Planning a Bathroom Reno This Year? This Smart Homeowner’s Tip Might Save You a Headache

Renovations are hard. The dust, the clutter, the feeling of disruption to your normal routine and space — all of that can make it stressful to keep living as normal while working on your home project. Even harder, though, is renovating a crucial room like a kitchen or a bathroom. Especially if it’s your only bathroom.

If you’re thinking of going for a bathroom renovation this year but aren’t sure how you’ll manage without the space, here’s a great tip from DIYer Patti Karnes, who gave her home’s only bathroom a brighter, more modern look. Patti and her husband DIYed the bathroom reno themselves, and knew they wanted to do it as quickly as possible to minimize disruption. Part of the bathroom reno involved laying new flooring and installing a new toilet — a scary prospect if that one toilet is the only one you’ve got! But Patti and her husband are campers, so they planned to use their camping toilet as a backup. Genius!

Even if you’re not a camper, it’s worth nabbing one of these to have on hand in case of the worst (cracked toilet, incorrect fittings, leaking pipes, and other plumbing disasters that might delay the finished product). It’s not a pretty solution, but it is a practical one!

Looking for more bathroom remodeling tips? Check out the best advice from Redditors for first-time bathroom renovators, and this smart rundown of how to plan a bathroom renovation. And, of course, check out plenty of great inspiration for your project with 30 of the best bathroom redos we’ve ever seen.