I am looking for some ideas in regards to a revamp to a very old bathroom. It’s very old and my elderly father doesn’t have a big budget approx 2 g. Would like to retile the shower bath wall as they are combined and tiles have fallen off and silicone is rotting. Also hoping to repaint inside bath and the outside of it and then paint other walls wthat don’t have the tiles and replace vinyl floor
Have a new toilet and vanity purchased so need to have them installed professionally as I’m not a plumber but hoping I could get away with tiling and the putting in new floor myself once the toilet and the vanity have been installed. Any info or ideas would be great. I’m always doing diy projects but this my elderly dads house and I havnt done something this big. Thanks so much for your time.
Hello @bunnyboo13
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your questions about your bathroom revamp.
How you approach your bathroom renovation will really depend on your priorities, your budget and which part of the bathroom you would like to tackle first. If re-tiling the shower area is your main priority, I suggest starting by getting a quote for the waterproofing and tiling. You may be able to save some money by removing the existing tiles yourself, but keep in mind that the wall will need to be properly repaired and prepared before the waterproofer arrives. Having the surface ready to go can help avoid additional preparation costs.
Once the wall has been prepared and the waterproofing has been professionally completed, the next step would be the tiling. If you are considering doing the tiling yourself, the How To Tile a Wall guide is a handy resource that will give you a good understanding of the process. Alternatively, you could ask for a combined quote for the waterproofing and tiling. This may make the renovation a little easier to manage, as the work can flow from one stage to the next and you will have the reassurance of having the job professionally completed.
From there, you could move on to the toilet and vanity as your budget allows. The store offers a Toilet Installation Service, so it would be worth getting a quote and seeing whether this fits within your budget. For the vanity replacement, I suggest speaking with a licensed plumber and getting a quote, particularly if any plumbing needs to be disconnected, moved or reconfigured.
The good thing is that you don't necessarily have to renovate the entire bathroom at once. You can break the project into manageable stages and save for each stage as you go. You could start with the shower waterproofing and tiling, then have the toilet replaced, followed by the vanity when you're ready. Painting is one of the areas where you can potentially save some money by doing the work yourself. Just make sure the regulated work, particularly plumbing and waterproofing where licensing requirements apply, is left to appropriately qualified trades. Taking it one stage at a time can make the renovation much easier to manage while still giving you a nicely finished bathroom in the end.
I also suggest having a quick look at the Top 10 most popular bathroom projects. I also recommend looking at this guide - How to plan a bathroom renovation by @Adam_W.
Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag, @TedBear, @OurPretty_LittleHome and @DIY4Knuckleheds for their recommendations.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Omg, this looks like such a great little bathroom to renovate — it honestly makes me so excited for you! 😍 There is SO much potential here, and I actually think you could make a huge difference without spending a fortune if you tackle it in stages.
I recently renovated our bathroom myself and honestly, don’t let the size of the project scare you! It can definitely feel overwhelming when you’re looking at the whole room, but breaking it down into little jobs makes it so much more manageable.
If it were me, I’d definitely prioritise the shower area first, especially with the tiles falling off and the old silicone. I’d get a professional in for the plumbing, but if you’re doing a new shower head you can pick one up from Bunnings for $50 and install it yourself but if you’re confident with DIY, you could potentially save quite a bit by doing the demolition, wall preparation and tiling yourself — just make sure everything is properly prepared before waterproofing. When I pulled all my tiles off the brick behind it was wet so I set a heater on it for over 24 hours to dry it off.
I’d also keep the existing bath if it’s structurally sound. A good bath resurfacing/enamel product can make such a difference, and then painting the walls and replacing the vinyl yourself could give the whole room a completely new feel without blowing the $2k budget.
And honestly, I LOVE that you’re doing this for your elderly dad. ❤️ I’d be taking lots of before photos because I think seeing the transformation at the end is going to be so rewarding!
I’d be happy to help you work out where I’d spend the $2k and where I’d save money with DIY, because I reckon you could get a really lovely result on that budget if you plan it carefully. 🥰
It may be easier if you message me through my Instagram, which is the same as my name on here 🥰 I’m more than happy to chat through it with you and go into more detail about the DIY side of things, what I’d tackle myself and where I’d get a professional in. I’d love to see how you transform it! ❤️
Good Evening @bunnyboo13
Mmmmm thinking how I would tackle the reno. There seems to be a fair amount of water damage to the wall with the tiles on it. The wall is also fibro so you cant just remove the tiles as there is a faiur chance of aspestos in the fibro. (Removing the tiles means there is a chance you will break the fibro)
The tiles missing from around the tap and the shower head tend to make me think that they have been leaking in some kind of way.
If the tiles can be refastened with glue and the leaks sorted out around taps and showerhead (id suggest a plumber to make sure of this) Then you could go the route of Shower Panels & Walls and keep to the "wet area panels" These can be installed over tiles (hence why you need to make sure that they are secured to the wall) This way you can get around the potential of breaking the fibro within the walls.
The Vinyl floor is easier (tho removing the old one may be hard work depending on how it was glued down) Id actually go with a new vinyl floor. My mums bathroom had all the same type of issues as you have described and she skirted the hard parts with those panels and a new lino/vinyl floor.
With the walls being thicker due to the paneling your taps/showerhead may need to be extended. Id have a chat with the plumber that you will get for the toilet replacment and get them to do them as well.
I would prepare for a higher cost the 2K :/ Id cost the products first and then see how much is left over for the trades so that way you can work out roughly what is needed.
Dave
