Bathroom refurb costs

Sounds about right. We've just had new shower, floor, tiling on walls

• washbasin & toilet. Cost about £8500, rural Suffolk.

Sounds plausible... when I did a pair of bathrooms back in 2018 [1], the materials alone cost something like £6k... that was for two bathrooms using mid range fittings, rather than one, but was also before the big spike in inflation since. So £3 to 4k for materials seems likely. There is also a significant amount of labour that goes into a bathroom with multiple trades that need to be sequenced right, and not much space to work.

Oh dear, our eyes are much bigger than the expected budget which has now been depleted by the Trump effect on our investments.

We have two bathrooms/shower rooms that SWMBO wants tarting up. Personally they work so I don't see the attraction of spending £20k but hey ho - going to have to find a way.

Could you 'just' do whatever has the biggest impact, eg keep the suite but retile and refloor; or put cabinets around the existing suite; or new suite but everything else the same?

Any parts you could DIY?

Theo

I recently did a floor up Wickes just-above-basic and it was under £2k - of which £500 was moving an internal wall. I say 'did' - I still haven't finished it a year on. Some general finishing, plastering and tiling still to do.

Indeed. If you can afford the space, panelling or tiling over existing is quick and effective for example. There's a pic here of the bathroom I did at my last place:

Parts of if I find strangely fulfilling - floors, fitting baths/basins, plumbing and working out what to route where neatly. Not so keen on tiling, finishing in general and toilets. And I know it's done properly - none of that wastes going uphill and convoluted runs of water pipes.

As mentioned, though, I can see why it's an expensive job if you're getting someone in

I slated my entire kitchen mack in 2002. 30 sq m.

Took about 5 weeks. I wanted it level and the floor underenath was anything but.

It takes me several weeks to pain a room, what with all the imperfections filled, the woodwork re-finished and so on. Quality takes time and time is money to a professional.

They try and make a t least £500 a day if they can. To allow for all the wasted time at the builders merchants, getting to the job and doing quotes that didn't turn into work etc.

In my younger days I wouldn't hesitate. Not having it finished in 12 months is not an acceptable option.

I'm beginning to understand that :(

Useful guideline. We are looking at converting a batch area to a walk in shower, and moving nearly everything around apart from the toilet. This includes moving the towel rail.

Cheers

Dave R