Sometimes full scale renovations are beyond us in terms of scope, timescale and ultimately budget. Working with what you currently have is one way to make your budget stretch further.

Case Study – Bathroom renovation in Moortown, Leeds
This bathroom that I recently refurbished had many serviceable items that were reused in the ‘new bathroom’ which was to essentially be a fully tiled version of the existing one (with a few elements upgraded).

Bathroom Prior To Renovation With Bathroom Installation In Leeds

Existing items to be re-used in the ‘new bathroom’
  • Shower tray & shower valve
  • WC & basin unit(s)
  • Back to wall toilet & soft close seat
  • Basin & taps
  • Large mirror above basin
  • Extractor fan
  • Wall heater
  • Shower chair & grab rails
  • Towel radiator
  • Wall cabinet

Bathroom Prior To Reboarding With Bathroom Installation In Leeds

Cost saving analysis – what these items would have cost to replace:
    • Shower tray + installation cost – £300+
    • WC & basin unit plus plinth – £400+
    • Back to wall toilet & soft close seat – £150+
    • Large mirror – £100+
    • Extractor fan + installation cost – £80+
    • Wall heater + installation cost – £80+
    • Shower chair & grab rails – £100+
    • Towel radiator + installation cost – £250+
    • Cabinet – £40+

TOTAL SAVINGS – £1500

Tiling the new bathroom

Bathroom Wall Tiling With Bathroom Installation In Leeds

As part of the new bathroom installation the following tiling work was carried out:

  • Stripping of the existing wall tiles & subsequent reboarding of all the walls.
  • Tanking of the wet areas.
  • Fitting ceramic wall tiles with border.
  • Fitting porcelain floor tiles (to replace the existing vinyl floor with a more hard wearing choice).

New items purchased & installed in the ‘new bathroom’
Some new items were deemed necessary in addition to the complete retiling of the bathroom.

Bathroom With Tiled Walls And Floor With Bathroom Installation In Leeds

  • Glass shower enclosure with easy clean safety glass fitted onto the existing tray.
  • Riser rail & shower head / hose fitted onto the existing shower valve.
  • Worktop fitted onto the existing WC / Basin unit (the old worktop was very warped as it had been damaged by a previous leak on the toilet cistern.)
  • Dual flush concealed cistern used in conjunction with the existing toilet (particularly important as the customer was on a water meter).

Complete Bathroom On A Budget With Bathroom Installation In Leeds

Summary
Before buying new maybe you could:
  • Keep the existing toilet but maybe add a new soft close seat?
  • Keep the basin but renew the waste & add a new mixer tap?
  • Re-use your bath & add a new pop up waste & filler (tap) if required – most baths I take out are perfectly fine!
  • Renew parts as needed e.g. the unit worktop but not the cabinets (as in this example).
  • Add a dual flush cistern to a back to wall toilet to save water (as in this example).
  • Add new valves to a towel radiator that is otherwise still OK.
  • Add new lighting to liven up the room to make it seem less dingy

Don’t forget to cost in (account for) the time required to clean up all of the old items that you will be re-using!Also, some items such as shower enclosures may be impossible to re-use if they are damaged during removal (sometimes this is unavoidable if they have been glued in position for example).

Bathroom Prior To Renovation With Bathroom Installation In LeedsComplete Bathroom On A Budget With Bathroom Installation In Leeds

Thanks for reading, get in touch if you would like to discuss how I could work with you to deliver a bathroom renovation to suit your budget.

Chris