How to do a bathroom renovation?

Question

Hello, we are starting the process to renovate our bathroom. This is our first home and first renovation so have no idea the process for this sort of thing. I have spent the morning looking through this forum and reading the How to plan a bathroom guide too. I thought I would try and get some input on our very basic plan for what we want to do and whether or not it is viable.

Current:

What we would like to do:

We don't use our bath, and the shower is too small so our main focus is having a larger shower.

Would love any suggestions, whether this sort of change would work and possible next steps or how to find the people who will do this change for us?

Thanks!

Edit: Maybe some further info: the wall with the bath and shower on it joins to our neighbour, we live in one story villa sort of houses with one common wall. It is a 1980's build, and from drilling other walls in the house I think it is brick?

EricL · Answer

Hello @Ashlo26

Just to add to the fantastic suggestions that Jacob has made, here is a rendered image using Sketchup in combination Sketchup AI for a little bit of inspiration. I've taken some of the walls down in order for you to get a better view of the bathroom. You could in theory get a bigger vanity for storage, but I suggest leaving a gap of at least 100mm from the glass panel in order for you to clean in between the appliances. Please have a good look and tell us what you think.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @Ashlo26,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It is wonderful to have you with us.

It's great to hear you've already had a look through some projects for inspiration and checked out How to plan a bathroom renovation, as it gives a good overview of the planning process and the order in which things generally need to happen.

From what you've described and shown in your plan, it certainly looks like what you're proposing should be possible. There will obviously be some finer details to work through once the existing bathroom is stripped out and the locations of plumbing, electrical services and framing are confirmed, but I don't see anything in your plan that immediately stands out as unachievable.

I'd also start putting together a list of the fixtures and finishes you like and take accurate measurements of the room. Have a browse through the ranges of bathroom vanities, basins, bathroom tapware, bathroom mirrors, showers, baths, toilets and bathroom tiles. Once you start selecting some of the larger fixtures, you'll have their dimensions to work with and can start turning your plan into something more concrete.

Once you've got your layout, measurements and a general idea of the fixtures and finishes you'd like, you could take this information to a business that specialises in bathroom renovations. They can work with you to finalise the details and, importantly, take care of one of the more difficult parts of a bathroom renovation, which is coordinating the different trades and making sure they arrive in the correct order. There can be plumbers, electricians, carpenters, water proofers, tilers and other trades involved, so having someone manage that process can make things considerably easier.

We've also had some fantastic bathroom renovations shared recently. OurPretty_LittleHome recently completed a modern D.I.Y. bathroom renovation from a blank canvas, while ToddPaparella shared their 1960s bathroom renovation with fluted bath. Kcain also shared their master ensuite renovation with herringbone tiles.

Let me tag @OurPretty_LittleHome, and @ToddPaparella and @kcainto see if they have any tips from their renovations that they think would be particularly useful when you're starting out.

There are plenty of decisions to make with a bathroom renovation, so don't feel like you need to work everything out at once. Once you've got an idea of the layout and the look you're going for, feel free to share. We can then help you work through things as the project progresses.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob