The modern bathroom is a place for serenity, calm, and relaxation. Unfortunately, the process of planning a bathroom renovation can often be the opposite, causing high levels of stress for many homeowners, new and experienced alike. However, this need not be the case. When properly planned and executed, a bathroom renovation is an exciting opportunity to transform one of your home's most essential spaces into your very own personal sanctuary.
As with any renovation, whether a simple update or a complete refurbishment, careful planning ensures your investment delivers both aesthetic appeal and the longevity you deserve. With this guide, you’ll learn how to do just that; we'll streamline the entire process, identify the when and what to consider when renovating a bathroom, bringing you one step closer to your dream interior.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- When Should You Renovate Your Bathroom?
- What to Think About When Renovating a Bathroom
- How Long Does It Take to Renovate a Bathroom?
- How To Find a Bathroom Fitter
- How Much Does It Cost to Renovate a Bathroom?
When Should You Renovate Your Bathroom?
Before we discuss the how, let’s talk about the when. A frequent, overlapping question on many homeowners' lips is: "Should we renovate the bathroom this year?” The right time to renovate isn’t always obvious, and you often need to look past the surface to see the bigger picture. While the aesthetic displeasure of an outdated, creaky bathtub or those ugly, cracked bathroom tiles might be knowing at you, there are other signs that indicate it may be time to act.
Plumbing Problems
Experiencing slow drainage, low water pressure, or even strange smells? Depending on the severity and number of issues, it is most likely time to renovate. While minor problems can often be resolved with simple repairs, persistent or widespread issues often indicate a deeper, systemic problem. In such cases, your best bet is to thoroughly overhaul your bathroom’s outdated plumbing infrastructure.
Slacking on Storage
If you're struggling to manage clutter in your bathroom, storage issues are likely to blame. Storage woes are a common problem for many homeowners, often stemming from a lack of dedicated storage solutions, which indicates it’s time for a renovation. Fortunately, this can be a quick win. With a vast array of modern bathroom furniture on the market, such as a purpose-built vanity unit, it’s possible to keep everything minimal and neat without breaking the bank.
High Energy Costs
Outdated electric showers and dripping taps waste significant energy - a reality many homeowners find alarming. While a bathroom renovation requires upfront investment, upgrading to modern technology and a higher level of efficiency delivers long-term savings that offset initial costs. Modern solutions, such as dual-flush toilets and dual-fuel towel radiators, prioritise water conservation and energy efficiency, minimising energy consumption whilst reducing both utility bills and your carbon footprint. It's a win-win for your wallet and the environment!
Doesn't Prioritise Wellness
According to our 2026 bathroom trends analysis, lifestyle and wellness are increasingly influential factors in cultivating the perfect bathroom. A space that promotes mental and physical wellbeing can elevate mood and health, making your bathroom that much more enjoyable to use. Whether it’s the layout, colour scheme, or choice of materials, sometimes, the bathroom you’ve got simply isn’t the right one for you.
Moisture Misery
Moisture build-up affects around 1 in 5 UK households, leading to common problems such as damp and mould, which, in turn, damage your walls and even impact your health. This issue arises from the build-up of condensation in bathrooms that lack adequate ventilation and heating, and should be addressed immediately. Often, a minor renovation is required to remove existing mould and eliminate damp for good.
What To Think About When Renovating a Bathroom
So, what’s the best way to renovate a bathroom? How do you do it successfully and avoid costly renovation mistakes? Well, before making any big decisions, allow yourself plenty of time to explore what's possible within the space you have available.
To do so, just follow these simple steps:
1) Identify Your Needs
This premier part of your renovation journey is perhaps the most important. It should be an honest assessment of precisely what is wrong with your current bathroom and what you need from your new bathroom.
- What are the pain points? - By analysing the list in the previous section, you can tick off your current bathroom issues and decide how a renovation can improve your day-to-day life.
- What is the bathroom's footfall? - Consider who uses the bathroom and when. For instance, a family bathroom serves different purposes than an ensuite - it needs to accommodate multiple people in limited timeframes, withstand heavier daily use, and perhaps even include specialist features such as a designated bath for children.
- How will the space be used? - Some homeowners dream of long, relaxing soaks in a freestanding bath, while others would benefit more from a generous walk-in shower that accommodates their morning routine. Understanding how you envisage the space being used, alongside practical requirements, will create a clear brief for your renovation. Which, as it happens, brings us nicely onto our next point.
2) Get Inspired
Inspiration fuels every successful bathroom transformation. Without a clear vision of what you want your space to become, you risk making decisions that don't align with your lifestyle or aesthetic goals. In need of bathroom suit ideas? Well, fortunately, there are plenty of places to find inspiration, see what’s trending, and learn how others are making the most of their space.
a) Check Out Social Media
Social media is a boon for inspiration, readily available and packing a vast library of design choices. Pinterest and Instagram are two ideal platforms, overflowing with homeowners, interior designers and brands just itching to show you what they’ve been up to. You can discover trends, compare themes and research specific products, all of which can be done simply by searching the relevant hashtags or keywords.
b) Utilise Home Inspiration Magazines and Online Media
Many home design & improvement websites can also provide inspiration. Here are some of our favourites:
c) Visit a Showroom
Alternatively, if you’re really stuck and could do with a more personal opinion, you can pop into a local showroom for expert advice tailored to your specific situation.
3) Measure Your Space
Lastly, once your issues are identified and your imagination fired up, it’s time to start measuring your bathroom. Start by measuring the floor from corner to corner, working your way around the room in one direction. Don’t feel compelled to move backwards and forwards, as this could lead to errors. If your bathroom isn’t a conventional square or rectangular shape, break it up into rectangles and measure them individually. Once completed, this should provide an accurate floor plan.
The next step is to measure the height of the walls from floor to ceiling. Lastly, don’t forget to measure any features such as windows, cupboards, shelves and doorways (noting the direction and how far they open). It may also be useful to note dimensions in both feet/inches and metres/centimetres/millimetres, just in case products are listed in a certain way on a particular website or brochure.
How Long Does It Take to Renovate a Bathroom?
As with any renovation project, this answer is never straightforward. Timeline variations depend on several factors: bathroom size, product availability, scope of work, and the possibility of any unforeseen complications discovered during the stripping-out phase.
That being said, most standard bathroom renovations, comprising a new suite, fixtures, tiling and plumbing, span 3-6 weeks (around 4-8 weeks including planning/delays). For more extensive projects involving structural changes, complete replumbing, or bespoke elements, the process can take up to 8-12+ weeks.
Another key factor is your chosen bathroom fitter, specifically their schedule and general reliability. When dealing with a reputable and on-the-ball fitter, realistic timescales will be provided upfront. Furthermore, any changes in prospective completion dates will be communicated promptly. Come to think of it, the importance of selecting the right fitter for your job simply cannot be overstated. Speaking of which…
How To Find a Bathroom Fitter
Skilled bathroom fitters transform your plans into reality, navigate challenges, and ensure everything new functions flawlessly for years ahead. Unless you’re competent to undertake the task yourself (and let’s face it, you probably wouldn’t be reading this guide if you were), fitters are a vital piece of the renovation puzzle.
But how do you find the right person for the task? Here are three avenues to pursue:
- Seek recommendations - Take advantage of who you know! Ask friends, family or neighbours who they’ve used for their own successful renovations, particularly in the recent past. After all, personal experience always proves more valuable than any anonymous online review.
- Use online platforms - Many tradespeople showcase project portfolios and verified ratings on online platforms, such as Checkatrade. Look for fitters with relevant qualifications and recent experience on projects similar to yours, or get recommendations from people who live near you.
- Get quotes - Be sure to request written quotes from at least three fitters (the more the better), breaking down exact costs of labour, materials, and payment terms.
Don’t forget - when it comes to finding the right fitter for you, communication matters enormously. Bathroom renovations are costly projects that require concise, careful, and long-term communication among everyone involved. Make sure you hire someone you can build an honest and productive working relationship with.
How Much Does It Cost To Renovate a Bathroom?
The question we’ve all been waiting for, the one that sits at the forefront of every homeowner’s mind when planning their project: “Just how much is all this going to cost?”
Well, as with the installation timeline, this answer varies based on your requirements, your existing structure, and the products and features you choose. Location also plays an important role in determining costs. In London, for example, consumer prices are a whopping 20% higher on average. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of all the relevant factors will help you set realistic pricing expectations.
In fact, we recently asked ourselves the same question. After comparing several quotes and conducting extensive research into labour costs, fixture prices, and locational variances, we settled on a rough average cost of £5,950 to renovate a new bathroom. This includes both installation and the stripping out of old fixtures. However, this figure can range from £3,000 to well over £33,000, particularly for projects that aim to add extensions.
For more information on this topic, including a breakdown of fixture installation costs and tips for keeping renovation costs at a minimum, take a look at our guide on how much a new bathroom costs.
Ready To Start Your Bathroom Transformation?
Planning a bathroom renovation is no mean feat. Any prospective project must deftly balance a multitude of factors. Aspiration grapples with practicality. Stylistic vision wrestles with budget constraints. Speed is locked in a constant struggle with quality and due care. So on, so forth.
Still, not to worry! By approaching the process methodically - establishing a clear vision, setting realistic budgets, choosing appropriate products, and engaging skilled professionals - you'll hit all the right notes and navigate your bathroom remodel with supreme confidence.
At Sanctuary Bathrooms, we offer a vast selection of bathroom products, featuring premium brands designed for every aesthetic and budget. For personalised guidance through every decision, contact us and talk to our expert team, who bring decades of experience helping homeowners create bathrooms that balance beauty, functionality, and enduring quality.
