Tips for Bathroom Renovation Projects

There are lots of ways you can transform your home and add value to the property. Bathroom renovations are one of the most fun (and most cost-effective) options!

Renovating your bathroom is a big project. But large parts of the process are DIY-friendly, and the final result will be well worth the effort.

In this article we’ll go over our tips for bathroom renovation projects and some of the things you can do to keep your budget under control.

Tips for Bathroom Renovation Projects

1. Set Your Budget

The first thing you should do is determine your budget.

Bathroom renovations can get expensive. They don’t need to be pricey, but upmarket fittings, tiles, bathtubs and appliances can blow your budget.

Set a limit and stick to it. The rule of thumb is that your bathroom renovation should cost about 1.5% of the total property value. That may sound like a lot, but a renovated bathroom can add up to 10% to your home’s value. For reference, it costs about $15,000 to $25,000 to completely renovate a family bathroom.

2. Position the Toilet and Shower

Plumbing is one of the biggest expenses in a bathroom renovation. Where you choose to place the toilet, shower, bath and vanity will affect the length of plumbing runs and the amount of labour involved.

These fittings also determine the layout of the rest of the space, so it’s good to make these decisions early.

We generally recommend leaving major plumbing fixtures where they are. Moving a toilet or shower is a major project. If your home has a concrete slab, this requires digging up the floor and laying new concrete, which is time consuming and expensive.

It’s possible to move plumbing fixtures if your existing bathroom has a poor layout – just make sure you get a quote from a plumber before you commit.

3. Plan the Space

Once you know where the toilet and shower belong, you can figure out the rest of the space. This is your chance to decide whether you want features like a bathtub (and whether it’s built-in or freestanding), double vanities, built-in cabinets and provisions for a washing machine.

It’s helpful to stand in your space while doing this. Use a tape measure and some painter’s tape to mark the location and size of each fixture. That will give you a better idea of how the space will feel once everything has been installed.

4. Choose Your Materials Palette

The materials you choose will have a big impact on the look and feel of your new bathroom. Materials set the tone and style you go for, and they can affect things like lighting, paint colours, tile colours and your budget.

A good place to start is simply with choosing a materials palette. We recommend beginning with your floor and wall tiles, as well as any accent tiles you want to install. Tiles will serve as the canvas for the rest of your design, so they need to be chosen first.

After that, you can choose other materials, such as metal tapware, timber for vanities, and details such as trims. You don’t need to select actual products at this stage – it’s more important to focus on choosing materials so you know what to look for when shopping for fixtures and fittings.

5. Don’t Bite Off More than You Can Chew

Bathroom renovations are a big project. Lots of the work is DIY-friendly, but it’s easy to get in over your head.

When making your budget, leave room to hire professional help. Under Australian law you will need a licensed plumber for all plumbing work. Beyond that, it’s also a good idea to hire a tiler. Tiling is DIY-friendly, but it requires practice, and a skilled tiler can make a huge difference to the quality of the final result.

6. Add Some Luxury Touches

Got some room in your budget? Think about adding a few luxury touches to your renovation!

Features like underfloor heating, integrated lighting, smart mirrors and upmarket tiles will elevate your space significantly. These features aren’t a necessity, but they can add significant value to your renovation, with buyers commonly expecting luxuries such as underfloor heating.

7. Mirrors and Lighting

Bathrooms are often overlooked when it comes to lighting, but the right scheme can make all the difference.

These days we’re moving away from simple downlights and opting for more sophisticated lighting options, such as pendants, in-mirror lighting and LED strips.

Lighting should be paired with plenty of mirrors. Don’t underestimate the size of the mirror you need – bigger is better in most cases. Mirrors reflect light and can dramatically brighten up any bathroom.

8. Order Your Materials

Once you’ve made your plans, visualised the space, contacted a plumber and completed your research, you can finally order materials.

This is a measure-twice-cut-once kind of job. Take detailed measurements of your bathroom, and then triple check them before ordering materials such as tiles. For tiles, we recommend measuring the surface area and then adding 10% for waste (e.g. tiles break or are cut incorrectly during installation).

For the rest, you can shop around online and order fittings individually, or you can plan your project with a local tile shop.

Get Your Bathroom Renovation Right with Tiles and Surfaces from Stone3!

Renovating a bathroom is a great way to add value to your property and make your home more liveable than ever! Bathroom renovations are big projects, and there are lots of decisions you’ll need to make along the way. If you’re searching for inspiration or need a little help with design, the team at Stone3 would love to meet you!

Stone3 is a boutique tile supplier based in Brisbane and Melbourne. We carry a stunning range of bathroom tiles Brisbane wide that have been sourced from leading suppliers across the world. Our tiles and surfaces are selected for their beauty, so our range has something for every project.

Feel free to browse our range online, or visit our tile shop Melbourne and Brisbane and to explore the Stone3 range for yourself!