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Original poster

Quote for new bathroom - £6,300 - too expensive?

26 replies

Twitterqueen · 26/12/2013 09:36

Hi all
I'm planning a new bathroom and have been quoted £6,319 from Homebase. This is with the current offer of 20% off plus a further 10%. The fitting is coming in at 4,700, products at £1,600 (fitting isn't discounted).

The bathroom is a bog (ha ha) standard 2m x 3m. I'm having a new bath, loo and sink in exactly the same place as the current ones sit. New tiling, flooring, heated towel rail, small mirrored cabinet and extractor fan.

This seems like an awful lot to me. I'd be grateful for any comments or advice here. (Single woman who has never had a new bathroom before.)

I'm going to get additional quotes from builders over the next week but I went to Homebase because I thought their prices would be reasonable. Now I'm not so sure....

OP posts:
UsedToBeNDP · 26/12/2013 09:38

Sounds extortionate to me too

CurlyhairedAssassin · 26/12/2013 09:40

Products sound fine. The fitting is waaaaaay too much. Get a builder to do it instead .

LIZS · 26/12/2013 09:40

If you already have the plumbing it sounds like an awful lot.

BornOfFrustration · 26/12/2013 09:46

It's cheaper with an independent bathroom fitter, we just paid about £3000 and another 1k for all the suite and tiles.

Netguru · 26/12/2013 09:48

We are currently renovating a nine bedroom, 5 bedroom house so I have a pretty good idea of times and prices. (South west - not London prices)

My builder would take a week to do a bathroom when plumbing was in same place unless you are asking for a replica of the Sistine chapel on the ceiling. On that basis, they are charging almost £1,000 a day.

I'd allow £1200 - £1500 for fitting that room. I'd achieve it for less but have a good relationship with a long term builder who charges day rate.

Original poster
Twitterqueen · 26/12/2013 09:49

Thanks folks.
Seems like my gut feeling is right..

OP posts:
Thesunrising · 26/12/2013 09:50

The installation price does seem high. We recently had Wickes do our bathroom - a 2.5 x2.5 space, fitting a standard suite and heated towel rail, moving the position of the toilet. The kit cost c£1600 (not including tiles which we got elsewhere) and £3k for the installation. Installation costs included the basic fit, moving the toilet, tiling the floor and one wall, installing a wall hung basin unit and heated towel rail. Didn't include the mirror or extractor fan.

BornOfFrustration · 26/12/2013 09:50

Forgot to say, ours was stripped back to brick and took 2 weeks.

myron · 26/12/2013 12:24

Tiling - labour only £25 per Sqm is a standard rate outside London.
Electrician - l have paid £125 per day day recently for labour only. I paid vat on top of that. These are for reliable and competent tradesmen whom I have used on many occasions

myron · 26/12/2013 12:31

Plumber is the most expensive labour rate - easily £150 - £200 per day. Word of mouth recommendation is the way to go otherwise ask for some names at your local plumbers' merchants

Mrsladybirdface · 26/12/2013 13:05

we've just had our bathroom done £1900 including:

electrics rewire new light and extractor fan (super powerful one)
plastering
removing of all pipes and hiding under floors/fake walls
tiling half the bathroom
New and moved soil stack
entire bathroom moved round and fitted
flooring laid
shower fitted.

so yes your price is expensiveGrin

we ordered from better bathrooms highly recommend the quality for price x

Mrsladybirdface · 26/12/2013 13:06

apologies for the x forgot where I was Grin

MooncupGoddess · 26/12/2013 13:09

I just had mine done (similar job) for £4500 all in. The walls needed replastering which added £500 to the orginal quote. So yes, it sounds excessive.

mousmous · 26/12/2013 13:10

where are you?
haven't costed up our bathroom, but it needed stripping back, insulating, plasterboarding, tiling, the works and took 2 weeks. labour for our plumber/fitter was 200 a day (12 hour days though) and materials etc were another 3k (aquapaneling, tiles are expensive).

specialsubject · 26/12/2013 13:13

we've just done all that ourselves in a similar sized bathroom. Bits were about £700 but we have a lot of plumbers merchants round here so they compete. Got good deals including all the bits (taps, waste) which can really add up.

timewise it took about 2 person-weeks, including some carpentry, work in the attic and putting shower panels over old tiles. A professional would probably be faster.

peggyundercrackers · 26/12/2013 22:06

as others have said it sounds expensive, chap who done our tiling said he fitted complete bathrooms for £4500 all in incl. all fittings, tiles/tiling, roof, painting and electrics if needed.

Jenijena · 26/12/2013 22:07

I've just spent 3.5k on new everything apart from shower (head, over bath) through a local independent... With cheaper bits and tiles I think we could have brought it in at less than £3k

DIddled · 26/12/2013 22:34

Have a look at Clifton trade bathrooms- we got them to price match B and Q and the quality is very good, china has a lifetime guarantee. I bought a Tavistock shower and tap from Costco for £300. They match.Tiles £50 Psm bought and fitted.

Original poster
Twitterqueen · 26/12/2013 23:42

Really helpful feedback thanks.
I'm in Berkshire.

clearly I can save money here - I need to do my homework!

MrsLadyBirdFace thanks for x! I don't get many of those these days Wink

OP posts:
LessMissAbs · 27/12/2013 00:17

Yes, its expensive but you are paying for the convenience of not having to think about it or engage your own individual contractors.

DH and I recently did a new bathroom ourselves for about £800, including purchase of new toilet, sink, tiles, lighting, mirror, towel rail (unheated) shower enclosure, tray and shower and laminate floor tiles. DH is quite good at tiling and plumbing isn't that hard as it just basic logic. We could have done a really luxurious one for £1300 - £2000.

We bought the toilet in Homebase reduced for £10! Usually though its cheaper to resource fittings on the internet.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 27/12/2013 19:13

Twitter: the way we did ours was we went to an independent bathroom place and chose the bathroom products then asked them if they did fitting too. They said they used to but no longer offered that service officially for various reasons but they still keot business cards of fitters they trusted who they used to use, and it was entirely up to us if we wanted to take any cards with us. We did, rang a couple, and one of them could start when we wanted them to. He came round, had a chat with us, gave us a written quote, and we chose him to do the job.

You need to get one bloke if you want the convenience, but cheaper than what you have been quoted. You need to get recommendations for independent bathroom fitters from somewhere.

YOUCANBEMYFRIENDIFYOUBUYMECAKE · 28/12/2013 17:35

wow that is more than we payed a few years ago, but he did not finish the job properly so you will get what you pay for!! is that the only quote you have had, get a couple more as I regret employing the first person who said they could do ours oh and don't get anyone you know/friends either as that makes it hard if they don't do a very good job.

bumbumsmummy · 28/12/2013 18:02

Where do you live because I know an amazing plumber who could do that at half the price he's just done our old house and new house and the job is flawless

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 28/12/2013 18:04

My dp has just fitted a bathroom - INCLUDING taking out a ceiling, fitting velux window andcreplatering walls for 4k no wonder the clients were happy !

Original poster
Twitterqueen · 30/12/2013 09:48

Thanks all - I'm in West Berkshire, UK if anyone has any recommendations!

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