MY TIPS FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE BATHROOM RENOVATION

27/03/2020

MY TIPS FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE BATHROOM RENOVATION

27/03/2020

With the experience of having renovated bathrooms in both a property that we own as well as one that we rent – I can vouch for the fact that one approaches these two projects rather differently. One is based on the ‘ideal standard’ while the other (in my case anyway) is strictly practical and cost effective. And whilst it is quite obvious which one got the more generous budget, I have to admit that the overall makeover ‘wow factor’ was on a similar level for both.

Our recent bathroom renovation in our rental home was done on a tight budget and there were a few factors that were essential to keeping the project economical. So, I thought it would be helpful to share with you my top tips for keeping your bathroom makeover budget as streamlined as possible.

Avoid moving any plumbing

While you are at the planning phase, an important thing to keep in mind is that if you can avoid having to move any of the plumbing, you will already have streamlined the project in terms of time and labour costs. I was terribly frustrated by this initially because once you start to rip it all out, it’s seems crazy not to rearrange things in a way you would prefer. But trust me, and stick to the plan here.

In the case of our rental renovation, the position of the plumbing for the tap at the bath was going to be off-centre, but we corrected this by placing the bath hand shower further to the left so that the total distance from the left side of the hand shower to the right side of the bath tap appears centred with the bath.

Similarly, I was really keen to change the orientation of the shower, but we kept it exactly as it was and even re-used the glass door with some tweaks.

Purchase your own products

Where possible, and practical, purchase all the products, sanitaryware, accessories and fittings yourself and have the products on site and ready by the time your contractor begins the work. In decisiveness on finishes once the project has started will create delays so it’s best to have everything purchased in advance. For our project, I purchased the vanity, basins, storage cupboard, taps, shower & bath fittings, bath, toilet and the tiles. Our contractor supplied building products like waterproofing, tile grout and wall plaster and paint.

Opt for exposed fittings over in-wall mechanisms

When we did the renovation in our holiday home, I was adamant that I wanted mixer taps and shower heads that were wall fixed with no exposed rails or bulky tap fittings – and whilst these do allow for a minimalist and clean aesthetic, the concealed component parts come at substantial additional cost.

I’ve subsequently realised that exposed rails and showerheads allow for easy installation and upgrading. Also, you get the added flexibility of a rail shower (hand shower) as well as a fixed overhead shower rose. A simple diverter gives you the option to use the overhead shower or the movable hand that adjusts in height – which I actually love because I can shower without wetting my hair if I want to.  

Tile only where necessary

This was more of a personal preference for me, as I hate seeing any more grout lines than necessary and just prefer simple painted walls where possible. There are obviously spaces that require tiling for functionality, like the shower area and around a bath (particularly if it’s built-in and is likely to have splashy kids in it), but where possible, keep the walls plastered and painted. It’s easier to update the space when you feel like a change down the line and also saves on the cost of tiles, associated materials and labour.

AVOID LOW QUALITY PLUMBING FIXTURES

My last tip is less of a money-saving one, but relevant for this post nonetheless. If there is one area of the budget to prioritise or splurge, other than hiring a competent contractor, I would suggest that it be the plumbing fixtures (taps and other bath / basin / shower fittings). These are the items that will show their quality or lack thereof as time passes, whereas the quality differential between a ceramic or acrylic bath is less likely to show.

In summary, I have learned that with careful selection of finishes and some simple styling, you achieve a stylish bathroom makeover without having to overspend.

Our renovation was completed in one week by the amazing team at JCT Renovations, who I can’t recommend highly enough. Most of the products were purchased at Dragonmart, with the exception of the plumbing fittings. For UAE residents, if you’d like for me to do a shop the look post with retailer resources, please let me know in the comments below.

Kathryn Hawkes

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Hi, I’m Kathryn

Hi, I’m Kathryn


House of Hawkes is a boutique interior design studio based in Dubai. This website is where it all began and remains a creative platform for sharing my work, my love of design and things that inspire me. Come on over & meet the team.

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