New Bathroom Advice

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brigadear

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Hi all, I am planning on rennovating main bathroom (which is isn't the biggest) and am looking for advice on how to approach it as I haven't much of a clue.

I am looking to replace Toilet, Bath, Wall hung Sink,Mirror(with storage cabinet), Shower and Tiles on wall and floor. So far I have got quotes from 2 suppliers and they both quoted about 2.5k (doesn't include shower or labour), I thought that this was quite pricey but maybe this is the going rate these days.

So basically my questions are.
1. Is this price reasonable (I will be getting other quotes over the coming days)
2. Should I go and purchase everything myself and then get the relevant trade persons to fit or get one person to do everything.
3. What price should I be expecting to pay for labour for the work involved.
4. Is there certain work that perhaps should be done first, should tiling maybe be done first or paint room first, etc.
5. Is there anything else I need to consider

Thank You
 
Personally I would buy the bathroom suit/taps/tiles etc myself.

Have your plumber supply the pipe work & fittings.

Tile the whole room, walls & floor in the same tile, so except for the ceiling there wont be any painting.

Ask for a break down of the quote.

I'd get hold of a good plumber to start with & ask them if they can recommend a tiler.
 
My tuppenceworth (might not even be relevant):-
1. Buy white toilet, white cistern, white wash-hand basin, white shower tray, white shower door. White doesn't go out of fashion. Ask anybody who put in pink or blue toilet, bath, sink etc back in the 1970's.

2. Stay away from tiles (unless they are the big ones); install the new hard nylon/perspex type of "walling." It's dearer but easier to maintain provided it's fitted correctly. It's for life so be careful in choosing the colour.

3. Don't be talked into or out of anything you want.
 
Leper said:
Stay away from tiles (unless they are the big ones); install the new hard nylon/perspex type of "walling."
Click to expand...
I've just started planning a renovation, and looking at this. Surprised at the quality available, and will be going down this route. Haven't bottomed out total costs yet.
 
We recently refurbished our bathroom which is a small 1970s (estimated) extension to a terraced house. All inclusive it was 6K, including parts and labour and included following which may not be relevant for all bathroom refurbs:

* Replacing the underfloor of the bathroom before laying the tiles
* Replacing existing radiator
* Installation of support shelf to support floating toilet
* Pipework due to moving the toilet and sink around
* Upgrading extractor fan
* Removal of bath

We ordered the wall and floor tiles and the electric shower ourselves, everything else we picked from a a bathroom catalog and builder ordered it. The builder handled getting the different tradesmen at the correct times, so we only dealt with one person. If doing it again, I would to the same thing.
 
Folks, where do people stand on paying money upfront before work has started. I have agreed a price for refurb of my bathroom and a couple of other things in my house where one person is going to do everything, the tradesman s going to sub-contract out the work that is not his area. Totally price of the work is €6500 but the contractor is asking for 1k up front for certain materials.
 
Personally, I'd happily either supply or pay for all materials up front. But not labour.

I usually deal with self employed tradesmen, and don't expect them to finance my materials.
 
RedOnion said:
I've just started planning a renovation, and looking at this. Surprised at the quality available, and will be going down this route. Haven't bottomed out total costs yet.
Click to expand...

what is this exactly and why is it for life?

is it not just a bit like lino for walls? a new product so its fashionable but in a few years people will revert back to tiles and tiles will be seen as the quality alternative?
 
@Blackrock1
There are 2 different things I've been looking at. There are cheaper options that look cheaper (in my opinion) and might be what you have in mind when you refer to lino for walls.

There are pvc panels, which is where I originally started, and glass panels - the same as you can get as splash backs for a kitchen.

What attracts me to either option is the absence of grout, which has always been a problem for me to keep clean. With the higher quality pvc options, you really can't tell they're not tiles until you tap on them and hear a different sound.

The glass options are definitely a more modern look, so might go out of fashion - I think it might be very clinical as large panels in my bathroom (I don't have anything else 'modern' in my house, so it might not work).

I wouldn't say it's 'for life' any more than tiles are.
 
White sanitary wear for sure. Tiles on the floor. I like the idea of the pvc for the shower rather than tiles as tiles are a devil to keep clean. As are glass doors which I have, where they meet the shower base is also difficult. If I renovate I want a walk in shower with no door/glass. We have a double sink, it's one piece and really easy to clean. I really recommend it for a couple or even the family bathroom, our kids have it too and it works really well.

I don't agree with electric showers. They seem to be very weak in Ireland. Ours is hot water directly off the gas boiler. No such thing as an immersion.
 
Deffo go for pvc within shower. All you need to keep it clean is those window wipers the cleaners use and do it after use. 30 seconds to do. You should do this on the doors as well btw.
 
Hi lads,

I'm trying to get a couple of bathrooms done up (2 en-suite and 1 main). The quotes I have got for labour only for say an en-suite range from €5,900 to €6,300, the biggest bathroom was €6,900 and the smallest en-suite was for €4,900. Can anyone recommend a plumber and tiler to quote me? The prices seem a bit on the high side but maybe I need to be educated on this point.

Best,

Opus2018
 
Just a quick note regarding the pvc panels - I had them installed in an ensuite. The person installing them was a plumber and did all the other pipe work too. They never said they weren't familiar with pvc panels. After a year or so, we had a leak downstairs from the shower. The PVC panels weren't installed correctly. Make sure your tradesmen are familiar with how to make these water tight.
 
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