redoing bathroom

[PastaPete]

I live in a small studio apartment, most of which has been redone one way or another (myself, hired help, etc.). I am trying to sell the place, but the bathroom is just falling apart - today the sink started to wobble (it's attached to the tile wall). The bathroom is fairly small, it's about 8 feet by 6 feet give or take a foot or two. The bathroom does not appear to have been touched, outside of several paint jobs, since the building was built (middle 1960s) - and I have not since I moved in (2006).

For the entire room, the first 4 feet up are tile (4 inch x 4 inch), the rest is painted. The floor is 1 inch by 1 inch tile. Like I said - I want to sell the place - so I'm more interested in appealing to a buyer, but I'm focused on maximizing utility and minimizing cost. Before I give my ideas - I wanted to see what you guys thought would be my best bet. I am not the best DIYer, but I do have a fair amount of general carpentry experience and some limited plumbing experience - and I have a few friends who are willing to help.

Would it be best to do it myself or hire someone?


Thanks!

pastapete

 

[sjwaste]

Do you have a linen closet? If so, you can get away with a pedestal sink instead of a full vanity to make it feel bigger.

I know the look, because my place was built in 1940 and the bathroom is pretty much original. When we moved in, the bathroom was carpeted, but I pulled it up to reveal a tile floor in good condition. You know the pattern, black and white interlocking squares. It's tiled up the wall half way, then painted, with some ceramic fixtures for soap, tp roll, etc. The previous owners managed to put in a shower stall, which overlaps half a window, and a vanity that was too big, so the door wouldn't open all the way.

My solution was to turn the door so that it opened out. If you have space, it'll work, and it looks perfectly natural.
Next, that vanity is coming out. Haven't done it yet, but I'm going to have to go custom so that it looks like it fits.

Anything more is going to cost money. Ripping out tile is messy, as is prepping to refinish it, especially if you're not trying to retile the walls. Your best bet in that case, IMHO, is to use granite for the floors, seamless into a shower stall, and go 4' up the walls. My father's a general contractor and I've gotten to see a lot of the designs, granite up the wall looks very nice. Basically what I've just suggested, though, is to gut the bathroom. No way around it with that design, unless you want to keep the look.

For granite, I'd hire someone to do it unless you're very patient. You can order boxes of 12x12 tile, but inspect them first, make sure it came from the same slab and you like the finish work. Then, you have to find a large space to lay out all of it and match up the patterns so that it looks as much like one piece as you can get it. Then, you install. A good wet saw with the best blade you can afford is important, otherwise anything you cut will look jagged. Same for an angle grinder, since you'll have to fit and round corners.

I'd save up and hire someone

 

[WannaFly]

I just started remodeling the bathroom. It started as just re-doing the floor, but it was in bad shape and now i'm putting in a new vanity and mirror. My bathroom is about the size of yours.


I was able to find good tile for .79 per sq ft for a total of about $25 for tile, then plus grout, etc it'll be about $100 total
The vanity we are getting is $250 + 120 for the top (marble) = 370
Add some paint = $30
total: about $500 and a LOT of time

I want to re-surface the bathtub and retile it, but that would add at least $500 more.