once you start opening walls, it’s like a Pandora’s box.
You nailed it. I’ve seen “quick” bathroom jobs balloon just because someone wanted to swap a faucet and found 60-year-old galvanized pipe held together with duct tape and hope. Honestly, $6,500 isn’t bad for peace of mind—mystery stains are never a good sign. Sometimes DIY saves money, but sometimes it just uncovers more headaches.
That’s the truth—old homes are like archaeological digs. I remember pulling off tile in our 1920s bathroom, thinking I’d just update the floor. Next thing I know, I’m staring at ancient knob-and-tube wiring running way too close to the tub. Here’s how it went for us, step by step:
1. Started with “just” new tile and a vanity.
2. Found water damage under the subfloor—hello, joist repair.
3. Plumbing was a patchwork of copper, galvanized, and something that looked suspiciously like garden hose.
4. Ended up gutting to the studs and bringing everything up to code.
Our “budget” $5k reno ended up closer to $13k, but now there’s no guessing what’s behind the walls. Sometimes you can get away with a cosmetic refresh, but if your house is older than your parents, expect surprises. Honestly, peace of mind is worth way more than a few bucks saved on DIY shortcuts... unless you really enjoy living dangerously.
I get where you’re coming from—old houses are full of surprises. But I’ve actually had decent luck with a “surface-only” update in my 1940s place.
- Swapped out fixtures, painted tile, new vinyl floor—kept it under $2k.
- Didn’t touch plumbing or wiring since everything checked out (for now).
- Sure, it’s not a total overhaul, but sometimes you can stretch things a few more years if nothing’s actively leaking or sparking.
Guess it depends on how much risk you’re willing to take and how long you plan to stay. Not every old bathroom is a money pit... just most of them, maybe.
Surface-only updates can really stretch your dollar, especially in older homes where the “bones” are still solid. I’ve seen folks get a fresh look for under $2k just like you did—paint, new fixtures, peel-and-stick flooring. The trick is knowing when to stop before you open a can of worms behind the walls. If plumbing and wiring are behaving, sometimes it’s smarter to leave them be until there’s a real reason to dig deeper. Not every old bathroom needs a gut job right away... but yeah, some do surprise you down the line.
Title: How Much Did Your Bathroom Remodel Run You (Roughly)?
The trick is knowing when to stop before you open a can of worms behind the walls. If plumbing and wiring are behaving, sometimes it’s smarter to leave them be until there’s a real reason to dig deeper.
Couldn’t agree more with this. I’ve done a handful of bathroom refreshes over the years, and honestly, the best bang for your buck is always sticking to what you can see—paint, fixtures, maybe new flooring if you’re lucky with the subfloor. My last one ran me about $1,400 all-in: paint, new vanity top, swapped out the lights and faucet, and some peel-and-stick tile. Looked like a whole new space.
People get caught up thinking every old bathroom needs a full gut job. Unless you’re dealing with leaks or electrical issues, it’s usually not worth tearing into walls just for the sake of it. Once you start demoing, who knows what you’ll find—old pipes, weird wiring... that’s when budgets go out the window.
Had one place where I thought I’d just replace the toilet and ended up having to redo half the subfloor because of hidden water damage. That was a lesson in “don’t poke around unless you have to.” But if everything’s solid? No shame in slapping on some fresh paint and calling it good for another few years.
You did it right—keep it simple unless there’s a real problem lurking. The fancy HGTV-style gut jobs look nice but they’re not always necessary, especially if you’re just after a cleaner look and not planning to move walls or anything wild.
