Situations and planning
Renovating the only bathroom in the house while still living there
At a glance
- Ask the fitter for a realistic day-by-day sequence so you know which days you'll have no water to the room at all, rather than assuming it's usable throughout.
- Arrange an alternative for washing and toilet use in advance, a nearby relative, gym membership, or portable toilet, rather than scrambling once work starts.
Questions to ask any fitter
Arrange an alternative for washing and toilet use in advance, a nearby relative, gym membership, or portable toilet, rather than scrambling once work starts.
Common questions
How many days will we realistically be without a working bathroom?
It varies with scope, but ask specifically rather than assuming, a simple refit may only mean a couple of disrupted days, a full re-plumb considerably more.
Can the toilet stay connected while the rest is stripped out?
Sometimes, if the layout allows it to be isolated from the rest of the works, worth raising with whoever is quoting before the job starts.
What to sort out first
- Ask the fitter for a realistic day-by-day sequence so you know which days you'll have no water to the room at all
- rather than assuming it's usable throughout.
- Arrange an alternative for washing and toilet use in advance
- a nearby relative, gym membership, or portable toilet, rather than scrambling once work starts.
- Keeping the existing WC connected and usable for as much of the job as possible
- even mid-strip, is worth asking for explicitly if the layout allows it.
- Build in slack for delivery delays on sanitaryware
- since a delay here means more days without a bathroom rather than just a later finish date.
Keep reading
Planning around a growing or changing householdSituations and planningInsurance escape-of-water reinstatementSituations and planningSplitting a bathroom budget over two phasesSituations and planningAdding a second bathroomBathroom typesSoil pipe planningFitting and designTanking and waterproofingFitting and design
Getting renovating while it's your only bathroom right first time
Describe what is there now and what is bothering you. It is usually clear within a message or two whether this is straightforward or needs a look.