How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

Definitely makes a difference.

For bigger pieces of meat I often sous vide and finish on the BBQ to keep the smell out of the house for my veggie OH.

Loft shower room needs completely gutted, new ceiling, fully tiled, new everything.

Re: Bathroom Refurbishment

Scope of work:
Replace existing sanitary ware (supplied by customer);
Replace existing tiles to all walls and floor (tiles & adhesive supplied by customer);
Erect hardy-back boards in wet areas;
Create a niche (size determined by customer);
Replace extractor fan;
Install four spotlights;
Replaster and Paint Ceiling to finish.

General Building Materials 800.00
Building Labour 3,200.00
Electrical Work 480.00
Rubbish Removal 200.00

                                           ------------
                                        £4,680.00
                        + 20% VAT                 936.00
                                       --------------
                        Total:               £5,616.00
                                       =========

Not sure what I was expecting, but boooooooo

How long have they said it would take?

Bathrooms are quite labour / time intensive.

Aye, that's why I'm not baulking at the labour cost. I do trust these guys. They are nice and got us out of a jam recently (although not for free). I have no idea how long, could be a week, could be two, but it's not our only bathroom/toilet. Current shower in there is decommissioned anyway so I'm not bothered. If they did it in 3 days, I wouldn't haggle on the labour, so long as it's good. The previous firm they worked for (where we met them), they were the ones who went around fixing all the dodgy installs that the other crews had done. They've since shit canned that firm (because cunts), so we're contracting with them directly.

Trust worthy trades are rare as rocking horse shit, if they are good then use them.

Around the same I got quoted to gut and re-do our bathroom (v.small). £4985+VAT

Excl. the suite and tiles?

They're also just "nice" too. One of them knew that mini_com was napping last Friday so instead of ringing the doorbell to be let in as usual, he called the other one to come down and open the door so as to not wake her.

Yeah, people who are good with their hands and good with their brains are a very rare find. Our architects builders were defo both and really nice too, I kinda miss them.

If you trust them to do a good job, and also not overcharging you because you're going to go with them anyway, then sounds fine.

Meanwhile, I have got some quotes on getting our garden patio sorted, reusing 30m2 of sandstone that we lifted for our extension, move a path and put new turf.

Got a quote from the person recommended from our carpenters: £3000.
Got a comparison quote from someone I know - £9360.

Wouldn't have expected such a big difference between costs.
Its so different it makes me wonder whether the cheaper one is way off, rather than the £9360 being too high.

Dont talk to me about gardens.
Just having to deal with some terrible work getting done on mine.
Never trust anyone.
I'm going to have to sort out their crappy work.

I'll sell you a garden

hardy-back boards

lol did they actually write this?

It's a lot but given the scale of the work it doesn't seem mad...

Is yours even finished?

we paid maybe 800 less than this for our bathroom refurb in 2019 - expect prices have risen since then

our bathroom is also absolutely tiny and he did a fair bit of work on rationalising the horrible rats nest of plumbing underneath the bathroom too. So it isn't a million miles off.

I can sell you a half-finished garden

More than I have atm...

Yep

(ours is finished just doesn't have any planting in it atm, unless you count weed technology)

My MIL paid about £7k all in (including about £2k for tiles and suite) for a full bathroom gutting and new one installed and ready to go recently..

Cheers all. I was already happy with the price (relatively) but good to hear similar numbers.

Was looking at some of the John Pawson for Cocoon - looks great. Then I saw the price 🥲

https://www.cphart.co.uk/john-pawson-set-22-thermostatic-complete-rain-shower-set-with-pencil-hand-shower/

Easy to blow your home improvement budget with a couple of these...

Trigger warning!

I wish that was anywhere near my level, which is Victorian Plumbing.

Thinks been moving along pretty quickly this week. First fix electrics and plumbing done and the structure is finished. Insulation, veluxes, roofing and stairs going n next week. Plaster might start too.

4 Attachments