5 questions to ask yourself before renovating your bathroom?

You’ve decided to renovate your bathroom but don’t know where to start?

Replacing the bath with a shower, changing the furniture, getting more storage space, breaking everything up, finding a craftsman you can trust, what budget to set aside… these are just some of the questions you’ll be asking yourself.

Renovating a bathroom involves major work that can sometimes be daunting or frightening. But don’t panic!
There are professionals like us at Hydropolis to help you.

Renovating or designing your bathroom isn’t something you do every day. That’s why you need to ask yourself the right questions to ensure that your bathroom design is sustainable and suited to your needs and desires.

To help you see your project more clearly, the experts at Hydropolis, bathroom design specialists, will help you ask the right questions.

1/ Who is going to use the bathroom?

The way we use our bathroom has changed considerably over the last 10 years. It used to be a place where people just passed through, but today it’s one of the most important rooms in the house, and one in which we spend more and more time.

Designers and manufacturers have understood this. Today’s bathrooms respond to new uses and desires. Our daily lives are increasingly fast-paced. We need comfort and optimised spaces to share, or where we can enjoy a real moment of relaxation on our own.

So before you renovate your bathroom, you need to know :

1. Who is the bathroom intended for?
2. How many people will actually use the bathroom?
3. Do you have children? What age(s)? If so, will they also use the same bathroom as yours?

If you only have one bathroom for the whole family, it’s important to know who uses it and at what time of day. There’s nothing worse than a big blockage in the bathroom to start the day! Based on your answers, you’ll already have some ideas about the layout of your future bathroom. Will it have to be easy for several people to move around, have one or two washbasins, or have plenty of storage space?

Our experts will be able to guide you through this particularly important first stage, which involves fully understanding your needs.

> > A project? Make an appointment to visit one of our five Hydropolis showrooms dedicated to the world of bathing.

3/ What’s the budget?

One of the most important questions to ask yourself at the start of your project is: what budget do I need to set aside to renovate my bathroom?
Asking this question at the start of your project may seem brutal, but it’s crucial!

Renovating your bathroom comes at a significant cost. It’s a room that’s essential to your daily life, and you’ll be renovating it in 10 or 15 years at best, if you don’t move house in the meantime. So yes! For you and all those who will be working on your project, it’s essential to know what budget you have available.

Here too, it’s important to ask the right questions, because your answers will clearly determine the feasibility of your project.

1. How much work is involved? Do you need to redo the plumbing and/or electrics?
2. Who will be doing the work? You or a professional?
3. Do you need to rethink the layout?
4. Do you want to replace the floor and wall coverings?
5. What equipment do you need to buy (taps, furniture, basins, accessories)?

By answering this series of questions, the broad outlines of your project will emerge. Our specialists will work with you to estimate a realistic budget, and if you’re happy with it, you can move on to the next stage.

A word of advice: don’t underestimate your bathroom renovation budget! Because of its technical nature (plumbing, electricity, heating, humidity) and its daily use, the bathroom is not the room you should be saving money on!

On the contrary, the bathroom is a complex room which, if badly thought out or badly designed, can quickly give rise to more serious problems.

Just like a kitchen designer, when you’re rethinking your kitchen, surround yourself with professionals dedicated to fitting out your bathroom. They will be able to advise you on the technical aspects, the layout of the units, the selection of products, respect your budget, monitor your project and help you choose a quality craftsman. You won’t have any nasty surprises!

To give you an idea, the cost per m² of bathroom renovation will naturally be higher if the work is carried out by professionals (which we strongly advise!). Similarly, if the materials chosen are of good quality, the price per m² will also be higher. Here too, we advise you to choose top-quality products, at least for the taps, to ensure they stand up better in the long term.

For a complete renovation of a bathroom of less than 5m², involving a project study and 3D design, the replacement of furniture, floor coverings, taps and sanitaryware, and the services of a plumber and electrician, and based on a selection of top-quality products, you should expect to pay between €4,000 and €8,000 including tax, or between €800 and €1,000 per m². And to create a 10 m² bathroom using the same criteria, you should expect to pay between €8,000 and €10,000 inc VAT. minimum. It’s mainly the quality of the materials you choose that will have an impact on the final cost of your work. But beware of false bargains!

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5/ Who should you choose for your bathroom project?

We mentioned this earlier. Taking on a bathroom renovation project isn’t easy when you’re not a professional. Contrary to popular belief, the bathroom is a complex and highly technical room to fit out.

You need to master the principles of interior design, particularly those that apply to small rooms and wet areas. There are standards to be complied with in terms of the height of the furniture and the basin, the length of the spout of your taps, the shower tray, waterproofing, plumbing, electricity, etc. In short, fitting a bathroom requires as much or even more technical expertise than fitting a kitchen. And yet, most bathroom projects are not carried out by professionals.

> Here’s a closer look at the professions that can help you make your project a reality:

a/ The project designer or “ensemblier

Because we specialise in fitting out and designing bathroom spaces, many of our customers prefer, after a bad experience, to be accompanied by professionals for the renovation and fitting out of their bathroom.
So why should you call on a designer, and in particular the Hydropolis team, to renovate your bathroom?

Quite simply because we’re experts in the field. Our highly technical job involves advising on, designing and fitting out bathrooms and wellness areas to measure. In our profession, there’s no room for the unexpected. Every detail counts and nothing is left to chance.

We are designers, interior architects, decorators and distributors. We listen to you, inspire you, advise you and support you at every stage of your project.

Hiring the services of a designer like Hydropolis for your bathroom project guarantees :

• an optimally designed bathroom layout
• advice from experts in the bathroom sector
• a budget that fits in with your possibilities
• fittings tailored to your needs
• technical solutions tailored to your needs
• decoration to match your desires
• a wide choice of collections (taps, furniture, sanitaryware, accessories, lighting, coverings)
• quality materials
• made-to-measure support
• a unique project that looks just like you!

THE +: For even more personalised support, our space designers will draw up the layout plans and model your projects as if you were there. We’re not just distributors of bathroom products. We’re involved long before your project starts, and we’ll support you right through to the end if necessary.

For over 30 years, Hydropolis has been helping architects, interior designers, hoteliers, craftsmen and all their customers to design their bathroom spaces.

Find out more about Hydropolis’ missions and teams

 

b/ The plumber

A plumber is essential when creating or renovating your bathroom. He’s the one who guarantees your installations and has the technical skills to move and secure the water inlets and drains. He’s also responsible for fitting your furniture, basins, tiling, bath or creating your shower. Plumbing work is an important job and absolutely must be carried out by professionals.

At Hydropolis, we partner with a number of plumbers with impeccable skills.
Our teams can help you find the right craftsman for your bathroom project.

c/ The electrician

In the bathroom, there are very specific standards to be respected. While the electrician is inseparable from the plumber in carrying out work in your bathroom, it is the electrician who has the onerous task of making your bathroom safe. The electrician is the guarantor of the safe use of your installations. He will also plan the wiring to take account of the power consumption of the elements in your bathroom (towel rails, lights, sockets) and ensure that they comply with the many standards in force.

Electricity in the bathroom is a subject not to be neglected. It can sometimes impose certain constraints, but in no way detracts from the design of your bathroom when the layout has been properly thought out.

So fitting out or renovating your bathroom properly is a team effort!
If you want to think about your project as a whole, and with the help of professionals, the ideal solution is to surround yourself with a project designer, a plumber and an electrician. Then you can look forward to long hours lounging in your own bathroom!

 

Now that you know all the questions to ask yourself in preparation for your bathroom construction or renovation project, why not make an appointment and come and meet the Hydropolis design teams.