Looking to give your bathroom a makeover? We’ve got the lowdown on what you can expect to pay, as well as top tips for a budget revamp
It’s often said that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, so it makes sense that many homeowners might be thinking about their home's resale potential when sprucing up one or both of these rooms.
READ MORE: 45 mistakes to avoid when designing a bathroom
But if it’s a toss-up between one or the other, a new bathroom has a couple of advantages that could sway things in its favour.
First, it’s often cheaper than a kitchen overhaul. While analysis carried out in August 2021 by estate agent comparison site GetAgent.co.uk put the average kitchen renovation cost at £8,000, the average outlay for a bathroom renovation was significantly lower at £4,625.
Second, when you do eventually put your home up for sale, even those buyers who want to put their own stamp on a property are likely to appreciate a modern, up-to-date bathroom.
That’s because bathroom renovations are especially disruptive, particularly in properties where there’s only one.
One of the most obvious ways to make your property more attractive to house hunters, it’s little surprise that according to a 2022 study by independent inspection body RISA, a significant 31% of those surveyed said they were planning to undertake a bathroom renovation in the coming year.
If you're among those eyeing up a bathroom revamp this year, here's how much it could set you back, plus smart ways to save on your project.
Bathroom fitting costs
As with most home renovation projects, costs vary depending on the size, location and quality of your new bathroom.
As a guide, tradesperson listing site Checkatrade puts the average cost of a bathroom renovation, including materials, at £5,000 as of December 2022.
It will cost more if you want to have both a bath and a shower, and if you are planning on underfloor heating this will also come at a significant extra cost.
You’ll need to budget not only for the bathroom suite itself but also for flooring, tiles, radiators and lighting.
On the labour front, you’ll certainly need a plumber and you'll probably also require an electrician, a tiler and potentially a painter.
This table shows the average costs of some of the most common jobs involved in a bathroom renovation, according to Checkatrade.
| Task | Estimated cost |
| Toilet installation | £100-£175 |
| Basin installation | £100-£200 |
| Bath installation | £250-£400 |
| Shower installation | £350-£600 |
| Shower enclosure installation | £350-£500 |
| Heated towel rail installation | £200-£300 |
| Radiator installation | £200-£300 |
| Rip out bathroom | £300 |
| Electrical work | £600 |
| Wall tiling | £850-£950 |
| Vinyl flooring | £250-£950 |
| First fix plumbing | £25-£40 per m2 |
| Removal of old suite | £100-£200 |
How to save money on your renovation
If your budget is tight, it's worth designing your new bathroom around the existing plumbing, as while pipes can usually be rerouted, this adds to the cost.
You might also consider keeping some of the fixtures in your bathroom rather than replacing all of them. For example, if the inside of your bathtub is in good condition, you could keep it and simply replace the bath panel or even upcycle it by tiling over it.
Another option is to rip out some parts of the bathroom yourself to save labour costs—if you don’t have plumbing skills you could at least remove the tiles.
You might be able to sell some items in your bathroom. Even giving away a basin, vanity or bathtub on Freecycle or Gumtree will save you disposal costs, which can be hefty and will sometimes even require a skip.
While many people opt for fully tiled bathrooms, these involve more material and labour than bathrooms with painted walls, so you could also save money by only partially tiling the room.
Need more budget bathroom ideas?
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Featured image: Britton