Breaking Down a Bathroom
Why is it so expensive?
One of our most frequently requested services is the all too popular bathroom renovation. People love refreshing their bathroom, as this is a great way to add value as well as enjoyment to their home. However, few people realise the true costs involved with completing this work. So I thought I’d give some insider info into where the pricing for bathrooms can come from:
1) There’s a lot in there!
Whilst its a pretty small space, alot actually goes into a bathroom. There are tiles, glass, vanities, toilets, bath, shower towers, mirrors, LED lights, towel rails, among other things. Making a nice bathroom does require alot of thought and resources, and it can quickly add up when you start adding in different features. Breaking down some rough numbers on a relatively inexpensive bathroom renovation, and just including some of the parts: $1000 on tiles, $1500 on glass, $1000 on a vanity, $2000 on a bath, $1000 on a shower tower, $500 on a toilet, and you’re already at $7000!! And that’s before any of it has even been installed! This is just one of the reasons why a bathroom renovation can quickly become so expensive.
2) A lot of people are involved!
Even though its a tiny percentage floor area of most houses, about half of the subtrades of the whole house are required to bring a truly special bathroom to life. Moreover, almost all of the ones required have to make multiple trips back, all adding to the cost. For example, for a plumber… They have to disconnect the old bathroom, pipe out behind the wall, and then fitoff your new fixtures after everyone else has finished in front of the new linings. 3 Trips, and usually 4-5 days of work to make sure everything is the way the client wants. The same for the electrician too! Another example would be the tiler, who has 3-4 trips: floor tiling, wall tiling, grouting and silicon. These trips and time all cost money, and due to the generally compact natures of bathrooms they can’t usually work around each other. Even the ceiling, which might be the only place that requires plaster and paint, still needs 3 trips from the plasterer and painter to ensure the job is done to the professional standard every quality bathroom deserves.
3) Liabilities
While not only being a rather dangerous place to work in, there are obviously alot of things that can go wrong in a bathroom. That’s why its important to use skilled, qualified, licensed professionals. In a simple bathroom renovation, there needs to be a PS3 from your waterproofer, a PS3 from your builder for linings, and also a PS3 from your plumber stating that he has installed everything to current plumbing codes. Further than that, while its not one we like to talk about, the toilets nowadays require a 100mm waste, which is 20mm bigger than the once required 80mm. That means at times your plumber will have to change your whole stack/line to ensure that your toilets specifications are being met. Once again these things all take time and money unfortunately :(
So what’s best to do?
Fortunately, all is not lost. Studies have found that bathrooms can have up to a 62% return on investment in a nice bathroom remodel. Shopping around, using trade discounts, looking for sales are all great ways to try save money on your bathroom remodel without diminishing on quality. Engaging a builder early, who can advise on layout and planning, as well as if a building consent is going to be required can potentially save $$$ and also improve the finished product. Also making sure that builder truly represents your best interests is another way to ensure you’re getting the best possible deal, as there are alot of moving parts and it’s easy to miss something.
In summary, do your research, do your planning, and make sure everyone you’re using has their appropriate qualifications, licenses and guarantees… (if they have an OWL on their shirt they definitely do ;-)) This will lead to a more cost efficient, better thought out, nicer bathroom renovation experience for you and your family to enjoy for years to come
Thanks for reading!!!