The 9th Annual Ugly Bathroom Contest has ended! Thank you to all who participated and made the contest a success!
2024 Winners
Thanks to all who participated in the 9th Annual Ugly Bathroom Contest! We had 125 great entries and wish we could award them all with a new bathroom!
Stephanie K. – 1st Place
Our bathroom didn’t used to be ugly until the Big Sioux River recently decided to take a major 3 foot deep, super smelly dump in it! Note the black tub and toilet that were once white and muddy waterline on the tub tile surround. After cleaning up after our inconsiderate uninvited guest, all that is left is the toilet. The walls are open the bottom 4 feet and there’s no longer a door. Overall, as is, there’s not much privacy in the privy! We really hope to win the Ugly Bathroom Contest!
Sara R. – 2nd Place
Step into the Policy Exclusion Poo Palace, our standout entry for the Ugliest Bathroom Contest! This bathroom was tragically transformed by a sewage backup, and, as luck would have it, our insurance doesn’t cover this kind of calamity. The floor, once adorned with innocent vinyl planks, now boasts a rustic, stripped-down look, complete with exposed plumbing and a distinctly unforgettable aroma. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to shower in a construction site swamp, this is your chance. It’s a living testament to what happens when disaster strikes and insurance decides to take a vacation.
Kayla C. – 3rd Place
We bought our first house a couple months ago to fix up and make our home. The bathroom is definitely not its finest feature. Previous owners seem to have started a remodel? Pieces of the plaster and lath walls were missing. The 1980s vanity and sink were not even hooked up. We are in need of a total tear out and re-do!!
Eric C. – Creative Writing
Hickory dickory dodel
This bathroom needs a remodel
The space is tiny, hardly fits a hiney
Hickory dickory dodel
Hickory dickory dusty
The fixtures in here are all crusty
The shower is old, has unsightly mold
Hickory dickory dusty
Hickory dickory dares
The old border and curtain are Bears
The kids are not fans, they’d be gone with new plans
Hickory dickory dares
Hickory dickory dimey
Every item in here is all grimey
Use products to scrub, bring a whole cleaning club
Hickory dickory dimey
Hickory dickory delp
We need votes and Handy Man’s help
With a win we could change, this bathroom rearrange
Hickory dickory delp
2023 Winners
Congratulations to the 8th Annual Ugly Bathroom Contest winners! It was a huge success thanks to all who entered and voted in the contest this year! Happy Remodeling!
Milla J. – 1st Place
Our grand prize winner is Milla J. with 983 Votes for her ugly bathroom! We are looking forward to helping her transform her cramped space!
With two Aussies and a husband, life with a small bathroom is rough. With two VELCRO Aussies and a husband, alone time is nonexistent at the Jones House. Even in the bathroom.
With less than 9sqft of room to move around our tiny, ill-equipped 1920s bathroom, squeezing yourself on the toilet with two Aussies trying to be at your feet and the door not opening farther than halfway before hitting the small vanity, you start to contemplate the lack of privacy and the luxury of being able to be alone in the bathroom.
To top it all off, the incessant spot of mold that has been growing on the tank since moving in 2020? Gone. Houdinied. Why? Because you used one of the toilet bowl cleaners inside the tank, and instead of mold growing, blue liquid is seeping through the finest of cracks. They don’t make toilets with so much water anymore, so we are waiting as long as possible to avoid any horrendous blockages our old sewers would refuse to pass with modern toilet water flushage.
Life at the Jones House is never dull, especially with the issues with our minuscule bathroom. Hoping to remedy the bathroom with changing out the bathtub for a standing shower in one corner and a vanity right next to it. The rearrangement would enable more room to maneuver and actually close the door. Increased ability to have privacy would be nice prior to introducing our life to some new additions in the next year.
Jess H. – 2nd Place
Jess H. gathered 689 votes, securing her place as runner-up! She received $1,000 for her bathroom!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Safari.
Safari who?
Safari so good!
Except a safari in the bathroom is no good at all. I’m not “lion”, this bathroom is awful. We’re in the process of remodeling our entire house and we have 3 bathrooms to tend to. I’ve been able to take down the elephant shower curtain but we have a long ways to go. Please let nature take its course and help us remodel this ugly bathroom.
Elliott B. – 3rd Place
Elliott came in 3rd place with 624 votes!
Adam Sandler says it best, “stop looking at me swan” This 1970’s bathroom sure makes a guy feel nice and tan all year round, looking at the mirror with the nice orange glow from the walls on your skin, until you step out of the bathroom and you’re back to reality! At least it gives a warm vibe since the hot water doesn’t keep its heat working it’s way upstairs through the old pipes while taking a shower! Don’t forget, the 220 outlet that is off the side of the sink for all your welding needs…This bathroom sure has a lot of character, but is definitely due for some updates. I would love to have some ideas and help from (the best in bathrooms) for this first time home buyer! I have always heard nothing but good from people who have used you guys before and thought what the heck might as well give it a try!
Melissa H. – Creative Writing
We had two incredible creative writing entries so we decided to honor them both with $500! We loved Melissa’s tribute to Taylor Swift.
Anti (My)Bathroom
This is written to the song Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift. So if you can, go play it in the
background as you read along to this song!
I have this room that is so ugly and needs a renovation
I don’t want this to be my doom
When my depression works the graveyard shift, all I can think of, is DANG I need a new bathroom!
I should not be left to my own ideas
They come with prices and tools
I end up in crisis (things will be done wrong)
I wake up screaming from dreaming
One day I’ll watch as you’re working
Cause you got tired of my complaining
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me
At pee, time, everybody agrees
It’s ugly, old, outdated and there is no hot water
We’re so exhausted and we really need a renovation
Sometimes I feel like everybody has a sexy shower,
and mine is pink and hard water stained
Too small to shave, slowly moving so I don’t get bruises
I feel so suffocated there
Did you hear that the cabinet drawer only pull out 4 inches
It’s like some kind of bad joke (I can only see half the drawer)
I wake up screaming from dreaming
My hand is scratched from all the digging
And it loses all its feeling
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me
At pee, time, everybody agrees
The purple, green, and cream colors really need to go
We’re so exhausted and we really need a renovation
I have this dream that I can win this contest and get money
I need your vote to make it true!
The people gather round and read this from their own devices
someone screams out, let’s vote for her!
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me
It’s me, hi, everybody agrees, everybody agrees
At pee, time, everybody agrees
This bathroom is old and outdated and the shower’s suffocating
We’re so exhausted and we really need a renovation
Lisa H. – Creative Writing
Lisa is our other Creative Writing winner! She really put the effort into her “The Night Before Christmas” retelling! She received $500 to help update her bathroom!
‘Twas the night before company, and all through the dwelling
Rooms were all tidy, and deliciously smelling!
Though there was one room that gave quite a scare;
It was bathroom under the stair!
The flooring was peeling up in that place,
While the ceiling would drop small chunks on your face.
I with my toothbrush, and Pops with his soap,
Entered that bathroom with no trace of hope.
When up from the sink, arose such a mess,
I grabbed the old plunger, and cried, I confess.
Away to the kitchen, Pops tore like a volcano,
He ripped open the cupboard, and grabbed the Drano!
The dim light from the fixture in the ceiling above
Gave the glimpse of a bathroom who’d been shown no love.
When what to our sleepy eyes should behold,
But a shower in the corner with way too much mold.
Now bleach, and spray, and cleaner were grabbed,
We scrubbed, and rubbed, and even we dabbed.
To the top of the wall, and drain in the floor,
But despite it all, it would be clean no more.
Just as we were heading up to sleep,
The smell in the air began to reek!
Back to the bathroom we hurried with fright,
To find the toilet had overflowed that night.
Water was running all over the rug
And I’m embarrassed to say there was more than one bug!
That rusty toilet with way too much flow
Was old and dingy, and just had to go!
The shelves on the wall, were droopy at best,\
So on them our creams and our spays could not rest,
This bothered us so much that almost went crazy,
The bathroom disaster made us look lazy!
Suddenly hope came through ad on the app,
A way to finally get rid of this crap!
A contest to win would give us great cheer,
If only we’d be the winners this year!
2022 Winners
Jordan L. – 1st Place
Jordan is our $3,000 winner with 1,225 votes for his bathroom! He is looking forward to creating a functional space for his family.
“You know how girls like to spend time in the bathroom? Well we’ve got five of them…. girls that is, not bathrooms. That’s the problem. The tub leaks, the sink is in an odd place, the lighting is bad, the outlets are placed next to water sources (electricity and water don’t mix from what I’ve heard), and the walls are crumbling old plaster. The door isn’t even attached correctly and can’t be closed! No wonder no one wants to use it… The only thing that works well is the toilet, and even that is placed unusually far away from the wall. We’d appreciate your vote to update this into a usable bathroom and let those girls have at it!”
Jon C. – 2nd Place
1,083 votes weren’t quite enough to cinch first place, but Jon will be able to replace a few things in his ugly bathroom with his $1,000 prize!
“This bathroom is real treat! With exposed piping above the toilet and a rotting piece of plywood as the shower ceiling, it’s the envy of all other ugly bathrooms. Other features include wads of molding caulk behind the sink, which has a loose/broken faucet head, delightfully hideous contact papered shelving, thin blue carpet (who doesn’t love carpet in a bathroom?), and the ol’ five gallon flusher toilet. It’s all one can do not to scream taking a step into this monstrosity!”
Cierra W. – 3rd Place
Cierra can’t wait to rip out the carpeted wallpaper in her bathroom! She received 802 votes and will be able to make some nice updates to her bathroom with $500 from Handy Man!
“Welcome to the only bathroom in our home, where we have to vacuum the carpeted wall and wipe down the plastic ones. When you turn the water on, the tub will decide if you’re going to take a bath or a shower for you – we never know where the water will be coming out of. It takes all night to drain the bath water. Even our mirror is tiled so your face is all distorted while getting ready for the day. Thank goodness we already made some fixes to this already very ugly bathroom but would love to make it less ugly!”
Jordan S. – Creative Writing
We giggled while reading Jordan’s entry in the contest. We don’t think he will waste any time using his $500 to make some updates!
“I want to apologize to everyone that looked at this picture. There’s absolutely no excuse and it should have came with a viewer of discretion advised. Please do whatever you can to erase this picture from your mind and try to live a normal life after this. I’m sure this image is now burned in the back of your brain but, Please don’t sue me for pain suffering damages after viewing this image; I would have no chance in court. It’s embarrassing tell you all My own flesh and blood my great grandfather built and yes design this house in 1950. I can only assume he designed the bathroom color blind, drunk, or lost a horrible bet. Because there is no excuse for the hideousness of this design and he should have been charged for crimes against humanity. Maybe he hated my grandmother and this is the way he got back at her every time she walked in there. No human should have to suffer antagonizing pain of walking into this bathroom. Somehow I manage enough strength to do so every morning. As I brush my teeth and comb my hair I imagine myself dousing the bathroom in gasoline and lighting it on fire. I can’t imagine I would be charged with arson. Any judge would take one look at this image and realize the cruel and unusual punishment that I receive every day. Please help me put this suffering to an end and vote for me to win this money for a new bathroom.”
2021 Winners
Melissa K.
Melissa and her family are excited to upgrade their family bathroom! They received $2,000 to use at Handy Man for their remodel. And they earned it! They came in first place with 877 votes from their family, friends, and community.
“This well used bathroom for our family of 5 needs a facelift! It’s next on our “to do” list!”
Kylee L.
Kylee earned second place with her yellow scalloped vanity top and wood-paneled bathroom walls!
“I truly think my bathroom is beyond ugly. It would take a real HANDY man in order to make this bathroom beautiful. I’ve got no door because it’s such a tight room. I don’t know what anyone was thinking with the Yellow tile and dark wood panels. Pleasssee HELP!”
Miranda G.
Miranda’s bathroom has a lot of problems. We are looking forward to helping her fix it up and make it functional again. Congratulations on earning 3rd place and $250 to spend at Handy Man!
“What’s worse? The hole in the ceiling, the tiles falling off, foundation stability plate in the shower, or the 1967 orange shag carpet? We’ll let you decide!
Due to the shape of the bathroom, it’s hard to see in any 1 photo, so you’ll have to take my word for it when I say the other side is just as bad. Everything in this room is original 1960s design, even back then who could have thought shag carpet in a bathroom was a good idea? In true 60s fashion, the only positive we have going for us is the carpet matches the drapes… I mean rust, the carpet matches the rust.
We’ve been wanting to redo this basement bathroom since we bought our house 2+ years ago. Because of the condition it is in, we haven’t been able to use it that entire time. Only 2 things work in this room… 1 lightbulb, and my last nerve. Do us a solid and throw us a vote to bring our house into this millennium.“
Taylor M.
Taylor was presented with the Creative Writing award for his funny story about the horrors of his bathroom. Thanks for taking the time to write something special for our contest, Taylor!
“I like it so much because I’m not very attractive myself so it gives you that feeling of hope when you stare at the mirror thinking you’re not that bad looking. Well then I came back to reality and came to the conclusion that I’m stuck in the 70’s looking like a washed pornstar with long hair down to my crack and a stashe that hasn’t seen any action since my ex-wife left me 20 years ago. I’m 6 ft 3 inches with no shower head, can barely fit in the tub but when I do, I wash half my body at a time but it usually takes so long that the other half starts to stink by the time I’m finished however it beats the complaints from the neighbors when I use the hose outside. The water bills getting out of hand from flush the toilet so much due to the yellow not knowing if its pee or not unless you dropped the kids off at the pool as well. There’s a no shoe or sock policy 24/7 365 days a year, the carpet is constantly wet makes you feel like you’re on a long walk down the beach, crabs and all.
Hope you enjoyed my story, I’m really 28 years old with two kids and a beautiful woman. This would help us out quite a bit. Thank you.”
2020 Winners
Alexis M.
Alexis took home the grand prize of $2,000 by gathering 1,029 votes in a single day! Way to go! We are excited to help you and Justin remodel your 1928 home and get the bathroom of your dreams!
“I think I should win this Ugly Bathroom Contest because my fiancé keeps peeping on me while I’m in the shower that was cut to fit the window.“
Erica W.
The Webers were able to do some remodeling to their tired bathroom with a $500 credit from Handy Man! Their 2nd place win came with 887 votes! They purchased their bathtub and toilet from Handy Man using their winnings.
“Where to start? Well perhaps I could interest you in a lovely spa trip to Lavatory de Weber. Lets start by shimmying in the crazy 5ft by 9ft space and the spacious 18 inches to pass between the sink and the cabinet from HELL. Once inside you can see the love and time spent on the 1970 blue plastic tile that has so sparingly been placed for maximum coverage. As for the floors..oh don’t you worry about slipping here, no tile in sight, just some grade A sturdy planks..just put a piece of random carpet over it, you will never notice it. Now I am sure you are wondering about that medicine cabinet right? Oh you can light up your world with this fluorescent nightmare that holds about 3 things but takes the space of a large cabinet. As for the ceiling we were looking for a rustic unfinished look, I think we nailed it! But the icing on the cake, the winner of the trophy is get ready to soak your toes (because that is all that will fit) in this luxury cast iron tub that is a whopping 12 inches deep , that’s right kids, no threat of going in the deep end here! Oh and did I mention I hope you don’t like hot baths, because this baby will suck the heat of the water faster than a baby can suck down a bottle!“
Pat C.
Pat has a great daughter! She helped him enter his bathroom into our contest and ensured he didn’t leave empty-handed! Pat will have $250 to help him remodel this pink bathroom!
“Welcome to my Dad’s bathroom… It’s ok, don’t feel bad for thinking it is horrendous, because it IS!!! Have you seen one uglier? Grosser? Really think hard, hmmm…. NOPE, probably not. We can only submit ONE photo, which makes it hard to capture the true essence of it’s complete hideousness!!! Look at the cut out linoleum under the toilet to make a quick fix, don’t miss the missing tile on the walls under the window, the moldy shower, the ancient hanging thermometer, & the rest of the never ending flaws & crazy characteristics! Be sure to check out the SWEET pleated lighthouse 2 piece curtain set! This bathroom is in DESPERATE need of a makeover! He has owned this home since I was 5, I’m now 43. Imagine growing up & having friends over with a Pepto Bismol colored EVERYTHING bathroom…Toilet, Sink, Bathtub, Wall Tile, & it’s EVEN speckled in the linoleum!!! So embarrassing! The house is over 100 years old, who knows how long this bathroom has been this style??? It appears 100 years!!!! When he told me about this contest, I said you MUST enter! To my surprise, he agreed!!! WooHoo!!! Now I need YOUR help!!! Please vote for my Dad’s bathroom as the absolute ugliest bathroom!!! He does not own technology, except the flip phone his work issued him, are flip phones even technology these days? He is the one that found the contest, he is the one agreeing to the contest, it’s his name & phone number entered, my email of course, remember he’s a dinosaur with no technology skills. Since it is an online contest I am his only hope!!! I am his only child, so poor guy will be relying on me for his only hope for a lot of things to come! Haha! Let’s start my track record of good, with him winning this $2000 bathroom remodel!!!“
Tova A.
We were laughing out loud as we read about Larry, the spider in Tova’s bathroom! She will be taking home our $100 Creative Writing award!
“Hello Everybody! My name is Larry Cornelius Cuthbert. I am a Larinioides Cornutus Furrow Spider. I have eight eyes in all, a row of six eyes right above my fangs, and another pair of eyes in the middle of my head. I am a typical orb weaver and for the most part, I like to keep to myself and not get in the way. People think I’m scary, but I wouldn’t hurt a fly (ok, just kidding I would). In any case, that’s enough about me. I wanted to tell you about my roommates. I don’t know their real names, but I call them Mr. and Miss Muffet. They moved into my house about a year and a half ago. They call the place a ‘real fixer upper’. I’m not sure what that means, but I do know that they don’t like to come into my room very often. I live in a little hole in the floor where the toilet used to be. I miss having a toilet, because I loved going fly fishing with my dad. Some days, we’d catch some real keepers in there. I also don’t have a sink anymore, which is a real bummer because I had so much fun sliding around the big white bowl and then propelling down the drain only to climb back up, pop out, and give the two-legged’s a real scare! They would scream out super loud because they thought it was so funny! We still have a bathtub, but my roommates never use it. I wish they would, but they say the water leaks into the basement so they stay away. I really do miss being able to swim around in the bath, my mom always said I was a good swimmer because I had webbed feet. I’m not sure what she meant by that because honestly I don’t even have feet. I know it would be really nice for my roommates to win this contest from Handyman because it’s been a pretty tough year. My roommates have been home a lot more than usual because of some nasty bug going around. I don’t think they are talking about me, but I still looked up the symptoms on Web MD just to be sure. They even said something about a terrible toilet paper shortage, so I know it must be pretty bad out there. If my roommates ever do end up being able to fix up my room, I might have to move to the basement, but that’s ok, I’ll just hang out and surf the web. Thanks for listening to my story and stay safe folks! Creepin it real… Sincerely, Larry“
2019 Winners
Congratulations to all of our Ugly Bathroom winners this year! The 4th Annual Ugly Bathroom Contest was a success because of you. We are so happy to announce that we had 176 entries this year.
Mariah S.
Mariah took home the grand prize of $2,000 for her bathroom! She and fiance, Wes, are looking forward to starting remodeling after their wedding this fall. Congratulations, Mariah!
Janet F.
Janet’s determination brought her 2nd place and her creative writing skills added an extra $100 to her total! We’re excited to help her update her “bathroom from Hell”.
” “Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here” reads the sign above the gates of Hell. The same words describe our bathroom. Save us from the depths of our despair with a remodel! Dante wrote his description of hell in 1320 a.d. or about the same time our bathroom was built. Proof is provided by an archaeological look at the 3 levels of flooring and Jimmy Hoffa’s body. There’s also some sort of plate tectonic plywood under the toilet. Like the Earth’s crust, it’s shifting. Dante described 9 rings of suffering. Hold my beer, Satan. We’ve got about 900 in our tub alone! Any attempt to clean it is hopeless. It’s eternal. Hades has a few things superior to our loo. It’s roomier & HAS lighting. The ventilation is better. We have none, causing the paint to peel and demonic faces to form in the stains. Lastly, our bathroom smells worse, probably due to Mr. Hoffa. As the ONLY bathroom in our home, enter we must! Handy Man PLEASE work a miracle. It would be heaven!“
Jennifer W.
Congratulations to Jennifer, who sealed the deal with 3rd place! She will be bringing $250 of products from Handy Man into her home for free. Thanks for entering our Ugly Bathroom Contest this year!
“I’m terribly embarrassed to even post pictures of my 2 ugly bathrooms. Only one has a shower (made out of a kid’s pool). Unusual brag but It’s the only one I’ve seen like it. The main bath only has a handheld shower. There’s a cupboard above the faucet so there’s no way to mount a shower head. There’s also a window above the shower. The curtains I hung to hide the ugly tub and falling tiles make the cupboard unusable. There is just a tiny vanity so towels and toiletries have to be stored outside the room. The basement bathroom has an accordion door for one wall, a tri-fold hosp. screen for another. There is water damage to the paneling behind the toilet, the lovely outdoor carpet had to be torn out due to damage, the existing floor is painted concrete, and the shower is a handheld shower mounted to the ceiling with a kiddie pool at the base. I threw a towel curtain in for extra ugliness. It really can’t get much worse. I’d so love to have a decent shower and some privacy!“
2018 Winners
Congratulations to the winners of our 3rd Annual Ugly Bathroom Contest! These winners were able to beat out 130 other entries to take home their prize.
Jessica M.
1st Place – Jessica submitted a photo for her parents Randy & Cherie. They received $2,000 for their entry which had 1,817 votes!
“I am submitting this entry for my mom and dad, Randy and Cherie Jensen. In February 2017 my mom was hit head-on in a car accident resulting in brain injury. She spent 99 days in the hospital and was blessed to be able to return to her own home. Their bedroom is on the upper floor of their home which has no bathroom. It is a challenge for her just to get up and down the steps to make it to her bedroom and so going downstairs in the middle of the night would be a huge challenge so they use a commode during the night For her bathroom needs. Since her brain injury, her whole body has been affected … even her bladder. She gets up several times during the night just to use the restroom. When I was a child there was a bathroom in that bedroom but has since been converted into a closet. It’s going to be a fairly substantial cost for them to get plumbing upstairs to make this part of their life at least a little bit easier and so the $2000 would be a huge blessing!“
Kally Z.
2nd Place – Kally and Ryan received $500 to update their bathroom! Their entry had 705 votes.
“Our Vintage Inny-Outty
In-house out-house or inny–outty as we sometimes call it for short. Sounds something like a belly button dilemma and has the same effect. Sometimes things get stuck in there we have no idea how they got there. Comes with having two small children. We’ve even found lint in there on more than one occasion.
If you like history, are you in luck! Guests are able to take a step back in time with the claustrophobic feel of a hundred years ago. If you’re over 5′ 6″ don’t bother closing the inside door for privacy as our toilet is beautifully stationed inside a closet. Don’t let the faux marble walls fool you, on second glance, it’s pretty easy to tell the green and gold vinyl has faded as much as the shag carpet that used to adorn the rest of the room.
And that spot! We can’t seem to figure out where the yellow spot on the ceiling came from. At 100 years old, it’s possibly mold. Or perhaps some poor aiming from male guests? Maybe we’ll call that talent.
Speaking of talent, if you can find the correct position to sit on the stool without putting pressure on the holding tank, you might walk away with dry feet. But the minute you get cozy and lean back, the tank begins to leak right from that crack.
We would love to win this contest to improve our bathroom space making it more safe and functional for our family!“
Sara M.
3rd Place – “Queen” Sara received $250 to make some necessary updates. Her entry had 587 votes!
“Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen who moved into their first home. As a family of two, the first item on this King and Queen’s list was a master bathroom redo. The throne and shower were too small for the King that was ever so tall. Water splashed up against the wall and the weak ventilation fan would make it smell like a musty, warm weather stall. With the 90’s came golden oak, and although there was no princess in the house, that color would make any frog prince croak. When the hour struck to brush their teeth and wash their face, the short, one sink vanity seemed like a disgrace. While leaning over the tiny sink or sitting on the throne to make the bathroom stink, the King would moan about how he wished he could shrink.
With no ideas on what to do, the King and Queen decided to enter the Handy Man contest and win votes to make their bathroom new. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the bathroom most worthy of them all?“
Jason L.
Creative Writing – Jason was given $100 to get him started on his bathroom remodel!
“I purchased my house 2 years ago and remodeling the bathroom has been on my to-do list the whole time. The shower is a major project. The tub enamel is cracking and peeling off. There is a weird painted plastic material on the walls above the shower surround. The window in the shower features fancy pink contact paper so the neighbors can’t see me showering. The contact paper is peeling and the window is wood so I cover it with a shower liner and hold it in place with the biggest binder clips made in Nebraska (GBR). The medicine cabinet is barely attached to the wall. It is being held on with a couple nails and some caulking. My girlfriend refuses to leave her stuff on the counter because she is sure it is going to fall off the wall one of these days. The sink is really cool looking (when it is clean) but it is not very functional. If you turn the water on to a normal level, it shoots water out over the sink and onto your clothes. We don’t tell people that though because it’s too much fun hearing them scream when they get blasted with water. And if they don’t scream, we know they did not wash their hands. The bathroom walls are sanded down and ready to be painted but it seems silly to paint when the rest of the bathroom needs to be updated. My girlfriend offered to get the bathroom floor redone but I don’t want to do that until the walls are painted. Fortunately, the toilet is perfect. It always flushes (if you hold the handle down a couple seconds longer than usual) and my girlfriend cleans it as soon as it gets really disgusting. By the way, I found this contest when my girlfriend posted it on my Facebook page.”
2017 Winners
Posted August 2017
We want to thank everyone who participated in our 2nd Annual Ugly Bathroom Contest this year! We had three excellent winners – Doug, Alyssa, and Kenette, who entered, gathered votes, and came away as winners! We love having the opportunity to help others create a safer and more functional bathroom for their families!
Our $2,000 grand prize winner, Doug, submitted this entry into our contest:
We have a family of 5 using this tiny bathroom. We removed the tile from the wall but the glue is so thick we cannot easily cover it. It would be great to redo the walls and add a bathtub for my children. At this time we only have a shower. The vanity is small and out of date and blocks the door from opening all the way. There are three medicine cabinets probably because there is no storage in the bathroom. There is an outdated electric heater, that doesn’t work, built into the wall. Finally, there is an odd feature above the sink which looks like a pot-filling faucet for a kitchen.
We’d love to win this contest to do the necessary work to make this small space functional for our family!
The 2nd place winner, Alyssa, received $500 to help her update her bathroom.
Linoleum walls, leaking shower, ancient cracked toilet, obscenely tiny sink, and a space barely big enough to sit down in. This bathroom needs some major help! I’ve been saving up to redo this bathroom since I moved into my house 2 years ago but have been hit with a lot of unforeseen costs (surgery for me, surgery for my dog, broken sewer main, etc) that have taken away the bulk of my savings for this project. Being on a single income as a first-time homeowner of an older home, it’s been difficult making all the necessary repairs and fixing up this bathroom would be an incredible blessing. In its current state, it’s barely usable and you can’t even sit down without hitting your legs on either the sink or the linoleum wall. Not to mention (and not visible in the picture) the outside is covered by cheap plastic paneling with the plumbing pipes sticking out of all the walls. The shower is stained and leaks from the bottom, the toilet is huge and the tank is cracked, and the sink is so tiny it’s nearly impossible to even wash your hands. The concrete floor is stained and the linoleum ceiling is falling down and yellow with cigarette smoke. This bathroom needs help, and any help I can get in making it usable would be so much appreciated!
Kenette took home our 3rd place prize of $250!
This bathroom is original to the house. The previous owner installed laminate flooring which has rotted due to the old toilet overflowing. Some of the flooring has been ripped out due to stink and rotting mold. The tiles on the wall are plastic and falling off. The wall around the tub is rotted as well. I would really like a shower/tub in place of the old tub. I have replaced the toilet but had to. It was so embarrassing to have guests hold plunger after going. The toilet would do 1 of 3 things. 1. Flush as normal. 2. Flush but not go down & had to plunger it down. 3. Overflow to where you had to plunge.
Sink water has been shut off due to major leaks. Pipes underneath need replaced. I have had shutoff installed shortly after moving in. There was none & found out the hard way when the toilet would not stop running.
I would really like to win this. I have lived with a not so functioning bathroom for almost 10 yrs. 3 of those yrs you could not use the toilet. Had to go to the basement toilet. Forget showers, only baths.
2016 Winner
Posted August 2016
Congratulations to Cassandra Bertwell, the winner of our $2,000 Ugly Bathroom Contest! On Wednesday, August 10th, Handy Man President Joe Swenson and store manager Mike Folsom met Cassandra at our Lincoln store and presented her with her prize.
We look forward to helping Cassandra update her bathroom, pictured below, that received 5,918 votes in 16 days!
Thanks to everyone who participated!
“As far as the update goes we got some wonderful things for our bathroom! A new toilet, stunning vanity with a cool waterfall faucet, new shower head, mirror, towel bars, etc! I’m very thankful for the help that the Handy Man Employees at the Lincoln store gave me. Extremely helpful, great advice, and friendly! I had left receiving a hug too.” – Cassandra B., Ugly Bathroom Contest Winner 2016