We ended up around $12k, but honestly, it felt like way more at the time. Those little things you don't think about—like towel bars, faucets, and even grout—really add up fast. I remember standing in Home Depot staring at grout colors for like 45 minutes, totally overwhelmed and second-guessing every choice I'd made so far, haha.
About the baskets though, I actually think that's a pretty smart temporary fix. I did something similar when we realized our vanity drawers weren't deep enough for hairdryers and stuff. Ended up grabbing some woven baskets from Target, and now they're permanent fixtures because they look cute and keep clutter hidden. Sometimes the best solutions come from those little improvisations.
Also, totally agree about tile quotes. We fell in love with this gorgeous patterned tile for the floor, and when the quote came back, I nearly choked on my coffee. We compromised by using it as an accent in the shower niche instead. Saved a ton of money and still got the look we wanted. So if you're still feeling sticker shock, maybe consider mixing pricier tiles with something more budget-friendly? It can actually make the expensive stuff stand out even more.
Anyway, hang in there. Once the dust settles (literally), you'll forget all about the stress and just enjoy your beautiful new space.
$12k sounds pretty reasonable, especially if you managed to sneak in some accent tiles. Did you end up hiring out for labor or DIY a lot of it? Labor's usually the biggest wildcard in these projects—seen quotes vary wildly for similar jobs.
Totally agree about those little things sneaking up, though. People always budget for tile and plumbing fixtures but forget the details like hardware and lighting. Did you consider shopping online for faucets and towel bars? I've found decent deals on sites like Wayfair or Build.com, sometimes significantly cheaper than big-box stores.
And baskets are great, but have you thought about installing rollout shelves or deeper drawers down the line? They're pricier upfront, but honestly, clients who've upgraded storage rarely regret it. Either way, sounds like you've got a good handle on improvising for now.
$12k definitely sounds fair, especially with accent tiles thrown in. Did you factor in waterproofing like Schluter or RedGard? I've found that's another sneaky cost people overlook until they're knee-deep into the project...
"Did you factor in waterproofing like Schluter or RedGard? I've found that's another sneaky cost people overlook until they're knee-deep into the project..."
This is spot-on. When we redid our master bath a couple years ago, I thought I'd covered every single detail... until my contractor casually mentioned waterproofing halfway through demo. Cue my mini panic attack. 😂 We ended up going with Schluter because it seemed pretty foolproof, but man, it definitely bumped the budget up more than I expected.
Your $12k sounds pretty reasonable, especially if you're getting some nice accent tiles in there. We came in closer to $15k all said and done—though admittedly, we splurged a bit on fixtures and heated flooring (worth every penny on chilly mornings!). But yeah, waterproofing is one of those sneaky expenses that can creep up on ya. Good call bringing that up early so folks don't find themselves scrambling mid-project like I did...
We ran into a similar issue when renovating our historic home's bathroom. Waterproofing wasn't even on my radar until the contractor brought it up mid-project—lesson learned the hard way. Schluter worked well for us too, though it definitely added unexpected costs. Curious if anyone else with older homes had to deal with structural surprises that pushed their budgets even higher...?
