Bathroom Renovation Costs Explained
The average cost of renovating a bathroom is not easily explained due to the nature of work involved.
20/02/2019
The average cost of renovating a bathroom is not easily explained due to the nature of work involved and can vary greatly depending on several factors.
Whether you're replacing an existing bathroom suite, whether you intend on starting from scratch, whether you're maybe considering taking on a DIY project as well as the level of luxury you're in search for. Although some manufacturers and suppliers tend to love advertising complete bathroom suites for unbelievably low prices, you need to make sure to be clear of exactly what's included. Know this before parting ways with any of your cash.
Yes, you can get really good estimations of cost when doing your digging, but the end result amounts will often time vary quite a bit. Fitters usually charge you depending on what you intend on being installed in your bathroom. For instance, fitting new basins, which is considered by most a small job, can set you back around R2000 to R3000, while tiling large bathrooms, which is a much larger job, could end up costing you as much as R5000. You can save a lot by comparing prices and shopping smart.
Bathroom Installation Advice
The cost of putting in a new bathroom suite will normally depend on things such as whether you intend on replacing the existing basin with a new one in that exact spot or if you want to redesign the entire bathroom completely with new fittings and fixtures installed in new positions. You might want to consider asking your potential fitters if they've got any minimum charge options. Some fitters may have half a day minimum charge deals, which could mean you paying more for replacing something like a sink which is generally considered a small job. Combining several jobs at once may be more cost effective if you find yourself in this situation.
One thing very important that you must always try to look out for is if the trader you're considering is using a contractor. When they do this they'll be making it so much more difficult for you to supervise who's actually doing what. So, ensure to inquire with your potential trader if they intend on taking on the job themselves or if they're going to contract it out. If the trader intends on contracting it out, can they guarantee you quality work? Also, there are a few certain things you have to watch for that might drive the price up such as extra tile work and replacing damaged or old pipework.
1. Tiling
Hiring a professional is definitely well worth it when it comes to tiling. An inexperienced person will most likely take about three to four times longer to tile a bathroom than a professional tiler would. Walls in poor conditions and old tiles that need replacing will certainly increase the fitter total costs. To make sure you get professional finishing you may have to consider removing both the basin as well as the toilet so they can get tiled at their rear.
2. Electrical Work
Electrical work happens to be one of the many new and modern bathroom suite renovation costs. Those of you that might have dated bathrooms may probably want to think about some lighting upgrades like say a more energy efficient option such as LED lighting. A few other electrical jobs may include fitting an extractor fan and a shaving socket.
3. Bathroom Flooring
Many people tend to overlook their bathroom flooring and some fitters themselves will not add flooring costs to the quotation to ensure lower prices, however, they may inevitably add it to the total package as an extra addition.
4. Plumbing Work
A huge portion of your budget will probably go towards several plumbing tasks which usually include fitting a new bath, shower, taps and sinks. The high-grade, exceptional fittings and fixtures may seem a little pricey, but are well worth it. If there's been an alteration to the layout that exists then you might require more plumbing work done. If this is the case then you can expect an increased bathroom installation cost.
How Long Will It All Take?
Replacing existing floor/wall tiles, preparation of the floor and walls and the installation of new tiles is what normally consumes the most time in a bathroom fitting project. Installing the basin, toilet and bath is usually a rather straightforward task. For a complete refurbishment of your bathroom, expect it to all take approximately six to eight days in total. If you only intend on having the toilet, sink and bath replaced then this will usually roughly take only about two days or so. Additional pipework might require a little more time as well as if you want to change the position of the sink and toilet.
What About Waste?
No bathroom renovation job is ever free of mess. So, what of waste disposal right? Most traders will take it upon themselves to dispose of the waste material for you, however, many times they'll be required to pay business rates if they undertake such tasks. What this means is that if you only happen to be generating small amounts of waste material then it might prove costly. What you need to do here is to find out whether disposal of waste is something you can do by yourself to reduce costs, for example, taking some of it to your local tip or hiring a skip.
Last, but certainly not least, your main priority should always definitely be quality. Or, maybe that goes without saying, yes? Anyway, only look for the best quality fitting services as well as good quality bathroom products. Not cutting corners sometimes can end up saving you quite a lot of money as well as heartache. Besides, it's your bathroom, isn't it? Wouldn't you only want the best for yourself? It really isn't that hard to achieve.