Updating bathroom with a walk-in shower unit.

I would just get a local plumber who comes with recommendations.
My friend used one of these firms that specialise in disabled bathrooms. They gave such a shoddy service, that he took them to court.
He said the large expensive tiles were falling off the wall, hadn’t bolted the loo to the floor, you get the picture?
When he complained they walked off the job.
They (company) won their case & he had to pay their court costs.
Basically he paid twice over. Original quote was for £19 grand.

In our last house 7 years ago we had our bath replaced with a walk in shower unit. We kept the wash hand basin and the toilet. No grab rails. The walls around the shower were done in panels to tone with our tiles. An excellent job done by a company recommended by our son who had used them.
We moved to a bungalow 4 years ago with a shower over the bath fully intending to fit a walk in shower. Time passed, money was being spent like snow off a ditch and the walk in shower moved down the to do list.
Two years ago my sciatica landed with force and I was eventually taken to hospital by ambulance where I remained for 3 weeks. Discharged home to a hospital bed, with a continuing prescription for morphine. Multiple pain clinic appointments/injections have not helped and I use a rollater. We still had the shower over the bath. A care package ensured I had a full body wash each morning. Six months ago we had our walk in shower installed using the same company and having exactly tne same.work done adding grab rails.
It cost almost twice tne same job as 7 years ago. We consider each time that we had half a bathroom refurbished. Our recent one cost £5,500.
My point is that we should prepare for the future. Overnight my sciatica left me with mobility issues. I spent many months or so getting body washes. Hair washed over the wash hand basin. Even then we were waiting to see if my sciatica would improve and I could return to using the shower over the bath.
I suggest - Prepare for the unknown, the possible, the unexpected. And my chrome grab rails in my new walk in shower look very smart. Secured to the wall as I wouldnt trust the suction grab rails. Only my opinion.

I decided to have my bathroom completely revamped a couple of years ago and investigated a few of the national companies who undertake the whole thing; removal of old fittings, replacement with new, updated plumbing and tiling. The average cost was £8000. Instead, I went to a local, independent and reputable bathroom shop; they reconfigured the layout to one that made much better use of the available space, helped me to choose fittings that I wouldn't have thought about, recommended different and better lighting and advised on a safer floor covering than tiles. They also arranged for one of their experienced plumbers/heating engineers to do the whole job. The price, including full length walk in shower, washbasin, toilet, shower screen, flooring, radiators, lighting and tiling, grab rail, taps and storage cabinets was £6000.

I haten to add much was DIY, we so enjoy DIY.

Our tub was removed, walk in shower in it's place, floor leveled toward the drain, walls and floor tiled over, hand faucet, shower heads, grab rails, seat, weighted curtain. We paid around £6000.

Hopesprings, the engineer from Udoor fiited the door into our existing L shaped bath to convert it into a walk-in bath. It is not a new bath with a door. The works took 4 to 6 hours.

My neighbour in her late eighties had hers done and she invited me to her house to have a look at it.

SporeRB01, please can you confirm if you had to have your old bath removed and then replaced with a new one with a door? We live in a cottage with very narrow, steep stairs. I dread the mess and dust if they have to break up the old bath to get it down the stairs. Our bathroom is unusual as it is furnished with antique items . I fear we should have tackled this before getting so old. Would be grateful for any information.

Get yourself a good few quotes, including your plumber for labour, and those offering the “full package”, and go with the one you feel is most beneficial and affordable to you.

My mother-in-law had a "new" bathroom with a big walk-in shower.
It is beautiful. The shower sits in the footprint of the old bath and uses the same drain.

I think this type of project may or may not be an expensive job depending on the amount of work it entails and the goods/materials chosen.
A simple swap from a bath to a shower without other work would be quite reasonable I'd have thought.

I think hers was about five or so thousand - but she had the whole room retiled, had new cabinets, porcelain, fixtures and fittings.

It was done via Tippers who organised everything for her. They used local tradespeople for the work and she has since had the same people in to do other jobs for her.

She chose from a certain range of middle priced fittings but I expect she could have chosen other things. Everything was itemised.

I expect that because they are mainly a builders merchant they can make their money in different ways - so not all on the fitting and not all on the fitments.

The walk-in shower was big enough to have a shower chair in it when she sadly had a stroke. I'd suggest a large one like this - as not only is it a small everyday piece of art in your bathroom but it's also an insurance for the future.

We have a shower over bath but we rarely use the bath.

When my DH had his hip operation, I contact a company call UDoor to fit a door in our bath for £1500 including VAT. I bought a shower chair with arm rest that fit in the bath.

I attached a photo. I really thought it looks quite cool. Does not scream ‘elderly’ to me.

I bought my wet room with the house I bought twenty -three years ago. It came complete with bidet. It was installed by an old couple and the wall tiles are old fashioned floral pink but they do me fine.

I wear plastic 'pool sliders' in my wet room. They cost £16. They are misnamed as they eliminate accidents from sliding on a wet floor. However I also have plenty of grab rails.

We had a shower room installed about 3 years ago. We had a bath which neither of us used because of the difficulty of getting in and out.

We used a local firm who employed all their own contractors such as electricians, flooring people and plumbing.

They asked if we wanted a grab rail and stupidly, I said no. I regretted it afterwards and bought a suction grab rail later, which helps a lot with balance.

We were really pleased with the finished results, although it was expensive. We paid about £9000 for everything.

We used a recommended local chap two years ago to replace shower unit, toilet and washbasin in our en-suite, it cost £1,900, we saved £1,000 on tiling as MrJ did it.
So about £3,000 including rubbish removal.
I would ask friends, your church, neighbours maybe for referrals.

We had a lovely full length walk in shower fitted but it only ever gets used by visitors used now. I would not want permanent grab rails fitted in there. It would spoil the look. Since I had my hip replaced, I feel safer in the little ensuite shower - not so much space around me and I use two suction grab handles in there which have never let me down. It wasn’t cheap to have the bathroom reconfigured. We sourced the equipment from a good plumbers merchant with technical help from our plumber who was fitting it and doing the tiling. We did have quotes from firms who offered the full service but they were, for the most part, astronomical.

It seems sensible to me to get aids (grab rails and the like) before you find that you need them. Sometimes that finding out can be very painful and prolonged!

Luckily I don't need grab rails yet, I am sensible and would never go out wearing anything but lace up shoes. I use a stick and have now acquired a rollator but it is heavy for me to fold and I wouldn't feel safe getting on a bus.

My house is set out for me because I am also partially sighted. With my professional background, I am safe here. If I needed grab rails I would have them fitted.

Who is going to see any grab rails?
Be proud of being a Vintage Vamp.

Charleygirl , I sincerely hope you don't regret not having grabrails in your shower . Its not a sign of old age many young people have them . Many hotels do too. Basic common sense really.

I had a walk-in shower installed some years ago, in a second bathroom and my grab-rail is a lovely chrome circle with a soap dish at the bottom. You would never think it was a grab-rail at all. It WAS on the pricey side but I love the look of it.

I also use a rubber shower mat and hang it over the towel rail at the end to dry out after every session.

Two years ago I got some quotes but just couldn't afford to have my wet-room updated. Now it is mainly a laundry room because the shower doesn't even work anymore.

Luckily I have a shower upstairs although it is in the bath.

Sometimes you just have to soldier on...

Charleygirl - you don’t like ‘grab rails ‘ because it emphasises your age ? That made me smile.
I think you are like one of my 86 year old friends, who refuses to wear flat/low heeled shoes, despite being warned of the dangers.. Guess what ? She fell in town and fractured her femur….lifethreatening at that age. She was rushed to Hospital, kept in for 3 weeks with a plaster and following discharge, she is doing well. She is one of the lucky few.
So please re-think grabrails. It could save your life.

We have one, but put it in some time ago now so not up to date on cost, but I would thoroughly recommend it. It is so much easier with no step.

If you can face it, I would get a few quotes and see what you think after that.

Charleygirl5

I have an ordinary shower here, and I personally wouldn't have a walk-in one. I was in hospital last week, used the walk -in shower and was terrified I would slip on the tiniest amount of water.

I personally don't like grab rails. I know I am elderly but it emphasises it!

For some people grab rails are an essential not something you do or do not like. It would be very dangerous for my husband to try having a shower without a grab rail.

I have an ordinary shower here, and I personally wouldn't have a walk-in one. I was in hospital last week, used the walk -in shower and was terrified I would slip on the tiniest amount of water.

I personally don't like grab rails. I know I am elderly but it emphasises it!