You’ve been saving for ages and you’ve watched far too many renovation videos on YouTube, which means you are finally ready to transform your bathroom into a space you actually love getting ready in the morning.
But the thing is even when you think you know what you’re doing, renovations can be unexpectedly very expensive and sometimes even dangerous depending on your project.
I see people make the same mistakes all the time when doing a bathroom reno themselves. Some are just annoying and others cost serious money to fix. And some mistakes?
Well you’ll end up ripping all your hardwork out and starting again, which is definitely not what you want.
Let’s go through the biggest mistakes that can turn your bathroom dreams into a proper nightmare and more importantly how to avoid making them yourself.
Skipping the planning bit
This is where most people completely mess things up from day one. You get all excited about those amazing tiles you saw or that vanity that would look perfect and next thing you know you’re pulling everything apart without actually making a plan or setting out what you want to do.
Planning’s not just about picking nice stuff that looks good. It’s about working out all the boring practical stuff too. Where do your pipes actually go? What’s hiding behind those walls? How much room have you actually got to work with?
Can’t count how many times I’ve seen people get halfway through only to realise they can’t put the toilet where they wanted because the plumbing won’t let them.
Or they find out that gorgeous freestanding bath tub they ordered won’t fit through the door so they will have to sell it for a fraction of the price they paid. Things like this can be not only disheartening but also time consuming.
Take time to measure everything properly. Then measure again. Draw up a plan, even if it’s just something rough on paper. Work out what goes where before you start demolishing stuff.
Forgetting about ventilation
Something that a lot of people forget about is ventilation. Not the most exciting part of a reno, that’s for sure but it’s actually one of the most important bits.
Australian bathrooms generate a lot of moisture from showers etc and if you don’t handle it right you’ll be dealing with mould and paint peeling off and timber rotting.
Your exhaust fan has to be powerful enough for your bathroom size. Generally speaking you want a fan that changes all the air in your bathroom at least eight times every hour. So a 2.5m by 3m bathroom with 2.4m ceilings needs a fan that’s rated at least 144 cubic metres per hour.
Don’t go for the cheap option also or you’ll end up just having to replace it anyways.
Cutting corners on waterproofing
This is the big one. The mistake that can cost you tens of thousands if it goes wrong.
Waterproofing’s not something you want to cheap out on or have a go at yourself unless you really know your stuff. You can’t just stick some waterproofing membrane behind tiles and think that you’re all good to go.
Here in Australia waterproofing has to meet specific standards. Your shower area needs waterproofing to at least 1800mm high. Floor areas need proper falls to drains. All the bits where pipes go through need sealing properly.
Get a licensed waterproofer to do this work. Yes it costs more upfront but it’s nothing compared to what you’ll pay if water gets into your walls or floors and does structural damage.
Choosing the wrong tiles
Not all tiles are the same. That beautiful marble you fell in love with? Might look amazing in the showroom but could be a real pain to look after in a bathroom.
Natural stone needs sealing regularly. Some tiles are way too slippery for shower floors. Others aren’t even suitable for wet areas and can be dangerous, even if the person trying to sell it to you says otherwise.
For shower floors you want something with a slip rating of at least P4. Polished tiles might look fancy but they’re dangerous when they get wet. Textured or matt finishes are much safer.
Here’s something most people don’t think about, grout maintenance. Light coloured grout looks fresh and clean when it’s new but shows every bit of soap scum and mildew. Dark or mid-tone grout’s much more forgiving, which is always good.
Ignoring building codes and permits
This one catches people out all the time. You might think because it’s just a bathroom reno you don’t need to worry about permits or building codes. You couldn’t be more wrong about that.
If you’re moving plumbing around, changing the layout or doing electrical work you’ll probably need permits. And everything has to comply with Australian building standards anyway.
Different councils have different rules too. What’s fine in one area might not be okay somewhere else. So it is important to double check.
Getting permits might seem like a hassle but it protects you later. Try selling a house where major work was done without proper permits and you’ll see why this matters.
Underestimating how long it’ll take
Let me guess, you thought you’d have this whole thing done in a couple of weekends?
Even professional renovators add extra time because things always take longer than you expect. There’s hidden damage to fix, materials arrive late, tradies get held up on other jobs.
If you’re doing the job yourself you have to be realistic. That video tutorial on YouTube? It’s going to take 4 times longer than you think. Even more if it’s your first time.
Not thinking about storage
It might seem obvious but you’d be surprised how many people renovate their bathroom then realise they’ve got nowhere to put anything.
Where are all your towels going to go? Cleaning supplies? All your bottles of products and haircare?
Built in storage is always better than trying to add furniture later
Getting the lighting wrong
Bathroom lighting’s actually pretty tricky. Needs to be bright enough for stuff like shaving or putting makeup on, but not so harsh it makes you look terrible.
One light in the middle of the ceiling’s not going to do it. You’ll end up with shadows on your face every time you look in the mirror, which is annoying.
Think about different types of lighting. Lighting around the mirror? General overhead lighting? Any lamps in the wall for middle of the night bathroom trips?
And remember all electrical work in bathrooms needs a qualified electrician. Not a DIY job, that’s for sure.
Choosing style over function
Easy to get caught up in how things look and forget about how they’ll actually work day to day.
That rainfall showerhead looks incredible but does it give you enough water pressure? That freestanding bath’s perfect for Instagram but will you actually use it or just end up cleaning around it?
Be realistic, what do you actually want and need? If you’re always rushing to get ready in the mornings you probably don’t need a soaking tub.
If you’ve got kids you might want to focus on surfaces that are easy to clean rather than fancy types of stone that look amazing but easily scratched or dirtied.
DIY-ing things you shouldn’t
There’s heaps of bathroom renovation work you can do yourself. Painting, basic tiling, installing some fixtures, most handy people can handle that stuff.
But some things should definitely be left to professionals. Plumbing, electrical work, waterproofing, structural changes.
The money you save doing these jobs yourself isn’t worth it if you get them wrong. Water damage from dodgy plumbing can cost tens of thousands to fix. Electrical problems can be dangerous.
Overall
Take your time planning things out. Don’t be scared to ask questions if you’re not sure about something. And remember this reno’s going to be part of your home for years so it’s worth doing right the first time.
The money you spend on proper planning, decent materials and skilled tradies will save you much more later on. Because remember its always more expensive and stressful to fix than do it right the first time!
Complete Bathroom Solutions are always here to help you with all things bathroom renovations. If you need help from experts, contact us today!
