Are Bathroom Renovations Worth It and How Long Do They Take?

Is it worth getting a bathroom renovation? If you find yourself often pondering this question, chances are your bathroom is outdated, not running efficiently or not to your taste or liking.

While it is true that a bathroom renovation is not cheap, renovating the bathroom – the place where we get ready in the morning, seek peace and solace in the evenings and visit often throughout the day – can bring many positive impacts to you and your family’s lives. Today, we’ll go through all the benefits you’ll receive from renovating your bathroom as well as how long you should expect it to take.

Benefit #1 – A bathroom designed uniquely for you

Close your eyes and picture yourself walking into your perfect bathroom – how good does that feel? Did you picture a calming oasis welcoming you to soak in the tub after a long stressful day or was it an uber-modern room that makes you look forward to getting ready before heading out the door?

If you did not build or previously renovate your bathroom, then chances are there are a couple of things you would like to change. Whether it’s the colour scheme, the room’s style or perhaps you would have designed the layout in a different way, we all have individual tastes. Here is your chance to custom create a bathroom that is both functional and beautiful for you and your family.

We know that designing a bathroom can be overwhelming, so when you choose to renovate with Brindabella, our talented team of experienced designers will help you design your perfect bathroom that you’ll want to visit over and over again.

Benefit #2 – Value added to your home

While a bathroom renovation is going to cost you initially, it is going to add value to your home when it is time to sell. In times like now, where the market is on its way up and homes are selling fast, buyers do not want to add the cost of a brand new bathroom to their new home.

It’s no secret that the bathroom and kitchen are the top two rooms that buyers look at when viewing properties and a well presented, modern bathroom is not only going to yield you a higher selling price, but you could easily find that it will provide a quicker sale as well.

Benefit #3 – Money savings start immediately

If your home is on the older side, then chances are that could you actually reap some of the cash benefits of a bathroom renovation sooner rather than waiting for it to hit the market – especially if you find family members are now studying and working from home. By replacing a showerhead from one that flows at 15L/min, to a 4-star WELS rating shower head with a 6L/min flow, a family of four will save 105kL of water and $315 each year on water bills¹.

Should you replace your toilet? If your toilet is the older single flush toilet (12L per flush), by simply changing it to a 4-star (3.5L per flush), your family will save 50kL and $148 each year on water bills.¹

As appliances age in the bathroom, it is common to see leaks in the toilet as well as the vanity, bath and shower taps. A single tap dripping slowly can waste 9,000 litres of water a year, while a visibly leaking toilet can waste more than 60,000 litres.² 

So, you should never assume that you’re not going to see that large sum of money for your renovation for a long time. Take the opportunity while renovating to update and replace items such as the toilet, showerheads, taps and lighting, and you can expect to see reduced water and electricity bills.

Benefit #4 – Increase / decrease storage space

Over the duration of a family living under one roof, the need for storage space grows and then slowly decreases. Depending on what your current situation is, you may be requiring more bathroom storage space to store family member’s towels, grooming equipment, dirty clothes, etc. Or perhaps the children have left the nest and you could use some of that space for a bigger shower or luxurious spa.

The same applies for the bathtub – they are great for bathing small children but not everyone uses a bath. Not only do they add to the cleaning schedule with how quick they are to gather dust – they also take up quite a lot of real estate that could be used for something more to your liking such as a larger vanity or shower.

Sounds great…  but how long will my bathroom renovation take?

Once we have decided on the design of your new, exciting bathroom and have locked in a start date, you can expect your bathroom renovation to take anywhere from 3-6 weeks (based on a standard renovation).

Here is a generalised timeframe of what you can expect during the course of your renovation with us:

Week 1

We’ll perform the strip out, deliver the bathware items, the tradespeople will do their pre-checks, we’ll do the finished floor level and the plumber will do his rough-in.

Week 2

The electrician will visit for his rough-in, the render will happen, the carpenter and plumber will visit if you are installing a new bath and we’ll allow everything to dry for around five days.

Week 3

The Carpenter will return to frame the bath (if required) and perform a waterproofing pre-check, hang the door and do the first and second coat of waterproofing.

Week 4

The Tiler will arrive to lay the tiles, we’ll do a few miscellaneous things and the carpenter will fit your vanity.

Week 5

The plumber and electrician will finish their tasks, the carpenter will trim work / fittings ready for the painter who will come in.

Week 6

The painter will finish up, a cleaner will visit, we’ll do the gapping and some other shower work. When that is done, you will be left with a beautiful new bathroom ready for you and your family to enjoy.

We hope we’ve answered all of your questions as to how a bathroom renovation will positively improve your home’s value and your lifestyle along with what you can expect during the renovation. If you have any further questions, contact our friendly team and let’s chat about your new bathroom.

Sources:

1. https://www.energy.gov.au/households/water-efficiency

2. https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/water/residence/use/home/leaks