We had a similar situation with our 1920s bungalow. Thought it'd be a straightforward tile swap, but nope...once we tore out the old stuff, we found rotten subflooring and joists that were basically toothpicks. Structural repairs added a good chunk to the budget—probably an extra 2-3k we hadn't planned on. Schluter was great for waterproofing, but yeah, definitely not cheap.
Did you run into any plumbing surprises too? Ours had ancient galvanized pipes that needed replacing—another unexpected hit. Seems like every time I start a project in an older house, there's always something lurking behind the walls ready to blow the budget. At this point, I just mentally tack on an extra 20% to whatever estimate I get, haha.
Yeah, totally feel your pain on the plumbing surprises. Did you end up having to redo any electrical too? We found some sketchy knob-and-tube wiring hidden behind our bathroom walls—talk about a budget killer. At this point, I just assume every older home project is gonna have at least one nasty surprise...makes it easier to swallow when it inevitably happens, haha. Did you DIY any of the smaller tasks to offset the unexpected costs?
We ran into similar electrical headaches during our remodel. Found some ancient knob-and-tube wiring tucked behind the vanity wall—definitely wasn't expecting that. Ended up having to bring in an electrician to sort it out properly, since electrical isn't something I like to mess around with myself. But yeah, to offset those unexpected costs, we tackled a bunch of smaller tasks ourselves. Things like demo work, painting, installing fixtures, and even laying tile are pretty manageable DIY projects if you're patient and careful. Honestly, doing the tile ourselves probably saved us a good chunk of change. My advice is always to budget extra for surprises and pick your battles wisely—know when it's worth hiring a pro versus when you can safely handle it yourself.
Totally get where you're coming from, but I'd caution against DIY tile unless you're really confident. I've seen a lot of bathrooms where homeowners tried it themselves, and uneven grout lines or poor waterproofing ended up causing headaches later on. Electrical definitely calls for a pro, but sometimes tile work does too—especially if it's intricate or in a shower area. Saving money upfront is great, but fixing mistakes can cost even more down the line. Just something to consider...
Fair points all around, but honestly, tile work can be pretty approachable if you take your time and prep well. My first bathroom tile job wasn't perfect, sure—had a few uneven grout lines—but nothing catastrophic. Watched tons of tutorials, practiced laying tiles dry first, and triple-checked waterproofing steps. Turned out decent enough that friends thought I'd hired someone. So yeah, caution's good advice, but with patience and research, DIY tiling isn't necessarily a recipe for disaster...
