New bathroom and plumbing - where to start?!

[sandpiperspring]

I need to get some quotes for some work but something this big is entirely new to me!

I'm feeling a bit daunted and would appreciate any help with thinking through what I actually need to get quotes for.

The three basic problems I need to address are:

1. The heating system is old and I suspect the entire thing needs replacing. (Boiler is old and not combi, water pressure is rubbish, radiators are ancient and rusting inside - two are totally broken, pipes are old fashioned and narrow, heating system settings never quite worked properly. Pipes "sing" loudly when hot runs).

1. DS and DP are too big for the bath. We need to install a shower. However DD doesn't like showers so I'd prefer not to lose the bath.

1. The bathroom is teeny tiny. Seriously the smallest bathroom I've ever seen I think!

We need to sort the heating system whatever we do, I think.

I'm trying to think through options...

I guess the simplest option would be to get a new boiler and upgrade the heating system, and then put a shower in the bathroom. Either convince DD that showers are great, or put in a decent shower over the bath.

However, worth considering that the toilet is separate from the bathroom and is next to it. Another option could be to knock down the wall between them, maybe they would give us a little more space to play with?

(There's also a toilet downstairs).

Then, if I could afford it (probably can't!) the ideal would be to move the bathroom into the small bedroom next to it, which is a nice size for a bathroom. Make the current bathroom into an office / box room. And convert the attic into a new bedroom.

And now I've started talking about attic conversions I'm feeling overwhelmed!

Where do I start?

Do I need to find a firm who can do all of it or specialists?

You just need a bathroom fitter. Knock the wall down between bathroom and toilet.

If you want to go into the loft in the future then think carefully about where stairs can realistically go.

Thanks :)

Yes, I'd like to go into the loft at some point.

Here's our first floor.

Could the bathroom fitter sort out the heating system too or would we need a plumber for that?

Our plumber/central heating engineer also fits bathrooms. Have a look on your local Facebook page for recommendations then get them round to quote.
You might struggle knocking your bathroom and toilet into one as they look like they are on different levels.
If you do move the bathroom the stairs to any new loft conversion can go where the old bathroom was.
I'd suggest prioritising a new boiler/heating system before you do anything else.

Yes they are on different levels. The ceiling in the toilet is really high though, it's level with the ceiling in the bathroom, so I assumed they could just raise the floor that end. That wouldn't be too hard, would it?

I'm wondering if we'll actually gain anything from knocking the wall through?

What I want is a bath, a shower and a toilet in that space but it's so tiny, I don't think knocking through is going to magically give us that space - is it?

Although, I'm open to ideas e.g. small bath / the obvious shower over bath.

It's maybe not obvious from the diagram, but he room really is tiny. We have a standard size P shaped path in there now, and on the wide bit, there's no room to stand between the bath and the radiator/ wall. On the narrow bit, there's just enough room for a bath mat - that's the entire floor pretty much!

It's literally a bath in a room and a sink, nothing more!

Like this:

Hmm... I suppose if we put the sink down the end near the toilet then that frees up the space on the right of the bath.

Although, I guess I could just get rid of the sink in there anyway, without going to the bother of knocking the walls through. (There is a sink in the loo).

I think i would knock the wall through and have a shower over the bath

As long as you get a bathroom fitting team who also has a heating enginer they can do both but it maybe worth getting quotes for the seperatly. If you’re going into the loft you will need a boiler which is the right size to include the extention and will need to consider if it needs to be relocated.

You can gain storage space and better circulation if you knock down that wall. You would fit a L-shaped bath with a nice shower on top and have a sink with a vanity with proper space. Consider storage mirror for extra storage.

You need a plumber / heating engineer. Try and find a long established independent organisation. My guy has been going for years and in that time, built up a team of reliable associated trades, he did a great job on our bathrooms.

This is all going to be very expensive. Get a few quotes as the costs might focus your mind on what's necessary and what's pipedream. (Eg moving the bathroom to the small bedroom = very expensive because you'd have to move all the plumbing & loo waste.)

Sounds like the boiler etc is a high priority and in the meantime you could have a shower put in over the bath. Then you have the basics whilst you save up for a bathroom renovation.

I was thinking we could maybe leave the toilet where it is, and just have the bath and shower in there. So we wouldn't have to move the soil pipe but the small bedroom is directly above the kitchen, and it has the old hot water tank in a cupboard and so I would hope relatively easy to plumb in?

I dunno, it's an option. Maybe.

Pipedream is a great word in this context!

Hopefully it's not too much of a pipdream though...