We have all seen those TV adverts showing stunning bathrooms and it's natural to imagine your own bathroom looking like that, but wait a moment.
Take a closer look at the amount of space used in that bathroom display, in most cases it is larger than the average lounge.
The thing to remember is that the company that made the advert have spent huge amounts of money on marketing their products and they are shown to the consumer in the best possible light.
Don't be tempted to jump in and order, do some research, you will probably find that you can buy the same, or similar components much cheaper.
Get a quote for fitting and extras such as pipework, valves, tiling etc.
In almost every case you can save money by doing it yourself, after all, those marketing costs have to come from somewhere and that somewhere is the final price to the customer.
In this series of articles I will attempt to help negotiate the pitfalls of having a new bathroom installed.
The first thing to do is measure the available space, do it twice and then measure again.
This is the single most important step in planning your new bathroom.
Once purchased you will find that bathroom retailers are extremely reluctant to have products returned to them for any other reason than that they are damaged, and most will impose hefty restocking charges.
Decide what you would like to have in your bathroom, set out a plan on a piece of graph paper and insert each item by size in it, not forgetting to leave a reasonable amount of space between each item or your bathroom will be cramped and difficult to move about.
Pay attention to the type of floor, a wooden floor makes installing pipework much easier than a concrete floor.
A free standing bath in the centre of the room may look stunning but getting the water supplies to it on a concrete floor involves extra work and therefore extra expense.
Make sure that any cabinets will not block windows or be sited behind doors that could damage them when opened.
Buying your bathroom online will save you money but I always recommend that you take time to visit a bathroom showroom or plumbers merchants to view the products rather than buy them on the basis of an internet image that cannot depict the size, colour, or finish accurately.
Once you have completed these steps, get some quotations (at least 3) for fitting.
Make sure to show the fitters your plan and make sure that the quotes include labour, the cost of any pipework and fittings, any electrical work, and if needed flooring and tiling.
Ask how long the work will take to complete and an estimated start date, remember that you will have to cope with reduced bathing and toilet facilities for at least part of the work period.
Ask the fitters for a portfolio and references from previous customers and don't be afraid to check the references, you will find out more from previous customers than you will from the tradesman himself.
Once you have selected your preferred fitter you can then order your items.
DO NOT BOOK THE FITTER TO START WORK UNTIL YOU HAVE THE ITEMS IN YOUR POSSESSION OR AT LEAST A GUARANTEED DELIVERY DATE.
When the day arrives to start work try to make sure that the fitters have the easiest possible access to your bathroom, you may also need to hire a skip for the removal of the old suite.
In the next article in this series I will discuss further the ranges of products available for you new bathroom.
Take a closer look at the amount of space used in that bathroom display, in most cases it is larger than the average lounge.
The thing to remember is that the company that made the advert have spent huge amounts of money on marketing their products and they are shown to the consumer in the best possible light.
Don't be tempted to jump in and order, do some research, you will probably find that you can buy the same, or similar components much cheaper.
Get a quote for fitting and extras such as pipework, valves, tiling etc.
In almost every case you can save money by doing it yourself, after all, those marketing costs have to come from somewhere and that somewhere is the final price to the customer.
In this series of articles I will attempt to help negotiate the pitfalls of having a new bathroom installed.
The first thing to do is measure the available space, do it twice and then measure again.
This is the single most important step in planning your new bathroom.
Once purchased you will find that bathroom retailers are extremely reluctant to have products returned to them for any other reason than that they are damaged, and most will impose hefty restocking charges.
Decide what you would like to have in your bathroom, set out a plan on a piece of graph paper and insert each item by size in it, not forgetting to leave a reasonable amount of space between each item or your bathroom will be cramped and difficult to move about.
Pay attention to the type of floor, a wooden floor makes installing pipework much easier than a concrete floor.
A free standing bath in the centre of the room may look stunning but getting the water supplies to it on a concrete floor involves extra work and therefore extra expense.
Make sure that any cabinets will not block windows or be sited behind doors that could damage them when opened.
Buying your bathroom online will save you money but I always recommend that you take time to visit a bathroom showroom or plumbers merchants to view the products rather than buy them on the basis of an internet image that cannot depict the size, colour, or finish accurately.
Once you have completed these steps, get some quotations (at least 3) for fitting.
Make sure to show the fitters your plan and make sure that the quotes include labour, the cost of any pipework and fittings, any electrical work, and if needed flooring and tiling.
Ask how long the work will take to complete and an estimated start date, remember that you will have to cope with reduced bathing and toilet facilities for at least part of the work period.
Ask the fitters for a portfolio and references from previous customers and don't be afraid to check the references, you will find out more from previous customers than you will from the tradesman himself.
Once you have selected your preferred fitter you can then order your items.
DO NOT BOOK THE FITTER TO START WORK UNTIL YOU HAVE THE ITEMS IN YOUR POSSESSION OR AT LEAST A GUARANTEED DELIVERY DATE.
When the day arrives to start work try to make sure that the fitters have the easiest possible access to your bathroom, you may also need to hire a skip for the removal of the old suite.
In the next article in this series I will discuss further the ranges of products available for you new bathroom.