DIY Do it Yourself or Not®

Replace a vanity cabinet with a pedestal sink and make a small bathroom look larger. Without a boxy base cabinet surrounding the sink, a streamlined pedestal takes up a fraction of the space and creates an open feeling in the room. Today's pedestal sinks come in a variety of styles, from country and contemporary to traditional and Victorian, all in a wide range of prices and sizes.

A plumber will remove a vanity sink and replace it with a good quality porcelain pedestal sink, new faucet and valve for $667. That includes hooking it up to the existing water and drain lines that are already in place. It will cost considerably more if new water and drain lines are needed. You can buy a good quality pedestal sink and faucet for $450 and install it yourself, saving 33 percent, assuming you have some experience with plumbing projects.

Since you'll be exposing the wall behind the cabinet, don't make the swap unless you want to redecorate the walls at the same time. Actually, do the walls first and install the pedestal sink later.

Before you begin shopping for the new sink, find the rough-in dimensions by measuring the distance from the floor to where the drain enters the wall and the distance between the floor and water supply hoses. Also measure the distances, right and left, from each water supply pipe to the drain. Make a sketch noting these measurements and use it to choose a pedestal sink that will fit these requirements.