Bathroom Renovation Costs
If you’re wondering how much you need to spend to renovate a bathroom, we suggest you start by thinking about why you’re renovating and get clear on what you’re trying to accomplish.
Before you set a budget for your Auckland bathroom renovation, it’s helpful to consider a few different reasons why you might want to renovate your bathroom.
Are you interested in updating the look of your bathroom?
Your bathroom may be quite functional, but aesthetically out of date or in need of a spruce up.
If you want to update the look of your bathroom or change its design style, the range of what you can do here is vast. If you have a bathroom that is out of date but still quite functional, there are some things you can do to update it while keeping some of its main components. Get in touch for a bathroom renovation.
Without changing or replacing the large components (bathtub, toilet, vanity, etc), you can modernise the décor of a bathroom simply by:
- painting the walls a fresh colour
- removing old, out-of-date wallpaper
- adding modern wallpaper for a feature wall
- changing the door handles, cabinet handles, window latches
- updating the tapware
- modernising the window coverings
- installing new light fixtures
- changing the mirror
- replacing old or dated accessories (towels, bathmat, toilet seat, plants)
Some of these aesthetic changes can be made for less than a few hundred dollars. There is a lot of budget flexibility here when it comes to décor changes.
Start by looking through home bathroom supply catalogues, decorating magazines, websites or Pinterest for inspiration. If you’re comfortable doing a bit of DIY on your bathroom, these updates can make a huge difference in how you feel about your “new” bathroom.
Are you renovating your bathroom to get your house ready for sale?
You may be looking to modernise your bathroom before you put your house on the market. (Similarly, if it’s a rental property, you may be interested in making some changes between tenancies.)
Renovating a bathroom can significantly increase the value of a home (or make it more attractive to renters). Ask any real estate agent what prospective buyers talk about when they visit open homes, and they’ll tell you that the bathrooms in a house are almost always a deal maker or a deal breaker.
A top consideration when people are looking to buy a house is whether or not the bathrooms need updating or renovating. You may be able to give the bathroom a mini makeover that will reap a higher sale price – and an amount that is more than you spent on the pre-sale bathroom renovation.
If you’re getting ready to sell your house, you want to budget for a bathroom renovation that improves functionality and appeals to a broad range of buyers. Because you’re about to sell, however, you don’t want to overspend on a bathroom renovation before selling a home. It’s a delicate balance, and one we can help you with as professional bathroom renovation plumbers and project managers.
A bathroom renovation done to increase a house sale price might include:
- replacing the toilet
- replacing the basin or vanity
- adding or removing cabinetry or shelving
- updating the tapware and shower fixtures
- retiling the walls or floors
- modernising the shower stall
For this type of renovation, you may be removing some of the larger items and replacing them with affordable yet newer versions. You’re probably going to look at the low to mid-range options for these items. You want them to be functional, modern and aesthetically pleasing to the greatest number of buyers, so you don’t want anything too polarising in design style. You may love black and white square flooring tiles or a claw-foot bathtub, but not everyone will. Keep your choices neutral and middle of the road (in design and price) for this type of bathroom renovation.
Talk to the experienced team at Sumich Plumbing & Drainage. We’ve worked on hundreds of bathrooms and can give you some great advice on how to make an impact without overspending.
Are you renovating your bathroom to make it more functional?
At some point, your main bathroom components will need modernising or replacing because they’re no longer working properly or they don’t serve your needs. They may break or become leaky over time, or they may not be what your family needs for your current phase of life.
Perhaps you want to replace an old sink with a double basin vanity. It might be time to change an old bathtub for a walk-in bath (great for older people or people with mobility issues). Or maybe you’re interested in a dual-flush, water saving toilet or a modern “smart toilet” that has a variety of bidet and heating functions. Or maybe you’d like a smaller shower to make space for a larger bathtub because you’re starting a family. There are many ways you can improve or modernise your bathroom by replacing or updating single elements.
Is it time for a complete bathroom overhaul?
Sometimes it makes more sense to completely demolish and remove the bathroom and start from scratch with an entirely new bathroom. This may be the case if you buy a new home (new to you) that has a bathroom you can’t live with. If it’s an old home, hopefully you’ve used this in your negotiating for a good purchase price. A complete bathroom renovation also happens when you’ve lived for years with a bathroom that you said you’d get around to renovating “one day”.
This is where you will need to budget carefully. It pays to use the services of a project manager for this type of bathroom renovation. The Sumich Plumbing & Drainage team can help you set a realistic budget and stick to it.
We can help you research and select the best components for your bathroom renovation budget and style.
Elements of a complete bathroom renovation might include:
- main components – bath, shower, toilet, sink/basin, vanity, cabinetry
- smaller components – towel rail, tapware, light fixtures, shelving
- plumbing and electrical details – heating, wiring, extraction fan/ventilation, lighting, heated floor
- windows, walls, plastering, painting, wallpaper
- flooring, tiles, waterproofing, glazier
- building consent, certification and sign-off
The number and variety of items that go into a bathroom renovation can be overwhelming. It’s often one of the smaller rooms in a home, but it has the most details. For that reason, it’s vital to have an experienced bathroom renovation company like Sumich Plumbing & Drainage help you source products and coordinate tradespeople, so there are no unnecessary delays.
How to stay in control of your bathroom renovation budget
We have a top tip to help you manage your bathroom renovation budget and keep your costs under control. From day one, you divide your bathroom renovation budget into three categories:
- Components, appliances – if you have the time (and interest) to do your own research, shop around and look for the best prices on the main bathroom elements such as the toilet, sink/basin, vanity unit, shower stall, shower components, bathtub
- Labour – you need to factor in the cost of the many tradespeople who will work on your bathroom; depending on the extent of your renovation, you may need a builder, tiler, plumber, electrician, gas fitter, plasterer, painter, flooring specialist
- Décor, decorating – there is quite a bit of flexibility here when you look at things like mirrors, light fixtures, shelving, tapware, faucets, handles
Using this helpful bathroom renovation budgeting tip, you can easily keep an eye on where your expenses are coming in under or over budget. Trying to talk a tradesperson into lowering their hourly rate is probably not going to win you any favours, but you can look at their costs and ask your project manager if there are any ways to make the labour costs more efficient. They can ensure the tradies are coordinated in the best way possible, and you’re not paying someone by the hour to wait around until the step before theirs gets completed.
If you’ve got your heart set on a specific range of bathware, talk to some suppliers or retailers about any upcoming sales or bulk discounts they may know of. Don’t be afraid to inquire about purchasing floor models of appliances or “B” stock (boxes damaged in shipping or last year’s ranges).
Leave the smaller décor details until the end. It’s tempting to focus on this area while someone else is looking after the larger items. But try to hold off. It’s the one area where you have the most financial flexibility. If you find you’ve under-budgeted for appliances or labour, you may be able to make up some of the difference in these smaller items. It’s probably easier to opt for cheaper drawer handles or light fixtures once you know how much everything else will cost.
Before you start looking into any bathroom renovation project, talk to us at Sumich Plumbing & Drainage. We’ve designed and installed hundreds of bathrooms and can help you create a bathroom that’s exactly right for you and