removing hot water cylinder to get bigger shower - and putting new boiler in loft?

[Gardenista]

It's a 4 bed house, one bathroom downstairs (used only for guests as inconvenient location) , one family bathroom upstairs. Due to a leak the family bathroom upstairs needs ripping out, floors boards replaced and bathroom refitted. Bathroom is 3.6 m long, 1.7 m deep - and is 170 cm x 70 cm bath, then WC basin and corner shower cubicle - 80 cm wide, 70 cm deep. Insurance will cover the work to replace floor and refit bathroom., I am paying additional to fit modern bathroom suite and get the 80s tiling replaced.

Builder came round today so discuss and I asked about getting a combi boiler - the benefit would be allowing removal of the existing green hot water cylinder which is in an airing cupboard next to the shower, so I could get a bigger shower. I was thinking of a combi boiler in the existing 60 cm x 35 cm kitchen cupboard. he suggested putting the new combi boiler in the loft. This would require fitting a loft ladder, lighting, boarding part of the loft. It seems a lot of work but if I ever decide to do it, now would be the time.

We are planning to stay in the house long term - I'm a lone parent to a 5 year old and planning to stay here until she leaves home - so maybe 20 years so I'm happy to get a new bathroom., and the current (cheap) electric shower is adequate but isn't great. Is a combi boiler a sensible long term purchase? I bought the house 4 years ago and the existing boiler was put in to sell the house - vailaint eco tech 428 - it's ok, not the best.

It is expensive house - current value about £360k, in the midlands. I have 10 - 15k rainy day savings I could use for home improvements - but wonder if this is the best investment. I don't earn much and I have a big mortgage so am thinking this is an expensive project for not a huge gain. what do others think? I just want a clean, modern, functional family bathroom and am prepared to spend a few thousand to upgrade the existing. I probably will need a new boiler at some point - is now the time?

Any advice anyone could offer please?

I have a boiler in the loft and I'm thinking of relocating it to the kitchen.
Any problem means getting the ladder down and climbing up into the loft, not great first thing in the morning if the pressure is down or it needs resetting for some reason, or there is no bloody hot water.
Aargh. Had all these problems recently.

Have you though about keeping your existing boiler where it is and just moving the hot water cylinder into the loft. Your plumber could explain how it could be done and how much it would cost.

We have ours in the loft and it works well.

If there's only two of you a combo boiler might be ok.
But bear in mind it does everything, inside one tiny box. So it can't do lots of things at the same time well. E.g. running a bath,the washing up, washing your hands in the downstairs loo etc...
You'll also need to have decent water pressure for a combi boiler to work well.
The joy of a hot water cylinder is all that water is waiting there and hot. A combi boiler has to instantly hear all the water you use.
Agree with pp about moving the hot water cylinder to the loft.

Thank you all, moving the hot water cylinder to the loft sounds like an option then as that doesn't need servicing etc as a boiler does.

Strangely you have to go into the loft to re pressure the boiler - as it was installed by someone very lazy which is a massive problem as there isn't a loft ladder fitted, so I suppose I should sort this anyway.

I'm just concerned that this is all perhaps a waste of money to gain a slightly bigger shower when the existing 80 cm x 70 cm shower is actually fine, but as I am doing messy and expensive work now maybe it's time to sort out the plumbing at the same time?

Both showers are currently electric showers - not powerful but ok, the cheap ones - I'm wondering if I should just leave it all as it is and spend the minimum getting a functioning bathroom as this is my rainy day fund I'm spending

If it were me and in the financial situation you describe, I'd do no more than I have to to get things up and running again.

A rainy day fund is there to pull you out of a financial spot of bother. It's not for adding a slightly bigger shower. You're lucky to have such a fund, don't squander it on unnecessary stuff.

Thanks Tobyhouseman - that's what I am thinking - the rainy day fund is if I lose my job or something and spending it on building a luxurious bathroom isn't really within my budget. I am wondering if lighting and a loft ladder so I can get up and re pressurise the boiler myself which I need to do every year or 2 might be sensible to do though, as until now I've spent money calling someone out to do this

I'd say a loft ladder would be good to have - it's a safety thing really as climbing into a loft using a step ladder is risky.

Lighting can be done with battery powered lights from Amazon - cheap and you don't need to pay an electrician. And can be just as good.

We got rid of our cylinder and got a combi boiler. I love it. We have saved so much space and no longer have all the problems with the plumbing, the valves, the pressure...
We no longer have a cold water tank, so we have 6 x the space.

We have 2 shower rooms and a family bathroom.

agree with Toby. don't waste your money on unnecessaries.
can't you just purchase a good lightweight ladder to position as and when needed to loft hatch.
a step ladder is not the right item,rarely high enough and not reliably stable for stepping off into loft.
we have always used a long enough proper ladder.
kept in spare room.
save your money OP; anything can happen. you may need that money. esp with a nipper. good luck.

I had a tank in my bathroom (I live in a 3 bed semi) but when I had my bathroom done I replaced the boiler with a combi boiler and got rid of the tank. I used the space in the bathroom for a shower.
I did consider putting it in the loft but when I researched (mainly by reading old threads on mumsnet!) I decided against it for some of the reasons mentioned up thread. I put it downstairs in the end. Pleased I did. It’s easily accessible in the event of an issue.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I don’t have the quote yet but I think I am much better off spending the minimum to get the bathroom up and running and save the money for things I may actually need as I have a 35 year old flat roof I was warned about in the survey. I think this sort of work is a luxury I can’t afford.

If you wanted to post a floorplan of your bathroom we could make suggestions on how to max out the space? There might be an easier way than moving the cylinder, which does seem a bit drastic.

Current hideous dated bathroom

Attempted scale plan of what to replace it with.
Bath same place, shower same place but bifold door folding inwards. Shower panels instead of tiles.
WC in same place but cistern in a cupboard, then 30 cm set of 4 drawers, then a basin with vanity beneath.
Opposite loo - 2 laundry cupboards which are 35cm wide, 30 cm deep and 76cm high, then another 30 cm wide, 30 cm deep and 76 cm high drawer unit. Remove the existing towel rail and put a new towel rail between the last drawers and the door (so opposite basin) as it’s mostly the shower that is used

WHats your proposed new layout if you keep the tank there?
It looks big and lots of space between loo and basin.
If you move basin along could you fit in a bigger shower unit?
One with inward opening doors.

WOrth getting a local bathroom supplier or two to do some plans/3D drawings?

Essentially this sort of thing
www.plumbworld.co.uk/essence-white-gloss-d-shaped-toilet-basin-vanity-unit-4-drawer-unit-and-laundry-unit-18653-1260547

Marble effect wall panels inside shower cubicle, frameless bifold 800 cm door, marble effect porcelain tiles on the walls that need it - so row of tiles above the bath, and then behind the WC, drawers/ Basin run of units. Remove the resisting tiles which have already been badly painted. Re skim walls and Paint the rest with dulux timeless bathroom paint , white towel rail. White gloss bath panel. Chrome Bristan taps,

Any tiling is not to ceiling.
Opposite the WC where the laundry units (one for darks, one for whites) and drawers opposite basin are, then towel rail. Put laminate worktop on top of all exposed cupboards and paint walls with bathroom paint.

It might be a bit tight with all the base units but it would help keep the surfaces clear, and I prefer drawers as I loose things in cupboards. No bathroom wall cabinets as they are so expensive and close the space in. It’s actually a pretty big bathroom - especially as this is a 3 bed 1970 semi. The 4th bedroom and bathroom are a downstairs extension so it’s a pretty modest house on a modest street of 3 bed semi’s/ 2.5 bed terraces so it’s already 40% bigger downstairs and by far the most expensive house on the street so I don’t want to sink any more money into it as I won’t get back when I sell. We are in a good area for schools and nearby period houses are much more expensive

Looks like a good plan. I was going to suggest having the loo and basin built in. I did see some really nice examples the other day (am planning a revamp of my own), will see if I can find them.
I like the storage ideas. Good use of space.

victoriaplum.com/product/reeves-wharfe-white-straight-small-drawer-fitted-furniture-pack-with-white-worktop

www.howdens.com/bathrooms/fitted-bathrooms

And more options on here with some reviews too
victoriaplum.com/browse/reeves-fitted-furniture-and-worktops

@trickyex
Bath, space to tuck bin and loo brush out of sight (20cm), eco, drawers, basin

WHere is the loo brush going? They are ugly things!!

I’m planning to stop the units at the WC, then there is a gap between that and the bath so the loo brush can go there, out of sight.