When looking to take on a bathroom or kitchen renovation, it helps to have some control over the costs, and there are a few ways that you can do this.

A kitchen or bathroom, small or large, that hasn’t been touched for many years will benefit from a renovation.

A kitchen or bathroom, small or large, that hasn’t been touched for many years will benefit from a renovation – and you will be safe in the knowledge that any money spent on the renovation won’t be wasted.

Here are tips on how to renovate on a budget:

1. Design within the existing layout

An easy way to keep costs as low as possible is to work within the existing layout so that you can use the existing water, sewage points and electrical outlets for lighting and plugs.

Moving fixtures and fittings around requires a fair amount of expensive work to relocate since a plumber will have to add new pipes, while an electrician will need to drill out new channels for lighting and such.

If you are doing a full-on renovation that involves ripping out the entire bathroom and you are planning on moving items around, don’t forget to factor the cost into your budget.

Also keep in mind that adding new pipes and conduits in walls, ceilings and floors is a messy process, since the contractors will need to chase out channels using an angle grinder.

2. Get advice from a professional

When you’re working on a tight budget it can be tempting to hire cheap labour to save money.

There are plenty of local workers standing around proclaiming that they are plumbers and electricians, but 99.9% of them are not qualified or seen as professional contractors.

3. Shop for the best price

If you need to save money, the devil is in the details.

It is in your best interest to shop around for the best prices on items you need for the renovation, whether sanitaryware or kitchen cabinets, sinks and basins, toilet or bathtub.

There are plenty of local suppliers that have special offers or discounted deals, and this is where you can save a bit on these items.

You can also eliminate the conventional ‘shower cubicle’ and fit the shower and fittings directly into the space. In this way you cut down on the components, fittings and extra plumbing for the shower tray, etc.

4. To tile or not to tile

Nowadays it isn’t absolutely essential to tile from floor to ceiling. In fact, you can save a huge amount of money simply by only tiling where necessary.

The rest of the wall can be finished with a cementitious coating, panelling or paint.

Also keep in mind that ceramic tiles are still the best value for money.

Yes, porcelain tiles are stronger and marble tiles look amazing, but you can achieve almost the same look with imitation ceramic tiles that look that the real thing – at a fraction of the cost.

New technology makes it very difficult to distinguish between an imitation and the real thing.

5. Design a spa-like shower bathroom

While this option may not suit everyone, there are those who prefer to shower rather than soak in a bathtub.

If you have a bathtub you never use, think about using the space to install a luxury shower.

This will also save on renovation, costs and will also save you money on your monthly electricity and water bills.