What is a Realistic Budget for a Bathroom Renovation in Scotland?

If you’re thinking about renovating your bathroom, you may be wondering how much the cost will be. Unfortunately, getting a straight answer isn’t always easy, because every bathroom is different and what you want to do with yours will depend on your budget, your taste, and the condition the room is in to start with.

We’ve been doing bathroom renovations at McRoberts for quite a while now, working with homeowners right across Scotland, which is why we have put together this guide to help you get a gauge of what the overall price might be for your renovation.

How Much Does a Bathroom Renovation Cost?

For a typical family bathroom in Scotland, most people end up spending somewhere between £5,000 and £15,000. We appreciate that’s quite a broad range, but there’s a reason for it. Your final bill depends on things like the size of the bathroom, what kind of tiles and fixtures you pick, and whether you’re doing a straightforward swap or changing the whole layout.

If you’re going for what we’d call a mid-range job, where you’re replacing the bath, toilet and sink, putting up new tiles, getting new flooring down and maybe improving the lighting, you’re probably looking at £8,000 to £10,000. That’ll get you a bathroom that feels fresh and modern without having to go for the priciest stuff in the showroom.

On the other hand, if you want something a bit more special with luxurious tiles and fancy taps, underfloor heating and maybe some bespoke storage, then you’re creeping up towards £15,000 to £20,000 or more. At the lower end, a basic tidy-up with a lick of paint, some new fixtures, and not much else might come in around £3,000 to £5,000.

How Much Does a Small Bathroom Renovation Cost?

You might think a smaller bathroom automatically means less money, and while that’s often true, it’s not always as simple as that. A small ensuite or downstairs loo usually costs somewhere between £3,000 and £8,000 to do up.

Yes, there’s less floor to cover and fewer tiles to stick on the walls, which does help keep the price down a bit, but smaller bathrooms come with their own challenges. You often need to be a bit clever with the layout, and compact fittings can sometimes cost more than standard ones, plus getting plumbers and electricians working in tight corners can take longer and push up the labour side of things.

How Long Does It Take to Do a Bathroom Renovation?

Nobody likes being without their bathroom, so you’ll want to know how long you’re going to be using the facilities downstairs. Most jobs take somewhere between one and three weeks, though it really depends on what you’re having done.

If it’s fairly simple, basically swapping old for new without moving pipes about too much, you’re looking at around five to seven days, assuming everything goes to plan, and all the materials show up when they should. Once you start getting into bigger jobs, moving the plumbing around, knocking through walls, or putting in underfloor heating, then you’re more likely talking two to three weeks.

If you’re ripping everything out and starting from scratch, or we find problems with damp or dodgy electrics once we get in there, you’ll need a bit longer.

The worst bit is usually the first few days when everything’s being torn out, and there’s dust everywhere, but once that’s done and the new stuff starts going in, it comes together pretty quickly. It’s worth mentioning, though, that it’s not a bad idea to expect things might overrun a little, because delivery dates can slip, and old houses have a funny way of throwing up surprises when you start pulling things apart, which is why we always factor in a bit of wiggle room.

Making Your Budget Work

Ultimately, a good bathroom renovation comes down to knowing what you want to spend, being sensible about what you can get for that money, and working with people you trust to do a proper job. We’re straight with our customers here at McRoberts about what things cost, and we’d rather do work that’s going to last than cut corners. Feel free to get in touch with us for more information about bathroom repairs.