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REDESIGNED ON A DIME

Nothing is funnier then doing a remodel...funny if it's causing someone else stress instead of you. However, remodeling a bathroom yourself does not have to be difficult. As an avid Do-It-Yourself woman with two kids, four rental properties, and one needs-complete-renovation house, I have vast experience in going from bathroom crap to spa-like sparkle. Here are the best tips I can offer to get that remodel done in one weekend.

1. BEGIN WITH A BUDGET (and then throw that budget out the window).

Don't literally throw it out the window, but do realize that what you originally budget will probably not be enough. You can save the most money by using paint, vinyl tile, and IKEA. A can of paint can cost as little as $10, vinyl tile as little as $0.33 per square foot, and cabinetry and sinks from IKEA as little as $150. Complete toilet kits start at $75 and pedestal sinks start at $35 (both from Home Depot). Large framed mirrors run about $50 anywhere you go, although Wal-mart has even better prices on some very elegant styles. These are some good rock bottom numbers to keep in mind should things go horribly wrong and you need to change everything.

2. TAKE MEASUREMENTS...TWICE...OR A THIRD TIME IF YOUR SPOUSE TOOK IT.

If you are going to replace the bathtub, be sure you have the size from wall to wall. If you need a new toilet, cabinet, or pedestal sink, measure the space it will occupy. If buying a new mirror, measure the size of the wall on which you will put it. Take all these measurements a second time and draw a little diagram next to it so that you remember exact measurements as you shop. If your spouse takes the measurements, measure once more to "be on the safe side." (I state this last bit of advice because if you dictated what your spouse should measure, they may have misunderstood you and started from the wrong beginning point.)

3. SHOP AROUND

I am a huge Home Depot and Lowes fan. I know the price of almost every product in these two stores and I know exactly where to find their clearance items. Plus, every weekend Home Depot and Lowes will tote their clearance products out into the middle aisles and in front of the store hoping consumers will snap them up. I have found some incredibly fabulous deals among the clearance items. However, they are not always the best price in town. Check out your local Contractor's Warehouses in the area and be sure to ask where they have their clearance as well. I once found a porcelain sink for $1.25 at

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