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New bathroom... what would you recommend, what do you wish you'd done?

121 replies

PermanentTemporary · 26/10/2023 19:43

On the brink of starting a major bathroom redo.

Would love to have an idea of (recent) costs - we will need to take out an old hot water tank and boiler, and remove the cupboard the tank was in. Hoping to reuse at least the basin...

OP posts:
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Youneedtobelower · 27/10/2023 08:56

Don't get rid of your bath unless you really never use it!

Youneedtobelower · 27/10/2023 08:57

or put a new one in, you can get rid of the old one but replace it. Nothing beats a hot bath when you're freezing

RockaLock · 27/10/2023 09:06

I wouldn't have a concealed shower valve again. They look great, but if something goes wrong with the valve, the other side of your wall could end up looking like this while your wait for a spare part and a plumber to arrive (current situation here...)

If something goes wrong with an exposed shower valve, at least any leak/drip will just be into your shower, not inside the wall and on the ceiling below!

New bathroom... what would you recommend, what do you wish you'd done?
Ffsebok · 27/10/2023 09:11

Get a loo with a decent flush. Mine is a bit weak and it takes a couple of flushes even for a wee.

Ensure you end up with good water pressure for the shower by whatever means possible. Mines just about ok but it could do with being stronger. I've got a (very noisy) pump but it doesn't quite still make the cut.

Elbo7 · 27/10/2023 09:19

Small things, we got toilet seats that are removable and it makes them so easy to clean. Also every pipe is boxed in,
again for easy cleaning. And a rimless loo which is... easier to clean Grin

The sink units are hung on the wall too so mopping is easier. I definitely had a theme when choosing things!

Aparecium · 27/10/2023 09:34

We don't have taps in our bath. I don't remember what it's called, but the knob to lift and lower the plug is also the the spout to fill the bath and it also conceals the overflow. It's on one side in the middle of the bath, not the end. The controls themselves are at one side on the end. This makes the bath very comfortable for bathing multiple kids in (we used to bath two or three dc at a time), and as a double-ended bath for two adults, not to mention being really luxurious for one wallower on their own! Nothing sticking out to poke you, easy access to the taps without being dripped upon. I love it.

The looped towel bar between basin and bath was also a good idea: the hand towel never ends up on the floor.

New bathroom... what would you recommend, what do you wish you'd done?
Stresa22 · 27/10/2023 09:36

We were able to install a ceiling window with remote control open/close mechanism. It’s made a huge difference because otherwise it would have had no ventilation. Also, heated towel rails.

SwedishEdith · 27/10/2023 09:39

Agree with a pp about not getting fixated on a bargain. Get the best you can afford (design and product) rather than cashing cheap offers. We did that (admittedly as part of an extension so was getting fed up of the costs) but we'll have to redo that room now. Lessons learned.

I've found towel rails do not give sufficient heat to warm and dry the room properly so I'd go for radiators and a towel ladder or something next.

Get the best ceiling extractor fan there is.

DBinHK · 27/10/2023 09:40

If you have flat taps water will sit on the top and you will be permanently wiping them.

I strongly agree about this one, though it might seem trivial.
My taps are good quality but flat and they really irritate me.

BigDahliaFan · 27/10/2023 09:46

Family bathroom

We had lots of insultation put in, and a Velux as it has a sloping roof. That turned what had been a very cold dark room into a really lovely room.

Also a proper radiator, there had just been a towel rail before, and some underfloor electric heating.

Wish we'd put in an independent towel rail or a radiator that could be turned on independently as a towel rail.

We got a shower over the bath as there's a walk in shower in the ensuite and I like a bath sometimes.

BigDahliaFan · 27/10/2023 09:48

Don't get glossy white tiles on the floor, you'll be forever cleaning them.....

motherstongue · 27/10/2023 10:18

I’m aware we’re not typical as we spent £20k on our en-suite 😳😳😳 but I love it and everything was thoroughly thought out before hand. Rainfall shower with switches outside so it’s ready to walk into. The glass shower panel is floor to ceiling so it looks invisible. Porcelain tiled walls and floor but with underfloor heating. Full wall size mirror above the sink and toilet area which has a de-mister installed behind it. The lighting has a switch each for mood lighting or overhead lighting with a separate switch for the de-humidifier/fan /de-mister so it always goes on separate from the lights. We have a hung wooden shelf for the sink with another hung wooded drawer underneath (but that’s the only storage and was a conscious choice). We only have a heated towel rail but it’s enough as we have the floor heating. Wall hung toilet (that’s high enough off the floor to get the hoover head under or the mop (learnt that mistake from our cloakroom loo).

i would suggest going to a really good bathroom supplier that does a design for you that you can see in 3d. You don’t need to go ahead with them (it will be expensive as we are testimony to 😂) but it can really help with ideas and understanding the practicalities and processes better.

MothershipG · 27/10/2023 10:20

MissyB1 · 27/10/2023 08:24

Has anyone got the wall panels instead of tiles, and would you recommend them? No leaking issues?

Yup, we got these, absolutely love them, they won't leak if properly fitted.

https://showerwall.co.uk/product/botanical/

We also have a square Omni tub (deep soaking tub) which I adore, when I win the lottery I will get a wooden one.
https://www.omnitub.co.uk/

A wooden hand basin that gives me pleasure every time I use it.

A heated towel rain and a radiator to maximise warmth.

A mirror that incorporates a wifi speaker.

Personally I hate tiled floors so we have LVT which I am very happy with.

Forgot to say as the room was stripped back to plaster we added extra wall insulation (it's an old house). And it cost over £10k.

Botanical Bathroom Wall Panels | Showerwall

This botanical-inspired print brings the outdoors into the home. The calming presence of leafy patterns conjure up a feeling of visual escapism and make your bathroom feel like the perfect retreat.

https://showerwall.co.uk/product/botanical

CutesyUserName · 27/10/2023 10:35

We've just moved and have two bathrooms to refurbish. We did these things in our last house that worked well and we'll definitely want this time around too. I don't like clutter on show, so:

Large drawer unit underneath the basin - we had two that held masses of stuff.

A basin that has plenty of room on the 'sides' (large overlap) to put bottles/stuff down whilst you're using them. They can then be stored away in the drawers below.

A big mirrored cabinet above the basin that can hold the most regularly used things such as toothbrushes, etc.

Make sure the cabinet has a built in de-mister for the mirror, and a shaver socket inside to charge up electric toothbrushes/shavers.

Shower wall panels. Definitely in the shower at least - no mouldy grout!!

Separate hand held shower attachment.

Shower controls that you can turn on before getting into the shower.

A removable (we added a little tag you could pull) bath panel for repairs.

Same for under the shower if you have to have a 'step up' shower.

If you can only have a heated towel rail, consider a bathroom fan heater above the bathroom door which can be turned on for 10 mins or so before a bath/shower to give the warmth in the room a boost in the coldest weather.

Good extraction.

Ability to open a window.

Storage in the shower for shampoo/shower gel. Hate seeing this stuff on the shower floor.

If you go for built-in shower storage (recess) make sure the 'fall' is sufficient to allow water to flow out and not pool up in the recess.

GasPanic · 27/10/2023 10:43

Sounds like you are replacing a system boiler with a combi boiler. I would not do this.

Gold standard for hot water is pressurized system, eg megaflow. Combi boiler may have a problem heating the water hot enough, there also may be a pressure issue plus if people turn on other taps in the house the water temperature can vary in the shower which is not great. Electric showers can rarely get both the temperature and flow rate for a decent shower.

For me you can have all the fancy pants trim you want, but if your shower doesn't deliver high pressure water at a constant and hot temperature then your bathroom is miserable.

As for reusing the sink, I would say the style of sink is one of the key things that makes bathrooms look dated. Mine is one of those wide, curved bowls on a pedestal, and it looks very 2000s. I like it, its in good shape and practical, but certainly looks dated compared with the modern rectangular sinks (I don't like these because they don't drain well and stuff like bits of toothpaste just stays on the bottom rather than being washed down the plughole with the water, a sink with a flat bottom is a silly idea) or some other designs.

GasPanic · 27/10/2023 10:45

CutesyUserName · 27/10/2023 10:35

We've just moved and have two bathrooms to refurbish. We did these things in our last house that worked well and we'll definitely want this time around too. I don't like clutter on show, so:

Large drawer unit underneath the basin - we had two that held masses of stuff.

A basin that has plenty of room on the 'sides' (large overlap) to put bottles/stuff down whilst you're using them. They can then be stored away in the drawers below.

A big mirrored cabinet above the basin that can hold the most regularly used things such as toothbrushes, etc.

Make sure the cabinet has a built in de-mister for the mirror, and a shaver socket inside to charge up electric toothbrushes/shavers.

Shower wall panels. Definitely in the shower at least - no mouldy grout!!

Separate hand held shower attachment.

Shower controls that you can turn on before getting into the shower.

A removable (we added a little tag you could pull) bath panel for repairs.

Same for under the shower if you have to have a 'step up' shower.

If you can only have a heated towel rail, consider a bathroom fan heater above the bathroom door which can be turned on for 10 mins or so before a bath/shower to give the warmth in the room a boost in the coldest weather.

Good extraction.

Ability to open a window.

Storage in the shower for shampoo/shower gel. Hate seeing this stuff on the shower floor.

If you go for built-in shower storage (recess) make sure the 'fall' is sufficient to allow water to flow out and not pool up in the recess.

Sorry, forgot - I agree with this post, powerful extraction. Decent lighting.

My bathroom does not have mirrors over the sinks either because the sinks are built against windows. Epic design fail.

CutesyUserName · 27/10/2023 11:08

Forgot to add (and can't edit my post for some reason) for me, a magnifying mirror. We had one of the extending types next to our bathroom cabinet mirror. The mirror lit up which lit the magnifying mirror. An absolute must for eyebrows and other things you'd rather not see magnified but have to! 🤓

Caspianberg · 27/10/2023 11:27

Oh we also have a plug inside out drawer under sink so we can charge toothbrush etc hidden and use hairdryer. But we aren’t in uk so it’s allowed. I think you can do this with tooth brush socket though still

KievLoverTwo · 27/10/2023 11:40

If I had my own place, I wouldn't install towel radiators at all. They are seldom good enough to heat most bathrooms, the ones we have in our rental look fancy but every towel ever slides off them (see pic), so I have to put velcro strips on them, and last winter I discovered each one (and we have three) was using more than our entire day's electricity consumption. They were using about 8-10kwh each, so we were spending about a tenner a day on bloody towel rails. If you are the sort of person who remembers to turn them off and then on an hour before using a bathroom, fine. But I don't think you will get enough heat out of them after an hour to warm most bathrooms.

I think they also run off water and heat up when the upstairs heating is on, which is useful WHEN you actually have the heating on, but otherwise they are just an attractive money pit, and you still have a cold bathroom when your thermostat thinks your other spaces are warm enough. As our house is so well insulated, the upstairs heating is off more than on. So we have cold bathrooms.

I dislike the wall mounted ones as there always seems to be something about the nooks in the rungs design that causes them to rust.

If you live in a high limescale area, be wary of dark colours. We have completely abandoned two showers because the limescale that builds up on the dark grey panels is intolerable.

Rainfall shower heads are great, but they also use an absolute ton of water. If we both use it briefly, it completely empties our tank of hot water. Oh, how I dream of immersion boilers.

You can get extractors that turn themselves off fifteen minutes after you turn the light off, we have them.

If you live in the countryside, make sure you get ones with in-built fly mesh.

I agree with a PP, rounded hardwear is easier to clean than squared.

I would resist getting a toilet or sink that actually touches the floor if I could. Cleaning the bottom of those is a pet hate. The toilet fixtures and their coverings always seem to rust, too. But if you chose a design that doesn't touch the floor, you have to bear access in mind in case a plumber needs to problem solve.

Don't forget to design space to put your shampoos, etc around the bath.

Staying the obvious here, but if you install a glass shower door, make sure there's a rubber stop on the bath panel to stop door handles slamming into it.

Before installing toilet roll holders, put a roll on one, get someone to hold it in place on the wall, and all sit on the loo and practice using it. Two of ours are just ever too slightly far away which leads to being difficult to tear the paper off without ending up with it unravelling, or contorting to make sure that doesn't happen. So now they don't get used.

If you have tall people in your family, get them to sit on the toilet before it is installed. My OH has to sit at weird angles on one where it's just too close to the wall AND a sink.

If your house is prone to movement, don't get floor tiles with grout. The grout will crack. Lino is more sensible.

Don't put a rolltop bath close to a wall, it's a menace cleaning behind them and access when they go wrong is hard.

Think about where your bath sits versus where your windows are. You don't want to have to stand in the bath to open a window.

Fancy dado rails with lots of grooves and decorative fancy skirting boards are all very nice to look at, as long as you don't have to clean them.

(most of my rental house seems to have been designed by someone who has never actually lived in a house before)

New bathroom... what would you recommend, what do you wish you'd done?
PermanentTemporary · 27/10/2023 11:46

This is wonderful stuff, thank you. Preparing a spreadsheet.

Controls OUTSIDE the shower?? Mind blown. Must have.

Get rid of the bath?? HAHAHAHA only when I'm dead.

OP posts:
TiredandLate · 27/10/2023 11:53

We spent 10k turning a bedroom into a bathroom so everything from scratch including new soil pipe etc. Textured floor tiles so not slippy, shower controls away from the shower head, underfloor heating, the biggest radiator you can fit, anti fog mirror.

Second bathroom cost 6k ish, similar fittings, no UFH.

We used Bathroom Mountain and Victorian Plumbing for both.

Reallybadidea · 27/10/2023 11:57

If you live in a hard water area then get a water softener. No more scrubbing limescale ever and you can get whatever fittings that you want

Newbathroom1 · 27/10/2023 11:58

One of ours done this year.

New bathroom... what would you recommend, what do you wish you'd done?
New bathroom... what would you recommend, what do you wish you'd done?
LostThestral · 27/10/2023 11:59

we installed a bum gun next to the toilet - toilet roll use has gone down a huge amount & makes cleaning the toilet so easy

KingsleyBorder · 27/10/2023 12:00

Reallybadidea · 27/10/2023 11:57

If you live in a hard water area then get a water softener. No more scrubbing limescale ever and you can get whatever fittings that you want

I second this. It is expensive but is so effective and a great investment to protect the whole house and save so much cleaning work.

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