I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had a few flips where “good enough” held up just fine for years. Not saying cut corners on waterproofing, but sometimes you can get away with less-than-perfect tile or fixtures, especially if comps in the area aren’t fancy. Over-improving can eat your profit fast.
I get what you’re saying about not going overboard, especially if the neighborhood doesn’t call for it. But I’ve found that sometimes skimping on fixtures or tile ends up costing more in the long run—like, I had a cheap faucet start leaking after a year and it was just a headache. Curious, do you factor in eco-friendly upgrades at all, or just stick to whatever’s cheapest that looks decent?
Title: How Much Did Your Bathroom Remodel Run You (Roughly)?
Honestly, I get the temptation to go for the cheapest stuff, especially when you’re flipping or just trying to keep costs down. But here’s where I’d push back a bit—sometimes “decent” isn’t enough, especially with things like faucets and shower valves. I’ve had a couple flips where I thought I was being smart with budget fixtures, and then six months later, got a call about leaks or weird noises. That eats up whatever savings you thought you had.
On the eco-friendly side, I actually think it’s worth considering, even if it’s not the absolute cheapest route. Here’s how I usually break it down:
1. Figure out what’s standard for the area—no sense putting in a $500 toilet if the comps all have builder grade.
2. For things that get heavy use (faucets, showerheads), I’ll spend a bit more for quality and water efficiency. Those WaterSense ones aren’t that much more expensive and can save headaches.
3. Tile is tricky—I’ll go mid-range but avoid anything super trendy that might look dated fast.
I guess my take is: don’t go wild, but don’t race to the bottom either. Sometimes paying a little more upfront saves you money (and hassle) down the road...
Really appreciate your breakdown—it lines up with a lot of what I’ve been reading (and overthinking). I’m just finishing my first reno and honestly, the urge to cut corners is real, especially when you see the price difference between basic and mid-range fixtures. But you’re right, stuff like valves and faucets get used every day, so it feels smarter to spend a bit more there.
I did go a little cheap on tile, but stuck with classic styles. Fingers crossed it holds up. The eco-friendly options are cool too—didn’t realize WaterSense stuff wasn’t much pricier until I started shopping around. Your point about matching the neighborhood is spot on... no sense over-improving for the area.
My first bathroom reno was a real learning curve—totally get the temptation to save a few bucks on tile. I did the same, went with a basic subway tile, and honestly, it’s held up better than I expected. One thing I’d add: don’t skimp on waterproofing behind the tile. That’s the stuff you never see but will haunt you if it fails. Fixtures, yeah, I splurged a bit on the faucet after my cheap one started leaking within a year. Lesson learned. Matching the neighborhood is tricky... I always wonder if I’m overthinking it, but it does make sense not to go full spa mode if everyone else has builder grade.
