Complete D.I.Y. ensuite renovation

[Peter13]

An ensuite was completely transformed with a new shower, new tiles and cupboards, and a new toilet.

• The project
• Tips
• Budget
• Before and after
• How to plan a bathroom renovation
• More bathroom renovation ideas

The project

This was my first D.I.Y. project. The idea was to replace the old tiles and shower screen to have a feeling of cleanness.

While removing the tiles, I punched so many holes into the walls that I decided to remove them completely. This opened new possibilities such as adding a water pipe for a bidet, a recess in the shower and a recessed shaving cabinet.

Ultimately, I ended up redoing the entire bathroom which took me several months, but we ended up being quite happy with the result.

Tips

Here are some lessons learnt I'd like to share with people starting their first bathroom reno:

• Take down the entire walls and put in new ones rather than trying to carefully remove the old tiles while preserving the old walls.
      
• Take advantage of YouTube videos. You can really find every help you need. Find a channel that suits you and take your time to watch multiple videos.
  
  
• Don't buy a tile cutter if your tiles are not large. I bought one but ended up only using my Ozito grinder with a diamond blade.
  
  
• Buy a 360 degree vertical and horizontal laser level - it's a priceless tool for tiling the walls. I've got an Ozito which I found best value for money.
  
  
• Manage your expectations in regard to the duration of the reno! Based on videos, I thought it would be much simpler and faster than it turned out to be.

I think there were two areas where I spent most of my time:

• Selecting the tiles, the vanity, the toilet - basically everything, with no design experience and not being sure if everything would match together.
  
  
• Measurements. Given the small size of the ensuite, I spent a lot of time thinking or trying to see if there would be enough space for using the toilet comfortably, enough space to open the shower screen, and where exactly to put water outlets. I needed to be sure they were where they needed to be so that everything fitted in its place.

Budget

Our budget was $10,600. The cost breakdown was:

• Water - pipes and work of a plumber: $750 (Plumbing was the only paid work. Everything else was D.I.Y.)
  
  
• Walls and floor (excluding tiles): $700
  
  
• Tiles: $1,500
  
  
• Cabinet, toilet, shower screen, shower head: $5,800
  
  
• Tools: $1,700 (I had nothing when I started so needed to buy everything)
  
  
• Rubbish tip fees: $200.

Before and after

How to plan a bathroom renovation

Experienced Bunnings Workshop member Adam_W has shared a detailed rundown on how to plan your bathroom renovation.

Workshop member Itai has also shared how good planning and research helped in renovating a compact ensuite. 

More bathroom renovation ideas

Check out our Top 10 most popular bathroom projects for more inspiration and let us know if you need help with your own project. We're here if you need a hand with your project. Start a discussion and tell us what you need. 

[Caron]

Looks amazing!  Love the colour tones and that shower!!

[Em79]

This looks great. Could you please let me know the dimensions of your bathroom. We are looking at a similar sized bathroom renovation and I think this layout would suit what we are doing. Thank you. 

[JacobZ]

Hi @Em79,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Allow me to tag @Peter13 so he is notified of your question.

I am making an educated guess based on the assumption that those floor tiles are 200x200mm, which would mean the room is around 2 x 1.8m.

Hopefully, Peter responds shortly to confirm or disprove my guess.

Jacob

[Peter13]

Hi Jacob, you’re right about the Ensuite dimensions. I was clicking around the website but didn’t find a way to send a message to @Em79.

Best regards,

Peter

[JacobZ]

I'll take that as a win on a Monday morning @Peter13.

Thank you for coming back to confirm.

Jacob

[Benji786]

Hi. I'm embarking on a similar project. Congrats on your Peter!

I do have one nagging question: can I waterproof my own project (I have 2 small bathrooms and one tiny toilet to do). 

If I were to use a $50=sqr mtr price for waterproofing, it would work out to approx $1700 in total, which is under the mandatory $5000 limit before a licenced waterproofer is required. 

Sooooo, am I right in saying that I can waterproof my own renovation, but still to AS3740 domestic standard?

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Benji786. It's marvellous to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about waterproofing.

Congratulations on starting your renovation! Regarding waterproofing, each state and territory in Australia has its own regulations and requirements around who can carry out waterproofing and to what standards. It’s best to check with the relevant regulatory body in your area — for example, in Victoria, that would be the Victorian Building Authority; in NSW, the NSW Building Commission; in Queensland, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission; and so on. There are different rules and authorities once again in New Zealand.

It’s also a good idea to contact your local council, as they can sometimes provide guidance or point you toward relevant requirements. Don’t forget to check with your home insurance provider as well, because they may have their own rules or require a licensed professional to do the waterproofing or at least sign off on the work to maintain your cover.

Even if you’re under the monetary threshold where a licensed waterproofer is required, if the waterproofing isn’t done properly to AS3740 domestic standards and you end up with leaks or damage, it could create problems when making an insurance claim. Having a qualified waterproofer involved, either to complete or sign off on the work, can help protect you from these risks.

I’d recommend doing a bit of research specific to your state and also chatting to professionals or local council officers before proceeding.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell