How long do you expect things to last??

[justdoityourself]

Having debates with DH about our house at the moment. We did most things about 10-12 years ago, windows, kitchen, bathrooms, new sofas. It's got to the point where some things definitely need doing again but he's adamant we've "not long had it done!"

What would you say is a reasonable length of time for a bathroom to last? Our en suite is ten years old and looks really tatty (loo has a crack inside it, shower grout past the stage of being cleanable, shower keeps blocking!

We can afford to do it, he's just too tight to spend the money!

Hmm, this is a tricky one. I feel if something like a bathroom is done to a decent standard (fairly neutral, easy to keep clean and hygienic and is serviceable) then it should last around 20 years. Our bathroom in our last house (tented) was around that age and just starting to get to the point where it needed a freshen up style wise, but the toilet, shower, bath etc worked well and could have been used for many more years.

It doesn’t sound like whoever did your bathroom did a particularly great job though!

I did my bathrooms when I moved in 8 years ago. I can't see redoing them unless: it's broken (your loo), can't be cleaned (your grout), or fixed (your shower).
I repaint every four years or when it gets alot of marks/colour fade (it's amazing how white goes grey), furniture gets recovered if practical.

Yeah they must have been thorough for it to go that distance! We have had our new bathroom (new build) in for 2 years and the grout is already showing signs of break- down and is not cleanable in places. I always try to dry everything down after using the shower too. I think it's prob down to the grade of grout they use.

Windows (your standard double glazed pvc variety) should last a minimum of 15 years but can be stretched another ten or done with various treatments. With kitchen/bathroom it depends on the quality. If it’s a cheap hardware store job then I’d expect ten years. If it’s an expensive made to order with top notch materials type kitchen then I’d expect at least 20 but longer with regular maintenance (new paint on the cupboards, new grouting, new counter tops etc).

If my grandad put it in, 20-30 years. If my FIL did it, 2 years max. It’s all about the quality of workmanship.

Our double glazed windows are only 2 years old and have strange patches on the outside which don't clean off. I suspect they're already starting to fail. Everything on a new build is sub-standard

I’d expect decent quality, neutral stuff to last 20 years if need be although you might want to change it more often because of fashions etc.

It also sounds like your bathroom might do with just a re-fresh, eg new grout, new toilet etc.

@Evilmorty absolutely agree, if my grandad had made/installed anything then it could be guaranteed to last a lifetime in terms of functionality. Just a style update needed.

Our bathroom was done relatively cheaply about 4 years ago and I can't see us needing another for 10 years. It's a very classic set up but neutral so I can't see it needing a refresh for ages.

Our kitchen and bathrooms are 15 years old. Upstairs bathroom re-done entirely this year and downstairs bathroom and kitchen are next on the list.
They were 'mid range' quality and installed by relatives who are tradesmen, so lasted quite well, but e.g. the bathroom grout had become hideous and impervious to cleaning. The kitchen cabinets and kick-boards are all scruffy now. Due to general wear and tear plus we have re-jigged the layout a couple of times since original installation to accommodate an American style f/f etc
A re-paint of each room is done every 3-5 years (we don't have wallpaper anywhere) as required.

PS OP
My DH is tight and moaned about the cost of the bathroom refurb, but has to admit that now it's done, it's a million times better .

I must admit the en suite wasn't an expensive one (but not low end budget either) and the plumber definitely didn't do a great job. I made the mistake of assuming he was experienced because of his age but later found out he had changed career and was quite new to it. He made a couple of mistakes when he was fitting it.

Maybe I'll speak to someone about replacing the shower tray/drainage and get the tiles regrouted, plus a repaint and new loo!

The windows at the front need the double glazing units replaced. This house is like the bloody Forth bridge!

We have a leather sofa and chair that DH spent a fortune on before we were married. It must be 20 years old. However we hardly ever use it and all 4 of us squeeze on to a smaller (2 seater!) sofa we bought 2nd hand for £75 a few years ago.
I would investigate fixing up what you have rather than ripping out and starting again.
We had a flat before our current house and before selling we refreshed the kitchen and bathroom by regrouting, repainting, repainting and sealing the wood floor and changing the fittings from 1990s pine to chrome, in the bathroom, and repainting and changing the handles on the pine kitchen. A previous flatmate saw the flat and thought we'd put in a new bathroom.

Replace the toilet. Has the shower ever drained properly? If it has, then could be blocked with soap, hair etc in which case try something to shift it from the supermarket - might need a couple of goes if it’s bad. If it’s never drained properly get a plumber in to have a look and take it from there. Have you tried HG shower cleaner and the mould spray ( if it’s black looking) as they’re excellent. Don’t use them together! If you end up redoing, then go for mid-range white in keeping with your house.

Our en-suite was 15 years old when we replaced it, literally everything ripped out and re-done. It probably needed doing 2 or 3 years before that, we just didn't have the money, but it was badly designed in the first place. Our main bathroom and kitchen are both twenty years old, there's nothing wrong with them as such just they're not exactly fashionable, so we're not changing them anytime soon.