Remodeling Magazineýs Cost vs. Value report for 2008 puts the average mid-range American bathroom remodel at $15,789. In the current economic environment, this figure simply screams ýbad ideaý or "not anytime soon" for many homeowners. Still, there are many out there who need to improve old homes or updates ones they need to sell, and no matter what the state of the economy, things still need to happen. Can anything be done? Here's the good news. A better bathroom IS possible without the high investment, and for some homeowners, a bathroom or kitchen upgrade is only a few hundred dollars away!

Re-Grouting: Enhance Tiled Spaces Without Breaking the Bank
Owners of newer homes might be have little worry about how their tile looks. In older houses, however, perfectly functional tile may end up looking terrible due to stains, discoloration, mold or mildew growth, and simply the effects of age on your grout.

DIYornot.com tells us that the national average cost of professional re-grouting is $184, and cruising the web, it is actually difficult to find bathroom re-grouting jobs that break (or even approach) the $500 mark. ServiceMagic.com puts the average cost of installing new or replacing old tile at just under $2,000 (making it a pretty reasonable investment in itself); itýs easy to see re-grouting for the bargain it really is. The real kicker: your new grout wonýt only look better and offer more options than your old grout, it will keep its appearance longer, too!

Bathtub Refinishing
In many bathrooms, the fixtures that are already in place are completely functional but simply look bad due to years of use. Stains in your bathtub that cannot be removed can look unsightly, but the relatively simple and inexpensive process of refinishing can give you a brand new surface and have a dramatic effect on the room as a whole.

According to Miracle Method (one of the countryýs most successful bathtub refinishing companies), most bathtub refinishing jobs run somewhere between $475 and $600 and can often be completed in 24 hours. Though you may be able to find a brand new bathtub for a couple hundred dollars, when you add in the cost of installing the new tub, removing the old one, and all the other work that goes into tub replacement, the bill is likely to run you thousands. By opting for refinishing, you get a brand new tub surface (of any color you like) in a fraction of the time and cost of replacement; remember, you can refinish sinks and countertops, too!

Install New Mirrors
A good bathroom will have many head-turning facets, but if weýre honest with ourselves, most of us spend a lot more time looking at ourselves in the bathroom than we do the tile, tub, or flooring. Since mirrors are obviously one of the most heavily viewed parts of any bathroom, upgrading the one you have will be a very noticeable improvement. ServiceMagic puts the average cost of mirror installation at $334, which makes it an easy fit for most budgets, and once again, it is not the type of project that will have you barred from your bathroom for days at a time.

Combining Projects
One of the nicest things about really inexpensive remodeling projects is that many budgets can afford more than one. Instead of a single bathroom remodel that involves structural alterations, you may be able to do all three of these smaller (though striking) projects, and in some cases even have change to spare!