Renovation Education: The Real Cost of Redesigning an Ensuite
Find out exactly what you can expect to pay to renovate a moderately sized ensuite
If you’re confused about the cost of renovating an average-size ensuite, you’re not alone. Here, Anoushka Allum of Anoushka Allum Design provides the real costs, in Australian dollars, of a practical and serene ensuite she designed for her own home in Wahroonga, NSW, so you can be better informed.
The ensuite before works
Scope of work
Scope of work
- Undertook a full demolition and asbestos removal before work could start.
- Removed the wall next to the bathroom to square off the room.
- Added a new ceiling and lighting.
- Made the walls perfectly straight so we could install new large 600 x 600-millimetre tiles.
- Specified a full fit-out, including a heated towel ladder, custom joinery and new waste points for the floating vanity and newly positioned shower.
- Removed the original door, which opened outwards into the bedroom, and replaced it with a space-saving cavity slider.
Challenges
The asbestos removal slowed us down and added to the budget, although it was to be expected in a 1970s build.
Also, we found a lot of rotten timber members in the walls that needed replacing.
As it’s a very small room, it was hard for more than one person to work in here at the same time.
The room’s compact dimensions also meant that everything had to be planned down to the millimetre. For instance, I chose Roca’s The Gap toilet as it has a shorter projection than most – this worked really well in the space.
The asbestos removal slowed us down and added to the budget, although it was to be expected in a 1970s build.
Also, we found a lot of rotten timber members in the walls that needed replacing.
As it’s a very small room, it was hard for more than one person to work in here at the same time.
The room’s compact dimensions also meant that everything had to be planned down to the millimetre. For instance, I chose Roca’s The Gap toilet as it has a shorter projection than most – this worked really well in the space.
Trade services required
Be inspired by photos of more incredible Australian bathrooms
- Builder
- Plumber
- Joiner
- Electrician
- Asbestos specialist
- Glazier
- Tiler
- Painter.
Be inspired by photos of more incredible Australian bathrooms
What did you spend on?
Italian tiles and custom joinery. I also spent on moving the services to accommodate in-wall tapware and the bigger shower, and installing the cavity-slider door to make the space more useable.
I chose great-quality fixtures, such as an Omvivo basin, a 1.5-metre Hydrotherm towel ladder and Milli Glance tapware, from Reece. You touch fixtures every day and I think quality ones can really lift a bathroom and will stand the test of time.
What did you save on?
Not having underfloor heating and relying on the heated towel ladder. I also didn’t tile all the way to the ceiling – we have raked ceilings that go up to almost 3.2 metres in height.
What did you invest in?
Reconfiguring the room to make it bigger. And ensuring the rotten timber and concrete slab was sound.
Italian tiles and custom joinery. I also spent on moving the services to accommodate in-wall tapware and the bigger shower, and installing the cavity-slider door to make the space more useable.
I chose great-quality fixtures, such as an Omvivo basin, a 1.5-metre Hydrotherm towel ladder and Milli Glance tapware, from Reece. You touch fixtures every day and I think quality ones can really lift a bathroom and will stand the test of time.
What did you save on?
Not having underfloor heating and relying on the heated towel ladder. I also didn’t tile all the way to the ceiling – we have raked ceilings that go up to almost 3.2 metres in height.
What did you invest in?
Reconfiguring the room to make it bigger. And ensuring the rotten timber and concrete slab was sound.
Materials total: $10,000
Your turn
Is this the kind of cost you expected for an average-size ensuite renovation? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Keen to learn the true cost of a classic kitchen renovation? Find out here with Renovation Education: A Classic White Kitchen With Pretty Extras
- Fixtures from Reece: $3,500
- Custom joinery: $3,000
- Tiles from Di Lorenzo: $2,800
- Glazing: $700.
Your turn
Is this the kind of cost you expected for an average-size ensuite renovation? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Keen to learn the true cost of a classic kitchen renovation? Find out here with Renovation Education: A Classic White Kitchen With Pretty Extras
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Location: Wahroonga, NSW
Year built: 1975 (last renovated in 2019)
Your role: I am the owner and interior designer of this ensuite.
Ensuite size: 1.8 x 2.4 metres
Total price of bathroom: $35,000
What did you want to achieve here?
I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this bathroom when we bought the place. The shower was a built-in cubicle and I wanted to take out the wall and open it up to create a spacious 900 x 1,800-millimetre shower space, which is generous for a small bathroom.
The bathroom was also quite dark, so I wanted to ensure the tiles and fixtures brought in more light.
I already had fixtures in mind from Reece, including a basin and tapware.