Q: You’re putting time and energy into this “temporary” job for your bathroom (not to mention some money), so why not just go ahead and do the full gut job? I know you guys watch money really well, but isn’t this not the most cost-effective in the long run? 🙂 – Karen
A: Great question. We get asked variations of this a lot, and after years of renovating in phases we’ve formed a clear opinion: small, inexpensive updates can be a smart and satisfying way to live with a space while you plan and save for a full renovation.
When you first move into a house it’s tempting to freeze a room until you have the budget for a complete overhaul. We felt that way too. But a modest Phase 1 investment—painting, swapping a mirror, replacing tired fixtures, pulling up carpet—can dramatically improve how a room feels right away without committing to expensive structural work. Those interim updates often cost little and let you live with the space long enough to discover what really needs to change before you rip everything apart.
For example, in our current bathroom project we planned a Phase 1 refresh in the $100–$200 range. We couldn’t stand the old carpet any longer, so instead of waiting years we made inexpensive changes to make the room usable and more pleasant. Simple things like paint and a new mirror can be reused later and make a big difference in day-to-day life. (We even mocked up our ideas in a photoshopped rendering and plan to stencil the floor next week.)
From our first house we learned that rushing into a full renovation can leave you with the same frustrating layout you started with. In our old kitchen we lived with it for over a year and then realized that closing a door would create far more counter space. If we had gutted the kitchen immediately, we would have missed that insight and built a new kitchen that still felt cramped.
Back then we did a Phase 1 facelift—painted cabinets, installed peel-and-stick flooring, and updated a few appliances that we later reused. The outlay was small (roughly $150 for primer, paint, and flooring) and the return was huge: for over a year we enjoyed a fresher, more welcoming kitchen without the pressure of a major renovation. When we finally saved and planned thoroughly, the full renovation delivered a kitchen that worked so much better because we’d had time to figure out what we truly wanted.
The same phased approach served us in our first home’s bathroom. We removed carpeting, re-caulked, repainted, and added lighting and art to carry us for a few years. Up close the tile and floor were damaged and eventually needed replacement, but those simple updates made the room livable and gave us time to plan a full gut-job. When we finally tackled the complete renovation, careful planning helped us rebuild the room from the studs, install new walls, trim, marble flooring, a tiled tub/shower, a custom vanity, and more—for around $1,800. Because we had lived in interim versions of the room, we understood what mattered most in the final design.
Phase-by-phase renovations have worked well for us for years. We plan to live in our current house long-term, so many rooms will evolve over time as we save and refine ideas. That doesn’t mean tolerating awful carpet or dated wallpaper forever—small cosmetic updates can make a space feel like home while you prepare for bigger changes.
Experimenting in a room—trying paint colors, textiles, and different fixtures—helps you learn what you like and what you don’t. We once painted a windowsill black and draped a blue pashmina, convinced it would look magazine-ready. It was a flop, and we learned from it. Those trial-and-error moments are invaluable; they prevent costly mistakes during a full renovation.
Sometimes Phase 1 reveals that you don’t need a full gut job at all. Our $51 guest bathroom mini-makeover—paint, a window treatment, art, and removing a problematic mirror—changed the room completely and convinced even skeptical visitors that a small budget can go a long way. Other times, a modest update only tides you over until a more involved remodel is necessary, but even then the interim period is more pleasant and informative.
A slightly more involved refresh, like framing a mirror and adding a built-in shelf, cost us just $168 and transformed a hall bathroom into a fresh, usable space while keeping the existing tile. If Phase 1 solves the problem, you’re done and likely grateful you didn’t spend more. If it only helps you buy time, you still gain clarity about what must change in a future renovation.
How do you strike the balance between comfort now and investing for the future? Many people find success by addressing the things they truly can’t stand first, then using inexpensive updates to make a space livable while they plan and save. That approach reduces stress, sharpens design decisions, and often saves money in the long run.
