How to keep the cost of a new bathroom down?

[Sorbustree123]

Preliminary quotes were around £4K but now, nearly a year later, they're coming in around £6-8K. I appreciate this is in part due to the cost of materials. Any tips on how to make savings and keep the costs down? Thanks!

Using something like selkie boards saves on tiling costs. Go to a supplier like MKM for everything.

Where in the country are you based? I have just paid 4.5K in London

Keeping same (plumbing/electrics) layout & using boards or big tiles would be the main things

Also really shopping around for everything

Also being selective where you tile and only tiling walls that will actually have water splashing on them.

Thank you for all your suggestions.

@DespairingHomeowner did the £4.5K include removing your existing bathroom? I'm in Hertfordshire, but I would have thought London would be the most expensive area in the country. Would you recommend the person who did the work for you?

Remove the existing suite and tiles yourself if you can. It’s hard, dirty work but not difficult if you have or can borrow/hire an SDS drill to chisel the tiles off. We saved about £1,500 doing it.

Also, buy your fittings and tiles etc and have them fitted by a local independent bathroom fitter rather than going with the supplier’s fitter, which is generally expensive.

Yes, I will PM you

I did not remove my old bathroom - builders did it (in a few hours). I did not take tiles off either but if you can it would probably save some cash - it would probably have knocked some off . My job took 12 days and was about 400/day in labour (1 labourer + about 1/3 of the boss' time - depending on what they were doing)

As pp mentioned :
1)remove existing tiles, suite yourself
2) keep layout the same or very similar
3)source tiles, suite yourself from cheap online stores
4)project plan and manage yourself. it goes like this: removal of stuff(DIY) fitting initial plumbing (call a plumber), electrics (call electrician), plaster for any holes electrician left (DIY if possible), tiler, connecting suite (call plumber or diy if you can)

@DespairingHomeowner please could you DM me with the fitter you used, too. We'll be replacing our bathroom next year - yippee!

Sure - btw this did NOT include the suite or anything, just labour