Bathroom dilemma

keepingquiet, I would strongly suggest you get this work done asap. Your savings will not go up anywhere near as fast as the costs of such work. So, whatever you have been quoted now, will seem minute if you wait a couple of years.

I had my main bathroom refitted a couple of years ago now. I bought all the fixtures and fittings, tiles and grout etc. etc. Paid for it all out of my savings which are limited. My eldest son did all the work needed, he's a plumber so at least an expert in that respect but we stripped the room back to the joists and bare bricks but still managed to complete everything in about 10 days. I love the finished article it's great and I'm so glad I went ahead with the work when I did. If I didn't have savings I would have taken out a bank loan and spread the cost. Sort the downstairs shower room out now and it won't need doing again in a couple of years as you keep saying.

Just in the middle of having my en-suite re-done.
I love the planning of any such work - have a happy year going round showrooms, and playing about with squared paper working out what I want - where.
BUT......I really detest this (short but feels long) period when the work is actually being carried out. They started last Tuesday at 7.30 am. Promise me they will be finished by next Tuesday afternoon. Today (Friday) I have a day off (for good behavior???).

My whole flat seems to be have been turned upside down, obviously dust everywhere from where they took down the original floor to ceiling tiles. When they delivered everything I had it put into my garage..........but as soon as the fitters started they brought most of it up to the flat. So, my spare bedroom is impossible to get into now.
Sure it will be lovely when it is completed.
Have to make changes as work goes on. My request for spotlights is not possible due to concrete ceiling and not really suitable for dropped ceiling, so I will have to put up with central light.
I just really detest having to get up so early let them in, having someone in my flat all the time during the day, and, above all the mess.
Each time I have such awork carried out I tell my kids that the next time I am thinking about having work done, to stop me...........but (rather like childbirth), once it is all finished and I delighted with using it, I will soon forget the pain of this week.
Yes, I am having one of the 'comfort height' loos put in, disguised grab rails and a fold down shower seat. Also, cupboards in which to 'hide' everything. And no having to clean behind loo and basin as these are both part of fitted furniture - so a very easy to keep a spotlessly clean room.
Roll on next Wednesday.

Then I will have to be rather frugal for a long time to replace the savings I have used for this work.
To say that in my 'guest 'bathroom, I did keep the bath, with double shower over it. Feel that it will assist future sales of the flat to have both. In a family house, think it is good practice to keep a bath, any family with small children will want one of these

This is what savings are for in my opinion. Upgrade the wet room so you love it, and it will last for many more years. Then, back to saving to replace the money spent.

If you want to keep a downstairs bathroom I would make it a proper shower room with an enclosed shower. However making it in to a utility room would also add value but keep a downstairs toilet. I have three bathrooms but would dearly love a utility/laundry room to get washing machine, dryer and clothes airer out of the kitchen.

I always use my shower room - as it has a heated floor - but guests use the main bathroom or downstairs loo. It suits me as I can have them neat and tidy but all my stuff is out on display in convenient spots in the shower room - and nobody else sees it. My 'laundry room' is just the far end of the garage, hardly a showpiece but serves it's purpose. I certainly wouldn't get rid of the downstairs loo but I'd replace the basin and taps. getting rid of a second bathroom would reduce the resale value.

My friend just has a UPVC 'porch' on the back of her house (that's what they called it, to avoid planning permission) and it's used as a laundry room.

Thanks everyone- maybe I'll just save up and have it done in a couple of years. I can probably manage until then- some good suggestions here but I do like having the choice of a bath too. In some ways it is nice to have the two bathrooms. I do love my home.

Me? No way.

Give it a few years...

Whenever I see a combined utility and cloakroom on Rightmove I scroll on by unless they can be separated, with separate accesses.

You may think you can do without a shower now but fast forward a few years and you will be grateful you have one.

I have a downstairs loo and whb. Upstairs I had to have my bath removed and an ordinary shower fitted as it was like the sinking of the Titanic when I had a bath and latterly I had mega problems getting out. The non-slip shower base is not so I bought something from Amazon so I do not slip. I also use a stool in the shower. My bathroom is tiled floor and wall to ceiling and I just place a mat outside the shower so I do not slip

If you replace the loos buy higher ones as I did and they are fabulous. It is easy niow for me to get on and off the loo.

*If the wall tiles are good but look tired, can you get them regrouted?

*Why not have a walk-in type low-level shower where the existing shower/water is?

*If you don't like the two taps on your washbasin, either get a plumber to close one off with a stopper and fit a mixer tap instead of the other, or, splash out on a new washbasin (from about £50).

*Can you fit a washer in there? I know several people now with a combined utility/WC and shower? If you can fit a washer in and also want a tumbler, put it on top - or buy a washer/dryer.

*if the floor is horrible as you say, then do that of course. I would probably choose tiles but it doesn't have to be - especially if the shower will now be enclosed with its own drainage.

I don't think you should consider the "what ifs" too hard. Make it a happy and useful place for you now.
If things go wrong in future it won't be the "shouldn't have done the bathroom" that is your primary concern.

I would say that a combined utility room and cloakroom isn’t the best idea.

Can you not put a shower in the upstairs bathroom instead of a bath?

So many great replies thanks I can't answer all individually but I'll try to explain in more detail:

The wet-room is tiled floor to ceiling but is old and dingy so I think if I have one thing done I'll want a complete new room. There is an electric shower, a toilet and a sink.

The sanitary furniture is also old and cheap especially the sink which doesn't have mixer taps and that drives me nuts- so I have had quotes for complete bathroom refurb with new wall tiles and floor tiles. I could get panels but good quality tiles will be better I think. There is no dirty grouting as the room has no damp issues only in small areas of the floor.

MadeinYorkshire (like me!) the one thing putting me off getting a grant as you say I may not have much say in the materials and as I said before, it would need doing again in a few years so false economy there I think. The Altro flooring only has a five year guarantee I'm told as they assume most people who have them won't live much longer haha! I'm not there yet!

GermanShepherdsmum I'm thinking as you say of converting to a laundry/utility room even though I'll then have no walk in shower. It wouldn't be possible to make it into two rooms as it really isn't that big.

It is such a dilemma- maybe buying lottery tickets is the best answer and hoping for a big win!

We have a very low level shower tray, probably 2 to 3 cm above floor level and this was installed to replace a bath with shower over and a horrible plastic curtain that stuck to you when having a show.
If you do develop mobility issues in time then at least you can still have the benefit of a 'walk-in shower'.
Is the room big enough to divide it up to still have the utility room you mentioned?

I'm sure I've seen somewhere that you can now buy complete showers, the cubicle, and everything needed.

You simply secure it into place.

Unless one of your bedrooms is downstairs I wouldn’t keep the wet room. One bathroom/shower room shared by two upstairs bedrooms is sufficient. A loo downstairs is essential but not a shower unless one bedroom is upstairs. Do you have a utility room? Can the wet room be converted into a utility room and a downstairs loo with basin (separate rooms, separately accessed)?

Is it just the flooring you are re-placing or are you going for the whole room, tiles , toilet, shower , if the latter, think about having waterproof wall boards, instead of tiles, they come in many designs these days and are much nicer than the marble colour ways that they used to be and easier to install the tiling that is very Labour intensive. Make enquires in your area , with the council, if there is a Care & Repair service, they might be able to help you get quotes from reasonable prices builders, and they can tell you if you would be eligible for help.

Being disabled myself, most definitely keep the bathroom!

Altro flooring is the one they put don in wet rooms etc in hospitals, and I hate it! I've slipped on it a few times now and do not think it is non-slip at all, really nothing is when soap is involved. It is an absolute pain to keep clean as it's sort of 'griity' too.

You can get other anti-slip floors which may be cheaper. If you are ok currently, why not get a shower tray that will keep the water at bay, then if you were to become disabled you may be eligible to have a Disabled Facilities Grant to sort it out. Also, have a look at your council's website - mine do a loan scheme for repair and maintenance for homeowners called Lendology, your council may have similar? Sadly here you have to have been in residence for 5 years before you can apply.

I am eligible for a DFG as poor and disabled, but, as you rightly say you have little say in it. Here they wanted to remove my bath, install Altro flooring (yuk) and make a wet-room, with a stairlift to access it. Fair enough, BUT my bathroom is fully tiled top to bottom in large blue/green tiles. It isn't the prettiest and not my choice but it's fine. What they would do however is remove the bath, and replace the large tiles with small white ones, which would look horrific! I have 15 of these large tiles spare, so |I said, if they could do me a white 'shower' in the corner, and use my tiles to fill in the remaining space where the bath came out I would go for that, but no, they can't do that, so I've refused it and will continue to strip wash in the kitchen which I've done for the past 2 years.

What I really NEED is a downstairs loo, but that's another long complicated story ...

You have a shower cubicle in there as well? So you just need the floor tiled?

Sorry I misunderstood.

Would you have room for a toilet to go into the wet room at all?

Thank you for your answers-

Aggie yes, apparently wet-room floors don't last. Mine sounds very like yours and just looks horrible now.

One option is to tile it, as most quality floor tiles are made non-slip now and I don't have damp issues.

I do have a shower in there now. It does come in useful at times as my upstairs shower is in the bath- so there are advantages keeping the shower there. I have no plans to sell the house but you never know what lies ahead.

I am thinking of withdrawing enough of my savings and applying for a grant but this will mean I get less quality and the problem will come back in a few years.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Your answers seem to be echoing all choices

Install a shower instead in the wet room? That way you keep a downstairs loo and shower, but the mess is contained. I wouldn’t lose the downstairs bathroom, you only increase the value if you sell…..

My en-suite is a wet room , I hate , loathe and detest the floor ,
it doesn’t drain completely, so I have to either mop it or leave it to dry and leave a water stain
It’s impossible to get it really clean as it has a rough texture
I have considered just getting new flooring , but it seems this is special non slip and ordinary flooring is a hazard
If it wasn’t en-suite I’d make it into a utility room with a loo