Having a new bathroom fitted can be a daunting prospect, but it’s important to get right as a new bathroom can add as much as £12,000 (or around 5%) to the value of your home.
While you might be tempted to try and cut corners and save money where possible on a bathroom renovation, there are many reasons why it pays to slightly push the boat out and opt for a luxury bathroom.
After all, it’s one of the most important rooms in the house, so here’s a quick good to choosing your new bathroom.
Identify Priorities
First things first, identify what will be the most important aspects of the bathroom to you. This means picking whether you want a bath or shower (or both), how much storage you’ll need and what kind of basin you’ll need.
It all boils down to what kind of space you’re trying to create, whether it be relaxing and spa-like or a bit more modern and streamlined.
Layout
It’s usually easiest to choose to just keep the current layout of the bathroom as it is, not only to keep familiarity but also because it can be expensive and hard work to move water and waste pipes.
Simply replacing fittings and flooring can often be more than enough to give the space a refresh, but if you do decide that the layout needs an overhaul, it’s very important to make sure that you have a firm idea of the amount of room you’ve got and how much space your new fittings are going to take up before you start ripping everything up and starting work.
Space
This brings us onto the topic of space. Obviously, you’re pretty limited in the space that you’ve got to work in, so it’s important to be realistic.
According to UK Bathroom Store: “While you might be dreaming of a beautiful big walk-in shower or a big free-standing bathtub, the chances are that they just might not be feasible in your bathroom.
“Don’t try to cram too much into a small space as this will only make the bathroom feel cramped and be on the lookout for space-saving fittings where you can.”
Storage
Storage is vitally important in a bathroom, so make sure that you have plenty. It’s best to have all of your toiletries stored away out of sight, so one of the best things you can opt for is a nice big vanity mirror.
Check out this article from Good Housekeeping for some more clever storage tips which could help you to maximise your space while keeping clutter to a minimum.
Lighting
It’s a good idea to opt for lighting which you can dim and brighten so that you can keep it softer if you’re trying to relax (or in the middle of the night when you don’t want to disturb others in the house).
It’s important to make sure that the areas such as the toilet, sink and shower are all adequately lit. This guide from The Lightbulb Company goes into more detail about bathroom lighting, including types of bulbs and fixtures and things such as IP Ratings.