Can I have some advice please on my bathroom?

[NumTumDeDum]

I've finally received a decision on a PPI claim, which means for the first time ever, I can afford to employ a builder to do the work.

I need someone to move the loft hatch from the bathroom to the landing so there's enough room to install a loft ladder and then rip out the old bathroom, plaster, fit a new bathroom suite and tile.

But what do I need to know about hiring a builder? What questions should I be asking? How much roughly should I expect to pay? (Am in Hampshire) and what do I do about ordering the suite etc? I don't really know where to start - and last question, is it completely unrealistic to hope to get it done by christmas?

To answer your last question first...yes, completely unreasonable by Christmas! Although I may be projecting there

I've just had our bathroom re-done and had to buy all the stuff myself. Spend some time (ok a lot!) looking at what you want, I wanted a sturdy bath so went steel. I wanted my little bathroom to look bigger so went with wall hung basin etc. Figure out what you want the room to be.

I'm not sure about cost. I had been quoted £1500 to £6000. I went with the £1500 (for labour) as it was a friend of a friend. Oh how I wish I hadn't! A 2 week job just went on and bloody on. At 6 weeks I said right, sort it out and get moving. At 8 weeks I said forgot what's not done, we'll live with it.

Good luck OP! I have been put off doing anything further to our house for a looong time now

This time last year my bathroom fitter hadn't been booked and by Christmas I had a new bathroom. No loft hatch stuff though. And lucky the fitter had a gap.

I have a small bathroom and paid about £3000 all in - included re plastering. Ordered bathroom fittings off the Internet.

I'm in Hampshire and would recommend the guy who did it (Southampton side of the county)

Most of the population are on their uppers, up here in the north they would bite your arms off to earn the money before christmas and would probably skip christmas to fulfill

Thanks all. I am ridiculously nervous about this - I'm not likely to have this kind of money again so can't mess up getting it wrong. It's £3,000 so I'm thinking that might not cover all the work now. If they give you an estimate and you accept it, are they bound?

The quote for our bathroom is about £5500.
Sink, toilet, bath, power shower, false wall built, half tiled, all taps, accessories, new extractor fan and light fittings. All fitted by a reputable local company. But they're fully booked until Feb.

Anyone good is likely to be booked up. You could get a cheaper suit by sourcing online or waiting for the Xmas sales. I'd find a plumber rather than a builder- they have more experience and can outsource jobs I.e. Plastering if they can't do it.

If it's an estimate they aren't bound by it at all- things always seem to be more complicated/expensive than they are so build in a contingency.n

We spent £1,400 on the suite by sourcing on internet (splashed out on Aqualisa shower), £370 to have the bathroom fitted (including new radiator) and £100 to have bath/shower area tiled. I don't know why people need to shell out £1000s.

Was originally quoted £1,000 to have the bathroom fitted and shopped around.

And it took just three days, including tiling!

(NB this was just last month too - so current prices. People charge way too much for bathrooms. They're not that hard to fit. You don't need a fancy company, just source the suite yourself and get a plumber in.)

Oh wheres, 3 days!! I'm not sure I'm going to be able to look our fitter in the eye with out giving him daggers for a long time - he just bloody dragged and dragged. I work from home a lot and I also fell so far behind in my work because he kept interrupting me!

I'm glad it's done but I'd be happy to have no further work done inside for a very long time!

Work out what you need doing, list it all separately on a piece of paper and get quotes from individual trades rather than a builder

Plumbing from a plumber

Plastering from a plasterer or builder

Loft hatch move from builder

Pin them down separately to prices as then if one messes you around you aren't at the mercy of a builder in overall control

If you can source bathroom suite your self will probably be cheaper than getting it through builder or plumber

I've just been quoted £2000 to put in a walk in shower, we bought the shower online. (Victoria plumb) This will include building a false wall to house plumbing, an electrician (electric pump) taking out bath, sink, re-tileing floors and walls reinstalling sink.

I found a plumber who works with other tradesmen, he turned up to quote when he said he would, emailed me the quote within 2 days and has given me a rough date -end of November.

Of course it's not done yet

4k all in for a decent but not fancy complete bathroom including ripping out the old . Brother is a plumber/ bathroom fitter