Bathroom renovations: how to go about it!

If you have a clear idea of what you need and what you like in the bathroom, the planning process will be more efficient.

• Make a checklist with your bathroom requirements: How many people use the bathroom and how much storage space will you need? Will several people use the bathroom at the same time, making a second washbasin area necessary? Are there enough power sockets and are they in the right place? Look ahead a few decades, too: what will your needs be then? As nice as a bathtub is now, you might appreciate a floor-even shower with a bench much more in 20 years' time.
• Get inspiration online – home design magazines, Pinterest, Instagram and manufacturers' websites are good sources of inspiration. A mood board with printed photos, colour or material samples can also be helpful.
• Contact your trusted installation company or search for a specialist partner online. There are several platforms for finding providers in your area. It might be worth getting several cost estimates and comparing them with each other.
• The selected service provider will visit you at home to measure your existing bathroom and clarify your requirements, your ideas and the budget in a consultation.
• Then visit one or more showrooms, either at an installation company or at a wholesaler. Let expert staff guide you through the showroom (find a showroom near you here). Upon request, you will receive an appliance list with the selected products.
• If desired, the service provider can show you a 3D visualisation of your future bathroom.
• The service provider then prepares a detailed schedule. They also coordinate with the tradespeople for plumbing, heating, electricity and tiling.

At this stage, it's down to the nitty-gritty, the demolition. Old furniture and sanitary products such as washbasins and WCs are taken out and the old tiles removed. Depending on the extent of the renovation, the walls will also be torn down.

Our savings tip: ask your service provider if you can do some of the demolition work yourself to save money. With a little manual skill, some dismounting work can done independently. But everything that follows the demolition work should be left to the professionals. They have the necessary knowledge of the materials, expertise and tools. They are also usually faster, and so cheaper.

During a structural renovation, pipes and lines for water, heating, ventilation and electrics are replaced.

• If sanitary objects such as the washbasin area or WC are being moved, the water supply connections and wastewater pipes also need to be moved.
• If you are installing a new floor-even shower, the wastewater pipes and connections must be re-laid.
• An electrician will take care of the necessary electrical lines and power connections.

This step may not only affect the bathroom – the pipes all the way down to the basement might also need to be replaced.

A little tip: more and more people are opting for the convenience of a shower toilet, which requires power connections at the toilet. Don't forget these connections in the planning phase. That way, the toilet can be upgraded to a shower toilet. A good service provider will raise the issue during the consultation.

Installing an open shower always involves a conversion. You should check in advance whether the requirements for installation are met. The construction height of the floor is important to consider, i.e. the overall construction of what is called the floor screed. In addition to the flooring, this also includes other layers such as thermal insulation and piping for underfloor heating. For walk-in showers, a specific minimum height is required for the trap. If the construction height of the floor is lower than the depth of the water seal, installation may not be possible or may require very complex and expensive conversion work.

In the shower area, the floor must also have a slope so that the water runs off. For optimal drainage, the slope should be about 2%.

As the shower is a damp area, sealing is also necessary. The degree of sealing necessary (room height or only certain areas) depends on local regulations.

In this step, the walls are plastered. The tiler will install new tiles while the painter will repaint the walls and ceiling.

A little tip: large tiles give the bathroom a spacious feel and are easier to clean because they have fewer grout joints.

The sanitary company will install the toilet and fit the washbasin and bathroom furniture. Taps, handles and lighting are also installed in the final assembly. The electrician installs switches and sockets.