Bathroom remodeling is one of America's most popular home improvements and can be as budget-friendly as you choose. A simple spruce-up involving a new vanity top, bathroom fixtures and lighting can be done for well under $1000, but many homeowners are choosing to expand the space and add new tile, flooring, cabinets, even windows for a complete bathroom transformation.

1. Determine your exact bathroom needs.
Do you want to enlarge your bathroom? Do you need another sink? Would you like to add windows? Does the bathroom tile need to be replaced?Think about what your ideal bathroom will look like and then prioritize your needs before your wants.

If space is an issue in your bathroom, consider expanding it in any possible direction. Extra square footage will open up your cramped bathroom and increase the possibilities. Taking out a wall and replacing it with a window allows natural light in the bathroom and creates a more open feel. Since most people have many hygiene products,increasing your storage space should also be considered.

2. Gather bathroom design ideas.
Think about colors, textures, and overall style. Peruse bathroom fixtures, tile and flooring options.

Ceramic tile is a popular choice for bathroom flooring. If you think ceramic tile will be too cold to walk on in the winter, radiant floor heating provides heat from below your floor, keeping your tiles, feet and the rest of your room very warm.

A set of architectural plans will really help you and your remodeling professionals visualize the finished project, but any design preparations can be helpful.

Consult with a designer for ideas or check out magazines and cut out ideas, designs or photos that approximate what you want. It can also be helpful to a designer if you can make a sketch on graph paper of what your plans are. Any of these things will be help you to express to your bathroom remodeling professionals.

3. Establish a realistic bathroom remodeling budget.
At this time you will also need to determine how you will finance your bathroom remodel. Do you have a savings that you can dip into or will you need get a loan? The answer to this will be a factor in determining your budget.

Will this be a larger remodel or are you making minor changes? When establishing your budget keep in mind the design ideas you would like and whether they fall on the pricier side. Also, it will always be less expensive if you don't need to relocate plumbing fixtures, such a stoilets or sinks, so if you are on a smaller budget it is more economical to incorporate your current bathroom layout into the new design.

4. Don't forget building permits.
Before beginning the remodeling process be sure to secure a building permit from your local city or county government. Failure to do so could ultimately make your bathroom remodel much more costly.

5. Consider popular bathroom design trends. Second sinks have become very popular in bathroom remodels as they allow two people to use the bathroom at the same time. Non-traditional bathroom sinks are also popping up everywhere, quite literally.Above-counter sinks feature a more shallow basin giving the appearanceof a bowl or dish resting atop the countertop. And don’t forget aboutthe vanity. Antique bureaus are showing up as a fresh take on the bathroom vanity. Consider retrofitting an antique or purchase a vanity designed to mimic this look.

If you only have a shower, consider replacing this with a bathtub whichcan serve double duty as both a bath and a shower. Vertical spasprovide a massage in the shower with body sprays installed vertically along the wall. Whirlpool bathtubs have also become very popular intoday's bathrooms.

Another popular trend in bathroom design is to separate the toilet from the rest of the bathroom.

Nearly everyone elects to include a bathroom exhaust fan, often incorporating a heater on a timer, as well.