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Property/DIY

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Bathroom dilemma

10 replies

Fab41 · 28/04/2014 07:14

We moved into this house in January and have loved having an en suite for the first time. However, it has a lot of things that we don't like about it. It has wall to wall artex, which looks awful. It doesn't have a door, instead it has a badly fitted archway, lower than a normal doorway. There is also an arch built into a wall with a shelf under it.

To make matters worse, there was a leak under the bath and I managed to tear the lion when lifting it to let the floor dry. One of the bath taps doesn't work so we can't use the bath, and the shower was removed before we moved in, leaving two pipes sticking out of the wall.

God, it sounds horrible writing it all down! The suite itself is fine, and the tiles are only a year or so old, immaculate. We could replace taps on bath and basin, fit a shower valve, new floor and re plaster, oh, and fit a door. We reckon on about £1000 to do that.

Or, if you are still reading.... We went to bath store yesterday for ideas (wouldn't buy from there) and saw a lovely shower bath suite which would be about £1800 all in. Plus fitting. Plus plastering/doorway.

We could afford to do it, but had earmarked that money to pay down the mortgage. It feels extravagant to do the bathroom properly, but would it be worth it to have a fantastic room, instead of a functioning one?

The rest of the house is in need of a coat of paint at some stage, but the kitchen was already done, which would have been a higher priority. We are also planning a new boiler/upgrade heating and have earmarked money for that.

Has anyone fitted an amazing bathroom that they don't regret? Any advice on this first world problem welcome!

OP posts:
Fab41 · 28/04/2014 07:14

I tore the Lino, not the lion. That would be weird.

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jamaisjedors · 28/04/2014 08:21

It all depends on the sort of person you are.

Is it going to bug you every day that the bathroom is less than perfect, or is it going to keep you awake at night that you haven't paid the mortgage?

IMO - ripping the bathroom out when you have only just moved in is a little hasty, are you absolutely sure of how you want to use the space?

On the other hand, we tend to go to the opposite extreme - we have lived here for 10 years and are only now getting on and fixing the niggling things that annoy us about the house! Although we did re-do the kitchen 2 years ago and it makes me smile every day when I use it.

Fab41 · 28/04/2014 09:22

At the moment we cant use the bath, and we have mouldy floorboards drying out from the leak. The artex upsets my husband on a daily basis, and it was his idea to do the room properly rather than a quick fix.
Having written it out in my op, I am leaning towards doing it properly. Just a bit Shock at what it costs.

The mortgage has been there for a long time, it doesn't keep me awake at night and there is no other debt. we can make overpayments to it if I set up a standing order.

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Twitterqueen · 28/04/2014 09:31

Do it properly!

I have just spend half of my mother's inheritance on the family bathroom and downstairs loo. they look fantastic and I'm so pleased I got them done.

I think ensuites/bathrooms are really, really impt and since it's clearly going to niggle at you it will be worth the money.

PigletJohn · 28/04/2014 10:14

Mend the tap for a start.

Don't forget to have a powerful extractor fan, preferably fitted above the ceiling. With no door the wet air will make your bedroom damp.

AnneEyhtMeyer · 28/04/2014 10:24

Can you get quotes do both the basic job and the proper job?

We did this with our kitchen. Quoted a budget option and a what we really want option, then saw the price difference and based it on that.

Basically, is the price difference so great that getting the proper one would be tarnished by the cost, or is it not so great so that you would regret getting the budget one rather than the one you wanted?

A lot of cost in these things in installation, and that is roughly the same whether you go for the budget or the what you want option.

We went for the one we wanted option for the kitchen in the end, and every day I'm glad, because I hated my old kitchen, and didn't want to feel like I was waiting to get the kitchen done again for the next ten years.

MillyMollyMama · 28/04/2014 11:00

I think the state of this bathroom is spoiling your enjoyment of it. I would get it all replaced to your taste. Don't totally ignore Bathstore! Some of their products are very good! You use this room several times a day so if it has problems, they will continue to annoy you. It is bliss to have a lovely bathroom!

HauntedNoddyCar · 28/04/2014 11:32

I'd get it done. If you're going to spend the money then you might as well get maximum benefit out of it.

I would stay away from bathstore too after having a horrible time with them. We did our bathrooms with a mixture of stuff from plumb centre, screwfix and Bristan with Armstrong Rhino lino and tiles from Topps and they were lovely. I miss them!

BorisJohnsonsHairdresser · 28/04/2014 11:38

In your situation I would redo the bathroom properly. You could be causing all kinds of damage to the building which will cause you more in the long term.

Fab41 · 28/04/2014 14:22

Thank you all, I agree and will do it properly! I have been playing about with figures and have increased the budget to £3500 which should be fine. I am going to write a spec now so I can get quotes done.

There seems to be a few companies locally who could do our central heating and bathroom, so maybe I can negotiate a better price with them to do both.

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