Bathroom refurbishment: Where do I start ?
Whether you’re planning a practical family bathroom, en-suite, wet room or full-on home spa and personal sanctuary, here are some tips on where to start with your bathroom refurbishment.
Modern bathroom refurbishment
Should I fit myself, project manage or use a bathroom specialist?
You need to decide whether you want to:
Install the bathroom yourself, project manage other trades to fit your bathroom, or
get a bathroom specialist to design and then see it through to completion for you.
If you’re planning to spend under £5,000, then your best approach may be to manage the project yourself,”. “Expect to pay £3,000 to £6,000, but be prepared to sacrifice a lot of finishing detail in order to ensure you get the basics like tiling and plumbing right.”
If sourcing and fitting the bathroom yourself, you can find a cheap bathroom suite for as little as £200. But you’ll need to source and work out your budget for accessories, shower fittings, taps, tiles, grouting and other materials, which can double the price. You’ll spend a lot of time sourcing materials online and in stores and need to be a confident DIYer. But you will be in full control of your budget, final look and the results can be impressive.
While fitting the bathroom yourself can save up to 40% of the cost, do consider the time and difficulty of the job before you decide to take the project on. You should always get a professional in when it comes to gas or electric. If you’re putting in an electric shower, use a registered electrician – mistakes can be fatal!
If you have a tradesman fitting your bathroom then buying the goods yourself – with their approval – can help to reduce the cost dramatically. If you are buying from a company that quotes for installation too, check to see what it would cost for a plumber and electrician to do it independently.
Whether buying the products yourself or getting someone in, it’s worth looking at the guarantees, especially for things such as grouting or sealant, which are costly to replace if they spring a leak.
“Budgets for a new bathroom can vary enormously, “The average bathroom costs around £7,000….but can run into tens of thousands for a designer bathroom with luxury fittings – so be honest and strict with yourself about how much you can afford to spend.”
Find a trusted local builder or tradesmen to help you with your bathroom refurbishment;
Finding a Tradesman
Most tradesmen are honest, competent, and hard working. But if you have one who isn’t, it can mean living in a building site for what seems like an eternity, costs thousands of pounds, or a botched job that causes problems for years to come. When you are looking for a tradesman, how can you ensure he or she is trustworthy?
*Use personal recommendations but try to inspect their works
*Search online such as Which?, Checkatrade.
*Never use somebody who approaches you out of the blue;
If people knock on your door and offer you unsolicited services always turn them away. There are lots of con artists who operate in this way, and no reputable trader gets work by cold-calling on strangers.
*Get at least 3 quotes for any work
If you ensure you get a number of quotes for every piece of work that needs doing, you can better judge the true price. You are also less likely to get ripped off. It can be astonishing how much prices vary. Also, each time you speak to a builder about the work, you will learn more about it – and will be better able to judge if a tradesman knows what they are talking about, or is spinning a yarn.
You’ll soon realise how surprisingly difficult it is to get a quote out of a builder, but persevere. Approach at least 5 tradesmen from the off so that you have enough quotes to be able to compare.
*Ask for references
You shouldn’t be shy about asking for two or three references. Then call up the referees and speak to them directly about the work and service of the tradesman; if it is a big job, you might want to go and see the quality of his work. If the builder won’t provide references, ask why – it is often very telling about them if they don’t.
*How long have they been trading?
*Write a detailed brief.
Work together to draw up a detailed brief – except for the very smallest jobs – specifying:-
- The work that needs to be done, in the greatest detail you can,
- Whether cleaning up and disposal of waste are included,
- The materials that the tradesman will use. If you want high quality materials, state in writing what they are,
- The breakdown of which of the costs are labour, and which are for materials,
- What materials are included in the price,
- What materials you will supply – will you provide the paint, tiles or lighting attachments?
- Whether subcontractors such as electricians are included,
- Whether additional costs such as parking are included,
- Whether VAT is included,
*Get a quote in writing.
Never accept a verbal quote, except perhaps for the very smallest jobs that are just a few hours work. Always get a written quote for the job, detailing the costs for the brief above.
*Don’t get fooled by low quotes.
It’s very easy to give a low estimate initially in order to attract business and then put the price up later. Low prices might result in lower quality too. Go with a tradesman you trust to do a good job rather than one that gives you low prices.
*Get a contract specifying the terms.
*Ask if they can provide a building regulations compliance certificate.
For certain types of work – for example, electrical, plumbing, gas, and replacing windows – you need to get a building regulations compliance certificate from your local authority. The trades person can provide your certificate if he or she is a member of a Competent Persons Scheme – a government run accreditation programme – that confirms that the work has been done in line with building regulations. Alternatively, you will need to go to your Local Authority Building Control department so they can sign off the work.
*Are they registered with a trade body?
Trade bodies and associations vary enormously in quality. Some check up on their members once a year to ensure they are performing to standard. Others are less rigorous and tradespeople effectively pay an annual subscription in return for a label that generates false trust. Check out whether your tradesman is a member of a trade body and what it means
*Are they registered with a trading standards scheme?
There are a number of schemes around which are designed to provide assurance of quality
*Buy With Confidence is a government scheme operating in certain counties in England which will confirm that businesses are operating in a “legal, honest, and fair way”.
The level of service they demand is a basic one – it basically in line with official Trading Standards – but they do check up on their members periodically and have a mystery shopping service. The members are also vetted by trading standards officers who are paid for by the government and so are completely independent.
TrustMark holds its members to a slightly higher standard. It also monitors its members, but sometimes only once every 3 years. Their website allows you to search for a Trustmark company by postcode, or search by company to see if they are in fact registered
Finally – do report rogue traders
Furnishing your new bathroom
Whether fitting yourself or using a specialist, you’ll need to decide what will go into your new bathroom.
Many people use their existing bathroom as a template, but start with a blank canvas to create a space that enhances your lifestyle. Don’t forget bathroom storage space for towels, toilet rolls and toiletries. It’s worth working this into the original design to ensure you can fit everything in.
For ideas and mood boards, Pinterest is a great tool and most designers now have an account so you can work the mood board between you.
“You’ll also need to decide if you’re a bath or a wet room kind of person, whether you need a bidet or douche etc,”
Lighting can be a key detail, with basics starting at down lighting and ranging to back-lighting mirrors and lit ‘feature walls’. A split-face tile with concealed down lighting can make a breathtaking feature.
You can even add a TV or flush-mounted speakers to listen to your music wirelessly if you want to make a statement!
If you really want to splash out, how about a home spa? “If you’re a real water baby then why not add a mini home spa?” “A simple sauna can start at around £5,000 and gives your home that luxury feel. Next you’ll need to decide on wall coverings. You can go the standard ceramic route or splash out on natural stone. ” But explore as there are new modern alternative out there.
How long will it take?
When it comes to practicalities it is important to consider what constitutes a realistic time-frame.
Bathrooms can take between one and three weeks to complete, and depending on the size of your house the work could be rather intrusive.
“If you only have one bathroom, you might want to wait until you go on holiday or go and stay with friends or relatives – the joy of coming home to a brand new bathroom will more than make up for any inconvenience.”
