We’ve been in our dream house in the country for nearly 4 years now, slowly working through a full renovation, room by room. This bathroom renovation is part of a much bigger home transformation. So far, we’ve completed the kitchen, lounge, and downstairs WC, and this bathroom was the next big job on the list.
We’ve taken a slow and steady approach so we can save properly, plan each space carefully, and make sure every room is done right without rushing or compromising. It’s taken longer, but it’s meant we’ve stayed true to our vision throughout.
If you’re searching for bathroom renovation ideas UK, bathroom renovation cost breakdown, or back to brick bathroom renovation, this is our real-life experience of doing it ourselves, and managing trades.
What You Will Find Here
Our Full Bathroom Renovation Journey (Back to Brick)
This bathroom was a full renovation. The old 80s bathroom was dated and tired, meaning we have to start from scratch. We stripped everything right back to the bare brick. That included removing:
- Old bathroom suite, and removing the old bided totally
- Tiles and plasterboard
- Floorboards
- Pipework
However, as this is the only bathroom in the house, we had to manage the fitting half by half, which meant it took longer.
The existing roof window had become rotten over time, so it had to be replaced as part of the works. It wasn’t an upgrade for extra light, simply a necessary replacement to fix deterioration and make the structure sound again.
From there, we completely rebuilt the space from the ground up.
We installed all new plumbing, including hot, cold, waste, and soil pipes, and rewired all electrics with new back boxes and switch fronts. The room was then re-boarded, dry-lined on external walls, fully plastered, and waterproofed.
We added plywood reinforcement in the shower area, installed a new subfloor with tile backer boards, and sealed all surfaces ready for tiling and decorating.
Then came the transformation:
- New bath, toilet, basin and vanity unit
- Walk-in shower with fluted screen and niche
- New radiator
- LED lighting
- Tiling throughout
- Painting and feature wallpaper
- New internal door and finishing details
It sounds straightforward when listed like that, but the reality was months of dust, decisions, delays and constant problem-solving.
How Long Did the Bathroom Renovation Take?
The renovation took around two months in total. But that was as we were doing a large amount of the work ourselves and completing it in stages. Although we were lucky to have a great fitter do a big chunk of the work too, this halved our labour costs. And of course becuase Chris started his career as a plumber he has the skill to take on such tasks.
We worked on one half of the bathroom first, then the other, so we could keep the shower usable for as long as possible. This definitely made the project harder and more drawn out, but it was the most practical option for us as a family.
We are a family of four adults, so rather than relying on going to relatives for showers or alternative arrangements, we kept the downstairs WC functional and managed for a period of time without a full bathroom.
It wasn’t always easy. Having a half-finished bathroom for weeks on end definitely tests your patience. But in the long run, it made sense for how we live day to day.
Bathroom Renovation Cost Breakdown (£9,042.70 Total)
Here’s exactly how our budget was spent for anyone researching how much a bathroom renovation costs in the UK:
- Velux roof window replacement: £900
- Tiles, adhesive, grout, backer board and trims (Tile Mountain): £1,083.06
- Shower tray, screen, controls, niche and mirror (Bella Bathrooms): £1,251.90
- Bath, toilet, basin, vanity unit and radiator (Victorian Plumbing): £1,459.75
- Plumbing, tiling and plastering labour: £2,400
- Plasterboard, plywood and plaster: £467
- Plumbing fittings, electrics, paint and supplies: £911
- LED lighting: £35
- Internal door and fittings: £135
- Carpenter labour: £125
- Wallpaper and adhesive (Laura Ashley from the Graham and Brown Factory Shop): £55
- Tile spacers: £14.99
- Skip hire: £210
Total: £9,042.70
For a full back-to-brick renovation including plumbing, electrics, plastering, tiling and all fixtures, this feels like a realistic cost for a UK bathroom renovation where you are project managing and doing part of the work yourself. They main thing was we didn’t compromise on the style we wanted.
What We Learned Living Through A Bathroom Renovation
If you’re planning a bathroom renovation, here are the biggest lessons we learned along the way.
1. Build your vision before speaking to suppliers
Search Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok and save everything you like. Don’t worry about perfection at first, just gather ideas.
Then slowly narrow it down into a clear style direction so you know exactly what you’re aiming for.
2. Bathroom showrooms often design for you
We found that some designers want to take control of the whole process, which works for some people.
But for us, it felt like they weren’t always listening to our vision or personal style. It became more about what they wanted to sell rather than what we wanted in our home.
3. Best advice we ever received: don’t buy everything from one place
Someone messaged me on TikTok and said:
“Shop around and don’t buy everything from the same supplier.” This completely changed how we approached the renovation.
We split our orders between different suppliers, which not only saved money but also gave us far more flexibility and choice. It meant we could stick to our vision instead of being tied to one showroom range.
4. Take your time if you can
We’ve been in our house nearly 4 years, and we’ve been working through it slowly, room by room. It’s not the fastest way to renovate, but it means we haven’t had to compromise or rush big decisions.
The Reality of a Full House Renovation
This bathroom is just one part of a full house renovation. We’ve already completed the kitchen, lounge and downstairs WC, and this was the next major project.
Renovating a whole house while living in it is not easy. It’s messy, disruptive and at times overwhelming. But doing it step by step means we’ve been able to stay in control of the budget and the design.
Each finished room feels like a huge milestone and brings us closer to the home we’ve been working towards for years.
The Detail Is In The Planning
This bathroom renovation wasn’t just about new fixtures and tiles. It was about patience, planning, and sticking to a vision over a long period of time.
We didn’t rush it, we didn’t take shortcuts, and we didn’t compromise on what we wanted.
And now, standing in the finished space, it feels completely worth every bit of the journey.
