Is this to be a DIY?

Although we will be consulting a contractor for the other bath and the kitchen, I hope to save some money by doing this one myself.

google your question. You might see something that applies.

Yea, I tried that but I couldn't find anything. I'm hoping to pick the brains of some of the "out of the box" thinkers here. : )

You will require a pro in this area to give you the correct response and unfortunately that would not be me ! ;-)

Thanks for your interest ! Maybe someone else can give us both some new prospectives .

What part of Florida are you in? I work mostly in Jax and Gainesville. I recommend having a plumber change out the shower valve, faucet, and toilet handle to start

Dawn, I'm thinking you are right, especially considering the cost of other things in the house. And it will be a guest bath anyway.
Vastyan, We are in Hudson on a canal. SO EXCITED ! Changing out the hardware is on the list. Just looking for a good sale.

Bonjour, Maybe you can get your contractor to add two shower racks on the opposite wall of the faucet. Add some blue or aqua accessories sponges, soap, bottles etc and get matching towels for your towel bar.

I agree with Dawn - taking out a perfectly good tub surround to tile it is probably more work than it's worth right now. Also, changing out the toilet handle is suuuper easy, and when ours broke, I did it myself in one minute, even though I am not handy in any way. An easy upgrade you can do now to make progress!

Kellyography, nice job on the toilet handle ! I'm going to redo the whole toilet because the caulk on the bottom is nasty ! I can't handle that.
Galileo, are you talking about installing racks on the shower surround itself ?

Bonjour, Yes your contractor can install them and be sure he adds clear silicone caulking to waterproof.