the system by hunting down every bargain, but after a couple of sketchy Craigslist pickups and a faucet that leaked from day one, I started picking my battles. Demo and painting? Sure, I’ll roll up my sleeves. But plumbing and tile—yeah, those are the jobs where I just call in the pros now.
My last bathroom redo landed right around $8k, but that included splurging on nicer tile and a custom shower door. Honestly, the peace of mind knowing it was done right was worth it. I still get tempted by those “too good to be true” deals online, but after driving across town for a vanity that looked like it survived a flood... not so much anymore.
Funny thing is, sometimes spending more upfront actually saved me money in the long run—no surprise repairs or do-overs. Guess it’s all about figuring out where to save and where to invest.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had some luck with budget fixtures and materials—at least for flips where the goal is to keep costs down and still make the place look sharp. Not saying I’d go Craigslist for plumbing, but big box stores have some surprisingly solid options if you’re careful about what you pick. Sometimes it’s less about the price tag and more about knowing which corners you can cut without it biting you later. I guess it depends on whether you’re renovating for yourself or resale... for my own place, I might splurge more, but for flips, I’m all about maximizing ROI.
