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Original poster

House Renovators/DIY Enthusiasts - need advice on my bathroom!!!! Pls

17 replies

Fio2 · 15/06/2004 14:36

Right I am arguing/disagreeing with my husband about what to with our bathroom and cloakrooms. They have very old toilets in with the high citerns. The bathroom has a shower but we are going to take it out and put in a bath (and maybe a shower) it has an old toilet with high cistern and an old wash hand basin.

My husband wants to rip the lot out and put in modern fittings with a power shower over the bath.

I on the other hand quite like the toilets (they just need a bit of renovation) The basin is fine but would need a pedestal and I have fell in love with a cast iron bath (freestanding with feet) at my local reclamation yard. I have seen an attractive old pedestal there that would match the basin too. But dh is dead against the idea and says people wont buy houses with old fashioned bathrooms anymore.

Is he right? I am just a sucker for old looking things, thats why I married him.

Mumsnet advice please. I am guessing he is going to win the house was built around 1878 although it was most probably earlier

OP posts:
Janh · 15/06/2004 14:49

Hi, fio! Think he's wrongwrongwrong - I mean nobody wants an old bathroom (damp, smelly etc) but repro and actual old fittings are v v v popular.

Thomas Crapper!!!

Janh · 15/06/2004 14:51

£1600 for a high-level loo complete!

islandgirl · 15/06/2004 15:01

Fio2 - I think people will buy old or new, as long as it looks in good condition and works properly. I do think people like showers, so if you have just a bath can you put a shower elsewhere? your dh sounds like mine - we have rennovated 2 houses now, and each time the bathroom has had to be plain, modern white!! But, are you doing the house to live in or to sell.....

bunnyrabbit · 15/06/2004 15:06

ooh that's very nice, if a bit pricey. I have a high level victorian look loo, but I'm sure it didn't cost anywhere near like £1600...

Totally agree with JanH, traditional looking bathrooms are still very popular indeed.

Just looked it up in my spreadsheet. It was £355, but this was 4 years ago.

BR

Tinker · 15/06/2004 15:23

Is it an old house - assume it is? Then yes, old original fittings look better, I think. I was sold on my house because the bathroom still had an original cast iron fireplace in it. Can you put a shower over the bath, one of those telephone type ones?

SoupDragon · 15/06/2004 15:34

I think that provided the traditional fittings are clean, work well and are in a nicely decorated room, they look fab and are popular. By using the ones you've got, you'll save money which you can then spend on more expensive fittings and the decoration.

I'm sure Sarah Beeney of Property Ladder fame always recommends reusing the existing items if they're in good condition and fit the period of the house.

Original poster
Fio2 · 15/06/2004 16:12

sorry I asked a question then buggered off! Yes it is a victorian house and they do look right but the cisterns have been painted and would need stripping. The bath I like is an original (I reckon 1920's) cast iron roll top with plain claw feet. I reckon it will most probably need re-enamalling but tbh it look in really good nick at 200 +vat.

Janh I STILL cant open links!!! so could you please type the address for me or someone?? The original fittings are good makes aswell. I have one toilet that has alot of limescale on but my trusty old gran is coming down soon and she has some 'paste' (?!!!) to get it off with!

It was just looking round the yard and seeing our toilets and cisterns at really high prices that got me thinking about leaving them in.

I am so glad you have all agreed with me!

BR we dont know what we are going to do with the house yet. I would love to stay but it may be a bit more complicated than that, as usual

OP posts:
Original poster
Fio2 · 15/06/2004 16:13

Tinker I was thinking about one of those telephone showers!! I am sure that would fit

OP posts:
Original poster
Fio2 · 15/06/2004 16:22

the other thing is, god this is going to end up about me moaning about my dh! is We could fit a shower room in the basement, and I know next door have got one, but he thinks it is a waste of money and we wouldnt use it. I think we would, we have guests flocking here at least once or twice a month for overnight stays. There is already a toilet down there and hot and cold water supply because the kitchen is down there. Do you think it would be a waste oh wise mumsnetters?

OP posts:
Janh · 15/06/2004 18:20

Sorry, fio, didn't know you can't open links! (?????)

www.robertopiecollection.com/Application/Products/Thomas-crapper/thomas-crapper-2GB.asp

www.robertopiecollection.com/Application/Products/Thomas-crapper/thomas-crapper-3GB.asp

Shower in basement sounds ideal, if you didn't have the plumbing there already it would be a big job but since you have it's the obvious place for one. Have you tried giving him a shake to reconnect his brain?

yamamoto · 15/06/2004 23:32

Bath upstairs, shower downstairs, keep the bathroom simple, free standing bath, hi wc, sink and white walls. If the bathroom is large enough the shower can go in as well.

zebra · 15/06/2004 23:37

Big problem with an original 1920s bath: they are too small! I know, we took one out of our old house, lovely to look at, but completely impractical if you are actually a person who likes to take baths. I wonder if you can buy antique reproduction ones in larger sizes?

hoxtonchick · 15/06/2004 23:41

Our house was built in 1838, & although we do have modern bathrooms it's only because the people who lived here before us had removed every original feature they could . But what we do have is a shower room in the basement, next to the living room & kitchen, which works brilliantly so I'd say definitely go for that.

Original poster
Fio2 · 16/06/2004 08:22

thats everyone! and janh for the links

zebra thanks for telling me that about the size of the bath, it did look quite narrow and now you mention it DH would most probably struggle fitting in it. No wonder it was so cheap.

I think you can buy resin reproduction ones, so I suppose that would be better as we would have to reinforce the floor. I have started to think though it will most probably be cheaper to buy a plain white suite with a power shower now. Ho hum

Will try and talk him into the downstairs shower room though. Thanks again for you help

OP posts:
Original poster
Fio2 · 16/06/2004 08:23

as we wouldnt have to reinforce the floor with a resin bath, meant to say

OP posts:
yamamoto · 16/06/2004 11:45

surely the weight is in the water??

SoupDragon · 16/06/2004 11:55

We've got a lovely repro claw footed bath in our ensuite. Go for one of those rather than a plain modern bath! It will fit in with the house better but be in perfect condition. Depending when the bathroom was installed in your house, it may well have oringinally had a cast iron bath anyway so the floor would already be strong enough.

We've got a shower in our downstairs toilet, off the utility room off the kitchen. The previous owners said it was invaluable when boys were playing footy in a muddy garden or just cam in muddier than you'd like to allow upstairs to the bathroom. It gets used by guests mainly ATM.

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