£500 on a new bathroom - Bargain! BUT would you spend it if you did not ^have^ to?

[pavlovthecat]

Here is my dilemma.

My bath got damaged in a small fire, along with a few other things (wall, ceiling, window sill, curtain pole). The damage is minimal but ugly.

The Insurance co have authorised full repair on all damaged parts, which includes a new bath, but not the rest of the suite, full redecoration (not tiles), new extractor fan.

They have, however offered to pay 50% of the rest of a new suite, as the contractors cannot find an exact match suite. As it is cheaper to change the style completely, rather than go for like for like (which we don't like much anyway) the taps wont match so they have also agreed 50% towards the cost of new taps/shower taps if we got for cheaper option.

So, my options are:

1. Just replace the bath, plain white classic style, it wont be an exact match as we have this scalloping around the bath, sink and toilet. But will a sort of like for like, and although not perfect, will do. This will cost £100 excess, which we will pay whatever as we are having other work done too. But, will mean no new taps, as it wont be necessary to replace them under the insurance claim. Our taps are crap, and we were going to replace them at some point in the future, so this would be around £200. So lets say £100 now, and £300 total within the next year.

1. Buy a new suite, which will include taps. We have looked everywhere and the the total price for what we want will be £500, which will include the sink, the toilet, the taps, labour and excess (bath and labour paid for by insurance).

We were not planning on doing our bathroom any time soon, in fact we had sorted out the sealing on the old bath before it got damaged and were about to paint the walls anyway, and we are getting the walls done for us now. So one part of me thinks just get bath.

But we are not overly keen on our bathroom and if we were going to get a new suite, it would cost us in excess of £1000 to buy ourselves including fitting. One part of me thinks just get the new suite, our bathroom would look fab.

We do have the cash to pay for this, as in not credit, but we are doing other work on the house and this would buy us new carpets, or a bit of minor building work done that needs doing in the front room, Or pay our mortgage for a month.

What would you do?

tbh if it's going to be a new suite and they are going to pay half the extra's, prob go for it now, and know that it's what i want for less than you expected iyswim?

On the other hand it depends how important the bath is to you. If just the new bath doesn't look out of place at ALL, then you'd be saving money for now.

Pirate - it is really hard to know how out of place it would look with just the bath tbh. The scalloping around the sink and the toilet is quite prominent, and so is around the bath itself. I am thinking it would look stupid, and that is why the insurance co agreed to 50%, but I am thinking that once it is in it would notice at all. BUT then if it is put in and it does notice, it will be too late.

The style of suite now is a very classic style, like a dorchester or that kind, but with this scalloping, so we were thinking that a classic design would probably match, but not 100% sure.

Thanks for your input, think that might be where we are leaning towards.

OK, I think we are going for the lot.

Go for the lot. It sounds the most sensible option, even if more costly. In the long run, you have a fab bathroom NOW, and you know you wont regret it. The worst would be to save the money, and look at the bathroom and think "we really should have a matching suite" and then go on to redo your bathroom at your own cost.

Fanny - I think that is what we are thinking. It just seems like a lot of money, given we were not going to buy a new bathroom. But, like you say, it will be a fab bathroom.

I never realised how much taps where though

what do you think of this then?
Nice and simple.

Thats lush. I like it. A very clean and fresh look.

I have just done my bathroom, and the taps were horrendously expensive. The builder showed me a whole range of taps to chose from, and I was shocked to see the price, went for the most reasonable yet minimalist mixer tap we could find. You really dont wont to blow your budget on taps....

I think I would take the opportunity to replace the whole suite, especially if I was not overkeen on the current one.

Bathrooms are one area which 'sells' a house (in the event that you were going to sell of course...) - so may be a worthwhile investment and add value to your house.

MrsBean - funnily enough part of the reason insurers agreed the additional costs was due to us having a 'for sale' sign outside! In reality we just cannot sell, so it will be nice to have a 'done' room. The contractor is happy to replace an old curtain pole with blinds, as it wont cost too much more to get a blind, and he said is the same time to fit, so we are getting blinds too! We never got around to putting them up as our window is awkward and long...

OK, now I have some people persuading me, I am getting excited!

Now...taps...keeping it simple...still a fortune!!!

So. Next question. What colour - white (our tiles are white, with dark red edging (yuck imo, shame they are not being replaced either! or soft cream (walls will be soft cream to take the edge off the starkness of white tiles), blinds will be seagrass and wicker.

ok, did not sound right about the tiles...

they go half way up the walls around half the bathroom, and the top of it before the painted wall...that is edged in dark red. Not each tile!

Oh and we have a cream ikea cabinet...

I quite like the idea of cream...cream suite, white tiles?

The cream may look dirty or stained against the white.

I would not mix white and cream.

Could you go for cappucino rather than cream? That mixes with red and white.

i wouldn't make the suite match the cabinet!! you won't even notice. stick with white. That one you linked too looks exactly like mine!!! classic, modern and fresh.

OK, already ordered white. PHEW! I think I was more worried about white making my tiles look dirty! But I have a grouting pen to finish off when it is all done!

And I ordered a slightly different bath. I called the company first to make sure it would match, got a European depth bath, seeing as its a similar price to the other one and I am not paying for it so don't need to save money on it! (it also has an integral headrest!!!).

I ordered these basin taps and this shower/bath filler

I am now excited and nervous. I hope it looks good.

How long do you think it will take to fit?

OH NO!!! I just told DH what I have ordered...He has highlighted a problem.

Our shower screen is staying put (unless the contractor breaks it, which he said is possible when taking the old bath out ).

Is the height of a European depth bath different to a normal bath? The measurements do not indicate as such. DH said the bath will be too high the bath screen!

Love the taps. Just love them

Lets just hope that showerscreen breaks.

Bet you will love to accessorize with some new and fancy shower curtains to freshen up the look!

It would be a shame for the shower screen to break, but I have seen a replacement I like...just in case !

So, I have totted up the total, and for my whole new bathroom, apart from floor (which is fine) and tiles (which will do), we will be paying £570.

Taps
bath
toilet
basin/pedestal
blinds
extractor fan
redecoration of walls and ceiling
window sill
labour
insurance excess charge.

It is worth it, isnt it...I have never had a new bathroom before. Never. Not even a newly painted one. Oh how exciting!

Oh it is so worth it. Enjoy!

Fantastic value imo. It'll look lovely when they've done it, and a nice bathroom always helps sell a house

Can't you unscrew the shower screen and then put it back on ?

Yes, i am sure we can...i think it is the same height though, luckily, the depth is lower in the bath...phew. I think the contractor will just sort it if not...

order is in, just waiting for date to start work now!!!