- I get the vintage headache thing, but honestly, I think some of the old fixtures are built way better than new stuff.
- Did a partial gut on mine—left the original cast iron tub, just refinished it. Plumbing was a hassle, but not impossible with a little research.
- Ended up saving $1k vs. buying new and it looks legit.
- Guess it’s a tradeoff—if you’re handy and willing to put in the hours, sometimes the “headache” is worth it.
- Hidden pipes are wild though... found a random capped line behind my vanity that went nowhere.
- Totally agree about old fixtures—my 70s sink is a beast compared to the flimsy new ones I looked at.
- I kept my tub too, mainly because it was just too heavy to get out without wrecking the walls. Reglazing worked out fine, but man, that smell lingered for days.
- Plumbing surprises are almost a rite of passage... I found a pipe full of marbles behind my shower wall. No clue why.
- Ended up around $3k all-in, mostly because I did tile myself and reused what I could. Not cheap, but way less than a full demo and brand new everything.
Keeping the old stuff is honestly the move, especially if you’re into sustainability or just don’t want to deal with hauling a cast iron tub down the stairs. Here’s my quick-and-dirty approach:
1. Salvage what you can (old tile, fixtures, even weird retro mirrors).
2. Reglaze or refinish instead of replacing—yeah, the fumes are gnarly, but open windows help.
3. DIY where possible, but don’t mess with electrical unless you know your stuff.
I did mine for about $2k by reusing almost everything and getting creative with paint and tile patterns. Not the fanciest, but it feels good knowing I didn’t send a ton to the landfill. And I still have no idea why previous owners hide random things in walls... marbles, socks, who knows?
Totally agree—keeping what you can is underrated. I did a similar thing and honestly, the old cast iron tub is still my favorite part. Reglazing saved me a ton, though I’ll admit the smell lingered for days. I spent about $1,800 all in, mostly because I reused the vanity and just swapped out hardware. The only thing I regret is not budgeting for better lighting... those old fixtures are “vintage” in all the wrong ways. And yeah, found a toy car in the wall—no clue how it got there.
The only thing I regret is not budgeting for better lighting... those old fixtures are “vintage” in all the wrong ways.
Lighting is always the sneaky budget-buster, right? People get so focused on tile and tubs, but then you’re left squinting at yourself in the mirror under a flickering “antique” bulb. I’ve seen some folks just swap out bulbs for LEDs and call it a day, but honestly, sometimes you just gotta rip out the whole fixture. It’s wild how much difference it makes.
Reglazing that tub was a solid move though—cast iron is basically indestructible. The smell is no joke, though. I once had a client who tried to sleep through it and ended up camping in their living room for a week. Worth it for that glossy finish, but maybe next time, open every window in the house.
And the toy car in the wall? Classic. I once found a petrified grilled cheese behind some drywall. Old houses are like weird time capsules... you never know what you’ll find.