I hear you on the “little surprises”—my last bathroom remodel was a real lesson in that. I went in thinking I could do it for under $5k, but once I started pulling up the old vinyl, I found water damage that had basically turned the subfloor into mulch. Ended up having to replace all of that, plus some joists. That alone ate up a good chunk of my budget.
Here’s how it broke down for me, roughly:
1. Demo & disposal: Did this myself to save cash, but still had to rent a dumpster—about $300.
2. Subfloor & framing repair: Materials were around $600, but I did the labor with a friend (pizza and beer as payment).
3. Plumbing: This is where things got dicey. I thought I could keep the old copper, but nope—corrosion everywhere. Plumber charged me $1,800 to redo everything.
4. Tile: I really wanted to keep the original hex tile, but half of it crumbled when I tried to clean it up. Ended up going with a similar style from Home Depot—materials and install came to about $1,200.
5. Fixtures: Kept it simple—basic tub, toilet, and vanity from the clearance section. All in, maybe $1,000.
All told, I landed just under $6k, but only because I did a lot myself and made some compromises. If I’d hired out everything or gone for fancier finishes, I could see it hitting $9k or more pretty easily.
I get wanting to keep original stuff for the character, but sometimes you just have to let go if it’s too far gone (or if you don’t want to be dealing with leaks every year). It’s always a balancing act—what can you save, what’s worth replacing, and where can you stretch your dollars without cutting corners on safety or durability.
Honestly, every old house is its own adventure... sometimes more of a comedy than a drama.
You nailed it—old houses are a wild ride. I had the same dream of keeping the “good bones” in our 1920s bungalow’s bathroom, but reality had other plans. Pulled up the tile and found a patchwork of repairs from who-knows-when, plus a nice surprise: knob-and-tube wiring running under the tub (seriously?!). Ended up having to gut more than I wanted, and rewiring alone set me back $1,200.
I get stubborn about saving original details, but sometimes you just have to admit defeat. We salvaged the cast iron tub (with a ton of elbow grease), but everything else was too far gone. My budget ballooned from $4k to almost $8k by the end, mostly because I refused to cut corners on electrical and waterproofing. It stings at first, but honestly, peace of mind is worth every penny.
It’s tough letting go of that old charm, but you’re right—safety and durability have to come first. And hey, at least now I can shower without worrying about falling through the floor...
“I get stubborn about saving original details, but sometimes you just have to admit defeat.”
Totally get this. I tried to save the old hex tile in my 1915 place, but half of it crumbled when we started demo. Did you end up finding any surprises behind the walls? I swear, every time I open something up, there’s a new mystery. You’re right though—peace of mind after all that chaos is worth it.
“I get stubborn about saving original details, but sometimes you just have to admit defeat.”
I hear you, but I’m not sure I’d call it defeat. Sometimes, patching in new tile that matches the old (or even going for a close-but-not-exact look) can actually highlight the history of the place. I’ve done a few bathrooms where we kept a section of original tile as an accent and replaced the rest—kind of tells the story of the house’s age without stressing over every crumbling bit. Ever try that approach? It’s less stressful than chasing perfection, and honestly, most guests never notice the difference.
I get what you mean about not chasing perfection, but I’m still figuring out where to draw the line. I tried to save the original floor tile in our bathroom, but half of it just crumbled when I started demo. Ended up having to pick something new that was “inspired by” the old stuff, but honestly, it looks pretty different. My partner says it gives the room character, but I still notice the difference every time I walk in there.
Did you have any issues with matching grout or weird transitions between old and new? I had a heck of a time getting the new tile to sit flush with what was left of the old. Maybe I should’ve just ripped it all out and started fresh, but I was stubborn about keeping at least a piece of the original. Curious if anyone else ran into that and how you dealt with it...