While we are on the way to economic recovery, household improvement costs can still be tough for many people, and non-essential home improvements can prove an expensive luxury. That said, we all need little luxuries from time-to-time, and the good news is that you CAN remodel your bathroom on a budget.

Although inch-for-inch the bathroom can be one of the most expensive rooms to renovate or remodel, it is still possible to create a modern bathroom on a modest budget.

As always, good planning is going to be the key to ensuring you don’t go overboard on the costs. Make a list of everything you would like in your new bathroom, breaking it down into a list of essentials and a list of nice-to-haves.

Work from the essential list, with priority going to any changes that will take significant plumbing or structural work. Bathroom trends for 2016 are all about minimalism, with the contemporary hotel spa look, natural-looking materials and clever storage solutions proving particularly popular.

If you are remodelling with a view to selling, plain ceramic tiles and white porcelain are going to hold their value for longer, so consider your long term intentions from the beginning. Take a look online or in high-end catalogues to find the sort of styles that you most like, then shop around for cheaper alternatives in your price range. Wayfair , in particular, is great for this!

You may have to give the major brands a miss, you are on a budget after all, but there are cheaper, good quality products out there that will look just as good and give you the effect you desire. Adding in some low cost bathroom accessories, such as a show-stopping mirror for example, can be an easy, cheap and effective way to give the bathroom a high-end feel.

When remodelling on a budget, paint is your best friend, and if you want to be really thrifty, painting borders, stripes or even a feature wall can inject a bit of new life into the bathroom without having to cover the whole space. It also gives you the chance to put your own stamp on the space as, if you do sell, it can be easily covered over.

Top Tip? Look on Houzz or Pinterest for inspiration!

There is always going to be some cost involved in remodelling any room, particularly the bathroom, but with a little thought and planning it doesn’t have to break the bank.

Leah Edmunds

Property Maintenance Manager