How much to spend on a new bathroom - advice gratefully received!

[lowlandlady]

We want to move probably within the next 2 years and need a new bathroom because ours Totally Mings and no one will buy our house til it's done.

I can get the suite, with steel bath, basin taps, rad and bits at bathstore for around a grand includ vat and delivery.

But dh says we should go for Wickes or something like Next online for a few hundred less and go for an acrylic bath etc.

I think the slightly better quality bathroom will look good for longer and help us sell in the end.

I would appreciate hearing what anyone with this experience thinks?

Also any ideas of where to get good quality bathroom and good price would be appreciated.

We're hoping to put a new bathroom in in the house we're buying. My Dad is a plumber (so admittedly we wouldn't have to pay for the work being done) but, he showed me a lovely British made ceramic bath, toilet, basin suite for £250.00 in one of his 'trade catalogues'. Wickes have quite nice/adequate ones for £299 and upwards. Apparently rads (depending on size) cost approx £40-60. So, unless you want spectacular taps, I reckon you can do it easily for £500. We're allowing £600 and that includes tiles (but then we don't want expensive or the whole wall covered).

Good luck!

cheap suite, expensive taps. suite from ebay/screwfix, taps from a reputable brand. it will show.

A good local plumbers' merchants will have loads of catalogues with different qualities/prices. Here's the one we've used for nearly 20 years and they're fab if you're in northern home counties: Ebberns Plumbing & Heating. They will give large discounts on catalogue prices and are really helpful. We extended a few years ago and spent about £4.5K on the bathroom as we're staying. But if you want to move I'd say steel bath, neutral tiles and decent taps - maybe spend £200 on taps which will give your bathroom a classy look.

Ooh look! Someone else said ceap suite expensive taps! I must be right!

I usually buy bath sink loo on ebay.get decent chrome fittings from a local builders merchant as I like to see them irl! Tiles etc local tile shop.Can get all of that for a basic refit for about £350 ish.£1000 is too much if you plan to sell soon

We're doing our bathroom at the moment and the plumber has advised us strongly against bathstore. We're getting a Nabis suite from Plumbworld I think, inclduing an acrylic bath, which is only about £250 as he lets us have it at trade prices. Perhaps you could try and get an account somewhere? We've also managed to get some really good Deva taps brand new from eBay which saved another £100 or so.

We bought a cheap suite from a DIY place (can't remember whether it was Wickes or Homebase) and it really wasn't great at all.

Local independent supplier is always a lot better cheaper etc as they have special offers all the time and they are genuine not like b and q etc who alwyas have sales.Having said that i used bathstore in 2 developments adn I am still friends with the girl who bought one of them and the bathroom still looks great 4-5 yrs on.

thanks for advice
much appreciated!