Another new bathroom - what should it cost?

usignuolo

Like many others here I am trying to get a new bathroom installed in my house. I am keeping the existing plumbing but otherwise want the room completely refitted. It is not a large room, 220 x 210 including the bath. I want everything taken out and replaced with medium priced white units, (nothing fancy, no designer bathware but not rock bottom either), and a vaguely period feel.

I spoke to a local interior designer (not a fancy showroom) who seemed keen until I told them my budget - £8-£9000. It seems my budget is nowhere near enough, and a good percentage would be swallowed up by the skilled trades who have to work on it since new regulations came in e.g. electricians. Is £8,000 really too little to refit a small bathroom? What does everyone else think?. I live in outer London.

tigtag02

I have a lovely new bathroom suite ~ including fancy taps (bought seperately) it cost less than £350. (Bath, loo, sink & shower)

Nothing to fit as OH is a plumber ~ he would however charge approx £300 to fit the bathroom per day. It would take 2 days at most.

There are other bits that need doing but including flooring/tiling/misc the bathroom will not cost more than £1000.

With the greatest of respect we are either living on different planets of both your interior designer and yourself have your head in the clouds

usignuolo

Well I did read a posting here a while back, by someone in the building trade, who said that putting fancy new bathrooms into new houses, from scratch, they estimated £8000. And I just read a interior design firm's website that you should estimate £8000 if you want a fancy designer bathroom installed which includes a power shower. But I don't need a shower and I told the designer I didn't. Agreed I don't want plastic fittings, ceramic and an acrylic bath and I want some nice taps and the tiles will cost a bit but I only want it part tiled and its not a very big room. I can't imagine the fittings will be more than £2500 - £3000 tops so most of the money must be going on the trades.

Where is a Polish plumber when you need one?

Canucklehead

Good evening: Forget the 'designer', have a go yourself at planning and sourcing the sanitaryware etc and save ££££. Get at least 3 full specification quotes from plumbers recommended to you by a source you trust and compare like for like... (this is how my OH gets most of his work) If you can't get a recommendation, you can find a qualified plumber on www.iphe.org.uk

HTH

Canucklehead

booty40uk

Hi
The last bathroom i fitted with a run of vanity units came out and £5000 supplied and fitted. This included floor to ceiling wall tiles and floor tiling although the customer supplied the tiles themselves. All new plumbing and electrics too. Bath and shower also.
£8k to £9k is way over the top for a bathroom of that size even in london. Like Canucklehead says, get at least 3 quotes and check the references. i always supply a list of my last 6 customers for potential new clients and any reputable builder would do similar.
Try sourcing the suite yourself. I make money by supplying a suite which is great for me but theres no reason that the customer couldnt do the same. I guess its just easier for them if i do it.

HTH

Andy

strongboes

I recently did a complete refit, supplied everything, new ceiling, lights, electrics, plumbing (including moving waste), fully tiled, diamond set porcelain floor, nice wall tiles with border all for £6250. Oh this included a rather fetching towel rad too!

If you need any info then just ask!

usignuolo

Thanks for this information everyone it is very helpful. I was hoping to avoid having to design the bathroom myself by using a local interior designer but it looks like it it not to be. I see that Wickes has a design service for bathrooms. Has anyone used it - are they any good?

Canucklehead

usignuolo wrote: »

Thanks for this information everyone it is very helpful. I was hoping to avoid having to design the bathroom myself by using a local interior designer but it looks like it it not to be. I see that Wickes has a design service for bathrooms. Has anyone used it - are they any good?

Good afternoon: My OH discourages his customers from sourcing materials from Wickes(has had problems in the past with missing components, poor quality fittings etc). Although you have indicated that you want to avoid designing your bathroom I can recommend an excellent website with a search function for local bathroom shops... http://www.bathroom-design-guide.com/index.htm In the long run, the less involved third parties are in your bathroom renovations the lower the costs will be for you (but don't skimp on trades as quality costs;) )

HTH

Canucklehead

usignuolo

I wasn't necessarily going to buy the bathroom for Wickes but I thought getting a starter design for them might be useful as I am really hopeless at floor plans - I used to have a job which often involved moving people around at work but they never let me near designing the layout because I was hopeless at envisaging what it would look like afterwards.....

Canucklehead

:wall: Free advice is the order of the day... any of the sheds will do then..end of my contributions as I have had no experience in that arena.
Good luck with your project.

Canucklehead

plumb1_2

usignuolo wrote: »

Well I did read a posting here a while back, by someone in the building trade, who said that putting fancy new bathrooms into new houses, from scratch, they estimated £8000. And I just read a interior design firm's website that you should estimate £8000 if you want a fancy designer bathroom installed which includes a power shower. But I don't need a shower and I told the designer I didn't. Agreed I don't want plastic fittings, ceramic and an acrylic bath and I want some nice taps and the tiles will cost a bit but I only want it part tiled and its not a very big room. I can't imagine the fittings will be more than £2500 - £3000 tops so most of the money must be going on the trades.

Where is a Polish plumber when you need one?

You should be able to get a nice bathroom refit for £4k.