What do I need to know before putting in an ensuite?

[alwjanB]

We're having an ensuite put into our main bedroom. We've had quotes from £3,500 to £8,500. We feel a bit out of our depth, not even sure how to pick a toilet - why is there such a large price range?

Any hints and tips if you've done this before?

We have done several.
Make sure there is enough space and don’t have a small shower.
What do the quotes cover? Just labour or labour and everything else?
Is there water and waste handy?
Choose quality fittings and taps. Good makes are always on sale. We like Duravit. Hansgrohe taps. Rak are ok but cheaper.
Avoid anything ultra glitzy and fashionable.
Decide what needs to be tiled.
Buy KBB magazine for ideas. I think you can get back issues. Well worth it for ideas.
Consider lighting, heated radiator, shower tray and glass surround, sink size and storage and towel storage. We also have a tall cupboard for stuff storage!
Don’t buy cheap taps. “Tank” around shower tray to minimise leaks.
Consider under floor heating - luxurious.

Can you see why the quotes differ with a closer look? Is more included in one than the other?

Are those prices just for labour or including the fittings?

The fittings can vary substantially. Actually fitting it all and doing the work should be fairly similar whichever workmen you use and although there will always be some variation, that’s a lot.

If it involves putting in plumbing etc I’d assume the £3.5k quote is just for the work. £8.5k for just the work seems a lot unless there are drastic plumbing and building aspects.but that would be the same for the other workman too.

Ask for a breakdown of what the quotes include. Is it possible there could be other costs for the £3.5k one.

The smaller the en-suite, the more carefully you have to choose fittings and think about how it all holds together. What are your room dimensions?

If you’re getting a bath, try not to buy until you’ve sat in it as the shape and comfort for you personally varies and it’s hard to tell from online or catalogue pics.

If it’s a shower room, consider if you have a cubicle with doors fully enclosed (quadrant or square/rectangle) or a walk-in with no door.
Check the door opening...often opens into bedroom to give more space and ensure any rainout or towel rail won’t be where your bare bum might touch it when getting out of shower.

Consider storage for spare loo rolls, cleaning products and the odd towel. Do you want an inbuilt niche in the shower for containing products you use or will you have one of those metal rack things?

Will all the pipe work be chased into the wall or will there some which is on view or boxed in?

Often people need a small basin in an en-suite but don’t go too small or the water will splash crazily when you put the tap on.

Key thing is to be clear what your quotes include and don’t include and to see a breakdown.

Oh and I’m assuming someone has actually been to your house to look at where the soil pipe etc is...that these quotes aren’t just a bathroom company who has never seen your specific plumbing?

Often it’s the plumbing issues that make some en-suite expensive. But assuming both quotes have been based on the same spec and seeing the same things, it’s hard to know why there’s such a variation unless it is for very different quality products it includes.

More info needed.

I have a 1200 long basin in my en suite. They are not all tiny. I hate tiny basins. You will use it every day, several times a day so it needs to be 600 mm wide really.

Also consider wall hung or free standing. Walk hung looks modern. We only have one free standing basin now (with a pedestal). It’s a rather old rectangular chunky retro one! Otherwise our 4 other bathrooms and two cloakrooms are all wall hung. They have never gone wrong snd are way easier to clean - under the loo in particular.

Again check out designs in magazines.

Thank you for the advice so far. Some more info in case it makes a difference.

It's going to be a very small ensuite, just room for a shower/toilet/sink. Will probably be the width of the shower and that will completely take up one end.

The 8.5k quote is from a plumbing company who have recently started doing new bathrooms as well. We have used them before for plumbing work, they seem to be more expensive but have always done really good work previously. I think (although I'll have to double check) their quote included everything.

The 3.5k is from an interior/joiners company and we haven't had work done by them before but have seen examples of their work and it is excellent. Their quote doesn't include fixtures and fittings, so I think it's mainly labour costs.

The ensuite will share a wall with the main bathroom so hopefully the plumbing aspect isn't too tricky. Especially as we aren't bothered about them needing to take things up in the main bathroom like the floor as we plan to have that redone soon in the near future as well.

Both companies have been out to see the room.

Okay, so one includes fixtures and the other doesn’t. That will explain a chunk of the difference.

For a small en-suite as you describe, I’d have thought the fixtures from a medium range, might cost £2-3k. You could get them for a lot less. It depends on things like the quality of shower being included (or not included) and if there are additional charges for piping etc. Tiles vary significantly in price.

Until you have like for like quotes, it is hard to compare.

The cost of labour for tiling, for example, can often be far more than the cost of the tiles.

I would start looking at all the costs not included in the cheaper quote. It seems odd to quote over £8000 without knowing what you want in terms of quality regarding the shower, loo, sink and taps etc. Taps can vary wildly in price. On the face of it, the cheaper quote looks better value though.

ventilation. you need a strong and quiet ventilator or you will end up growing mushrooms on the bathroom and possibly bedroom wall.

Before you do anything ask yourself if you really want an en-suite. We are about to get rid of ours!

We moved into our house nearly a year ago and never use it! It is small, with no window, with a shower, toilet and tiny basin. It sometimes smells and I hate peeing next to where my husband sleeps.

We are going to turn it into a corridor (to gain a wall in our bedroom to add storage). We do have another toilet downstairs and a main bathroom, so we don’t need it.

Underfloor heating, wall hung toilet and under basin storage make the room look bigger and easier to clean. Heating behind the mirror keeps it clear from steam. Ladder radiator to dry towels on and a single basin lever tap will keep it looking streamlined. Also wall and floor tiles in a single colour and large rather than tiny will all help it look spacious. As for not bothering all our bedrooms have en suites so never a queue for bathrooms.

We have two guest bedrooms that share the main bathroom, other than that, en suites to three other bedrooms and in our flat above the garage too. Just makes it feel its your space and not shared. DD's had the non en suite bedrooms when they were little as they had a bath andnot showers. En suites came into their own in the "want a quick shower" years.

Anyone with a small sink in an en suite is missing the point. It is not a cloakroom. Ditto with a tiny shower. It sould be a haven and hopefully a bit luxurious. I completely concur with @bouncydog.

Wall hung toilet, wall hung sink with storage underneath - we've got a long walk in shower which is digital so you switch it on by the door and don't have to get in it till the green light starts flashing. I was sceptical but I really like it.

We were supposed to get a tiled alcove in the shower but there was a miscommunication - get one - it would be really useful.

Think about storage. Get a really good quiet fan - specify exactly what you want it to do and say you are willing to pay for it.

Ask them where the switches are going to go for fan etc, ours are rather annoyingly in the middle of a wall where I'd rather hang a mirror and I can't now.

Storage - just reinforcing that.

We've got a long thin towel rail that is right by the shower so you have to be a bit careful getting in.

Undefloor heating is nice. We got wood like plank tiles which are really nice and don't show much dirt. unlike the shiny white tiles in the family bathroom which show everything!

This thread is so useful.
We have a rubbish extractor fan in our en suite. Utterly pointless
Any recommendations for a decent powerful but quiet one.

No particular recommendations for quiet powerful extractors but look at reviews. We have anew one in an en suite in our holiday house but, as I am not there, I cannot check the brand. Its poweful and quiet though. If you have a window, make sure you can open it!

As previous posters have said, ventilation, ventilation, ventilation.

And possibly soundproof lining.

Personally, I don't like ensuites unless they are spacious and have a window to let out damp and let in fresh air. Otherwise, they can so easily be damp and mouldy and smelly.

Just to echo the point about a ventilator. Make sure it is sized properly, and you probably want one that draws continuously (this should be pretty quiet if it is properly sized), and not just one that comes on very loudly for 10 minutes when the light is on, but turns off before all the moisture is gone eg from wet cubicle, towels etc. Sizing is important because undersized is more likely to be noisy to give you the same air flow, iyswim.

The risk otherwise is moisture (water vapour) getting into your bedroom carpet, matress etc which is unhealthy, plus condensation on windows, etc.

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to help with this. We definitely do need it, we only have one bathroom with a family of four (two toddlers, but we are already starting to struggle with just one toilet and one is still in nappies.)

I will definitely look into getting a good extractor, very happy to pay more to make sure these sort of things are correct and I don't want mould!

I will think about storage carefully and the shower shelf is an excellent idea I hadn't considered.

F