Everyone wants a luxury bathroom. If you are looking to update yours and are seeking out some inspiration you have come to the right place. So, bathrooms – things to consider before you buy.
There are a whole host of factors that you need to take into consideration when undertaking a spot of remodelling. And the more work you are planning the more these factors come into play.
The reason for your project will be a prime consideration.
Are you looking to install products that make your life easier? You could be looking to upgrade the quality of the items in your bathroom. Components could be damaged or worn out and need to be replaced. Or it could be that you just want a change and to freshen up your bathroom and bring it bang up-to-date.
Whatever the reason we have plenty of ideas, information, links and recommendations to help you achieve the bathroom of your dreams.
Looking to Make Your Life Easier?
If you are looking to make your life easier then there are products you might want to consider that can do just that.
Again, the reason for your changes will play a part.
You might be looking to the longer term and thinking about your future mobility. Many people, when planning ahead, consider removing their bath and installing a shower cubicle in its place. Showers are a lot easier to get in and out of if you have mobility issues – something that affects a lot of people as they get older. If so you might want to look at our article on the pros and cons of choosing between a shower and a bath.
You might want to install products that are easier to use or require less (or zero) maintenance.
For example: quarter turn taps. These are much easier to use than the old style taps with rubber valves that require a lot of turning to open and close the flow of water. Luckily these are much less common now but there are plenty of home around the country where they are still in use.
Tiles can cause long term problems if the grout starts to develop mould. So there are now bathroom panels that can replace tiles, doing away with grout altogether. They are available with a tile effect so you can keep the look of tiles but with none of the drawbacks. They also have the advantage of being very easy to install. And they can even be fitted over your existing tiles. You could even consider fitting them yourself to save money in your budget.
There are PVC ceiling panels available that, once fitted, will never need painting. Just another example of a product that can make your life easier.
“I Just Want A New Bathroom Suite…”
If you have finally realised that your avocado coloured suite is in need of replacing then there a few things you need to keep in mind.
Removing an old suite and replacing it with a more modern design is not always feasible without also redecorating at the same time.
The items that you remove, such as a bath, toilet or basin, will not be exactly the same shape and size as those they replace, As a consequence, there will be visible damage to the tiles or decoration in the room.
Even if they are the same size and the shape the removal process itself can result in damage. A bath, for example, may be fitted with wall brackets that are fitted above the rim, underneath the tiles. Flooring also needs to be considered as things will not be going back exactly where they were
So you need to be thinking about a complete revamp if you are looking to change your bathroom suite.
Choose Your Style
Although there are many individual designs, bathrooms fall into two main styles:
- Contemporary Design Suites
- Traditional or Period Design
Once you know which of these two routes you are going down then you can start to slot a few more decisions into place as there are then many other questions you need to consider.
The main one will be if you are going to buy and “off the shelf” bathroom suite or mix and match your own components to achieve a bathroom that is perfectly suited to you. There are advantages to both approaches.
An off the shelf suite will usually be the cheapest option for example. A mix and match approach will ensure you end up with components that exactly fit your requirements.
Are you going to have a basin and pedestal or will you opt for a vanity unit? You could go a step further and choose a complete range of built-in bathroom furniture which will provide extra storage and cover up components such as the toilet cistern.
Give some thought to all of these issues and see which products fit the bill.
Establish The Budget For Your Bathroom Makeover
Your budget will have the biggest affect on what you can or can’t include in your makeover.
Complete bathroom suites will usually give you the best deal if you are looking to upgrade your room but maybe you could re-use one or two components to keep the costs down. If you have a bath that is in perfect condition you could just buy a new basin and toilet and maybe freshen up the bath with new taps to match the basin.
Good at DIY? Then you might want to think about undertaking the installation work yourself. If the replacement components are going back where the originals were sited then the plumbing work will be minimal. The more work you can do yourself the more money you will have to spend on the bathroom components.
Try and think of absolutely everything before you make a start. It’s amazing how costs can mount up. You might fancy a gorgeous contemporary suite from a designer brand but don’t forget that the redecoration and installation costs will probably cost more than the suite.
In Conclusion…
In order to be able to move forward and make a start on transforming your bathroom into an oasis of calm you will need to make some decisions.
So the things to consider before you buy a bathroom are:
- Decide on your suite style
- Decide on the components
- Factor in re-decorating
- Decide on who is going to do the work
- Establish a budget and stick to it
Once all these are in place you will be ready to start shopping!