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Is it possible to fit a bathroom yourself?

Hi, 

I've been looking for a builder to renovate a bathroom but having trouble finding any builders. I am quite fed up of builders messing me around and am wondering how difficult would it be to strip out a bathroom and reinstall it?

I don't have any DIY experience but I don't mind getting my hands dirty and rolling up my sleeves to get it done. How difficult would it be for someone like me?

Thanks. 
«1

Comments

  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 8,696 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper

    In my view the two most important factors are:

    1) How concerned are you about details - would things like tiles not being perfectly aligned bug you for evermore?

    2) Do you have alternative washing (and especially toilet) facilities in the house?


    If you need a high quality finish then leave it to a good professional as it takes time and practice to achieve high quality results.

    If the bathroom is your only washing/toilet facility then a professional will get the job done much faster than you. Otherwise your (and your family's?) tolerance of 'slumming it' will determine how long you have to DIY the job.
  • stuart45
    stuart45 Posts: 4,589 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    With no DIY experience you might struggle a bit, but without knowing some ones capabilities it's hard to advise.
    Plumbing has got a bit easier in recent times with modern fittings, but there are still things that can go wrong.
    I'm no plumber, but did manage to do our bathroom to a reasonable standard, although being an old cottage the rustic look isn't too bad a look.
  • Stripping it out is the easy bit and I suppose could save you a day's labour and skip costs if you can dispose using residents facilities, I don't see how a novice could swerve the rest. In your position I would focus on meticulous planning.
    No man is worth crawling on this earth.

    So much to read, so little time.
  • Grenage
    Grenage Posts: 3,113 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 8 October 2021 am31 10:13AM
    Time is the biggest factor.

    I might do a job as well as a professional, but it will take me three times as long.  If you've no DIY experience then you can assume it would take even longer.

    What is being done will also have a big impact.  If you are replacing everything and leaving it in the same spot - great.

    If you can get by without the bathroom for a decent amount of time then go for it.
  • We had someone do our kitchen. I thought it was just a case of screwing the cupboards in.

    I was wrong.

    For a proper job that is, they did stuff differently to what I would have done (being a DIY as far as putting a screw in a wall)  but the results are far far better than I would have achieved and it looks excellent. The firm I used had a very good rep but with covid etc. booked out nigh on a year in advance.

    Same with the shower we had done, fortunate a good builder on hand and the results are superb. They also hit issues unseen at the quote and were able to rectify on the fly but do it to code (not the bodge code).
  • alleycat`
    alleycat` Posts: 1,901 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 8 October 2021 am31 10:46AM
    If you're handy and have time then yes it's perfectly possible. I've done my own kitchen, bathroom and en-suite.
    Planning is key
    Measure several times.
    Be patient.
    Swearing is cathartic (especially for skinned knuckles).
    Expect to hit "bodges" (often by the professionals) that you'll need to work to sort out (which will cost you even more time).
    Having a second body to hold/fetch and help lift and shift is a big bonus.
    Do plenty of research on how to before you start.
    I'd also make sure you're 100% confident that you can isolate the water to the sinks, bath, showers, toilets, etc. Once you start pulling things out you don't want to be in a position where you have to keep turning the mains off.
    Finally accept what you can't do. From experience i cannot plaster to a good standard and no longer try.


  • danrv
    danrv Posts: 1,533 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 8 October 2021 pm31 12:43PM
    Here’s my DIY bathroom at present.
    I ripped out all the old units, capped off all supplies with JG push fit stop ends and took up the water damaged subfloor.
    Removed all tiles. 
    This is fairly easy stuff if you’re careful. Breaking up the cast iron bath was hard work.

    Then spent several weeks trying to figure out how to route the badly installed waste pipes plus how to reconfigure the supplies for the turned around new bath.
    Gave in in the end and paid a local company to do this and put subfloor in. Done in one and a half days at great expense.
    Overall cost of bathroom though will be around £6k less than a professional quick job.

    Without a downstairs loo and basin, I’d have had no option other than huge financial outlay.
    Getting trades in and doing DIY research takes the most time. Plasterer was difficult to get.
    Other than that, I’m doing it myself and learning along the way.
    I don’t work full time so have got time to do it.




  • littleboo
    littleboo Posts: 1,666 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    As mentioned, having the time to do the work and being able to have the room out of action for an extended period while you faff about are key. My first real plumbing job was a cloakroom refurb which took me ages, but I enjoyed doing it, learned a lot along the way and am please with the result. I had two other bathrooms in the house, so the elapsed time didn't matter and I wasn't under any pressure to get it finished.
  • I think it depends on exactly how ‘novice’ you are.

    I class myself as a novice for any task I haven’t attempted before. But I have been doing diy for 20 years so am happy to give most things a go, and would say I have quite a bit of nouse.

    I have fitted a bathroom and cloakroom and was pleased with the results. But, I also learned better ways for next time (I will be creating an en-suite next year). I started with push-fit, now I’m happy to solder.

    I accept that I will take many, many times longer than a pro. I can afford time. I am also not afraid to start something over if it has gone wrong, or if something would bug me if I let it go. I will spend hours researching and asking for as many opinions as I can.

    Then, and only then would I start something.

    In a nutshell, I would never say ‘don’t do it’, but do have your eyes wide open. 

    Having said that, I would also suggest maybe  cutting your teeth on a few simpler diy projects first. See how you go. You’ll either be given the confidence to progress or else decide it’s better to wait for the experts.
  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 8 October 2021 pm31 1:50PM
    I'm going to agree with everything that's been said already.  I've removed and re-fitted several bathrooms over the years.  One of the first considerations is, are you replacing like-for-like ?  If you're just putting a new bath where the old one was, a new toilet where the old one was etc., then it's not difficult.  If you have to start re-routing water and drainage, it gets a bit trickier.  Water pipes, not too bad, drainage ... do-able, but I wouldn't recommend it for a complete novice.
    But, for a straight like-for-like swap, it's not difficult.  Planning is the key.  And having somewhere else to wash and go to the loo whilst work is in progress.  My first bathroom refit took me 4 days.  I (and more importantly, my wife!) was extremely pleased with the result, but it's bound to take you longer than a professional would take.  Tiling, likewise - it's not difficult, just very time-consuming to do it right.
    If you've no DIY experience yet, you will probably find you'll end up needing to buy a few tools to do the job.  No bad thing as such, they'll always come in handy, but just something to bear in mind.  The most annoying thing is when you're mid-task at 6:30pm and suddenly realise you need a 7/8" left-handed thing-um-a-watchit to fit a vital component.  Work stops until Screwfix is open the next day :-)
    Oh, one other top tip.  When fitting the new stuff, make sure you put a service valve on every water pipe in the room.  They cost peanuts, and make life so much easier in the future.  Means you can isolate a single tap, or the toilet, if you every need to fix a leak or change a washer or whatever, without having to turn the mains off.  Beats me why there's so many places I've seen where they're not fitted as standard, to be honest.

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