It can be easy to get put off updating a room, especially for those told major work needs to be done. However, one money-saving mum decided not to get her bathroom tiles replaced professionally and got some budget-friendly supplies to transform the space for a fraction of the price.
Alice Fleming, 28 from Gorebridge, Midlothian who is a clinical support worker and mum of one with another on the way, told the money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "We have been in our house for four years now and never liked the bathroom. I didn't like the colours, and the room generally looked dull and tired.
"We had previously looked at getting our bathroom done professionally. It would have cost us at least £6,000 and we just couldn't afford that. They would have had to rip out the whole bathroom to change the tiles.
"Over time the bathroom kept bothering me so I started thinking about how I could freshen the space up without spending thousands of pounds. I am a member of a few DIY groups on Facebook and I had seen other people using Frenchic paint to decorate their kitchens."
Instead, Alice decided to do the same but with her bathroom. After browsing through all the different colours online, she decided to go with two colours in the bathroom as she liked how it looked on the makeover pictures she'd seen online.
Alice noted that it was important for her that she brightened up the bathroom so it would become more of an inviting space.
The DIYer ordered samples online so she could be sure the shades were what she expected before spending the money.
Alice ended up ordering three tins for £72 in the shades Dazzle Me and Cool Beans from the Al Fresco range.
There were some other changes she wanted to make. For example, it wasn't just the general colour scheme of the bathroom she wanted to brighten up, she also wanted to improve the look of the grouting without retiling the whole space. To do this, Alice picked up a £3 grout pen.
Aside from the colour scheme and grouting, the flooring was the other big change in this room.
Alice said: "I wanted to lay down vinyl which matched the new colour scheme and so we went to B and Q and picked it out. I got a style called Rome. In total, it cost £65 which I think is a great price compared to getting the floor done professionally."
When the mum-of-one was ready to begin, the first step was to clean the whole bathroom with sugar soap. This helps with getting the paint to adhere to the walls better. She also lightly sanded the tiles before starting on the painting, for the same purpose.
Alice then went in with white along the top, then beige for the bottom to give the room a warmer feel.
She said: "We applied three coats of white and two of beige in the end. After the paint was all done and dried, I went round with the grout pen and then my husband fitted the vinyl."
The DIYer claimed that she "wouldn't do anything differently" if she were to do it again. She said: "We love the results. If anything I wish we had done it sooner. It's now my favourite room in the house." The couple spent £140 transforming their bathroom themselves, saving £5,860 as a result.
Commenting on the bathroom transformation, Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: "By thinking outside the box and using budget-friendly supplies, Alice has achieved a stunning makeover at a fraction of the cost.
"Her story is an inspiration to others who may feel discouraged by hefty price tags for home improvements."