Savvy mother of a child saves almost £6,000 on bathroom transformation – spending just £140

A savvy mum of one has revealed how she saved thousands of pounds by transforming her bathroom thanks to a clever money-saving hack.

Alice Fleming, 28 from Gorebridge, Midlothian, says she never liked the room but couldn’t afford the £6,000 she’d asked to redecorate the space.

Instead, the clinical support worker, who is currently expecting another baby, spent just £140 on budget-friendly essentials that she used to transform the space at a fraction of the cost.

Explaining how she did it, Alice told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘We have lived in our house for four years now and have never liked the bathroom. I didn’t like the colors and the room generally looked dull and tired.

“We had previously looked into having our bathroom done professionally. It would have cost us at least £6,000 and we just couldn’t afford that. They would have to take out the whole bathroom to replace the tiles.

AFTER: With a new color scheme and fresh accents, the bathroom looks completely transformed

“As time passed, the bathroom kept bothering me, so I started thinking about how I could freshen up the space without spending thousands of dollars.”

She continued, saying she’s a member of a few DIY groups on Facebook and had seen other people use French paint to decorate their kitchens.

‘I thought, why not my bathroom? So I went online and browsed all the different colors,’ Alice said.

“I also looked at posts others had made on the DIY forums and found the makeovers people had gone with two colors. I decided I wanted to do the same.

“It was important to me to brighten up the bathroom to make it more of an inviting space.

“I ordered samples online so I could make sure the shades were what I expected before spending the money. Luckily I was happy with what I chose so ordered 3 cans for £72. I have Dazzle Me and Cool Beans from the Al Fresco range.”

According to Alice, there were other changes they wanted to make.

For example, as well as brightening up the overall color scheme of the bathroom, they wanted to improve the look of the grout without re-tiling the whole space, which she did with a grout pen that cost her £3.

Alice (pictured with her family) was able to completely transform her bathroom for a low price – thanks to research, hard work and creativity

She continued, “The floor was the other big change in this room. I wanted to lay down vinyl that matched the new color scheme so we went to B&Q and picked it out.

‘I have a style called Rome. In total it cost £65 which I think is great value compared to having the floor done professionally.

Then we were ready to begin. The first step was to clean the entire bathroom with sugar soap.

This helps the paint adhere better to the walls. We also lightly sanded the tiles before painting, for the same purpose.

“We went in with white along the top and then beige for the bottom, to give the room a warmer feel. In the end we applied three coats of white and two beige.

BEFORE AND AFTER: With paint and a grout pen, the tiles look very different and the room feels brighter and fresher

“After the paint was all set and dried, I went around with the grout pen and then my husband adjusted the vinyl.”

The biggest challenge for this project was time, says Alice, who explained: ‘We have a two-year-old walking around and I’m also eight months pregnant – so it took a lot of planning when we would have the time. It took us two full days from start to finish.

“I wouldn’t do anything differently if we did it again. We love the results. I wish we had done it sooner! It’s my favorite room in the house now.’

Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.nlsaid, “By thinking outside the box and using budget-friendly supplies, Alice 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.”