Are you contemplating including an ensuite in your bedroom?
Whether that’s your own bedroom, a guest room or your children’s bedroom, this can be an excellent addition to any house.
For one thing, you can ease congestion in the bathroom during the morning, and for another, you can create a separate, private space.
This can be particularly great if you need your own space to escape, or if you want to create a calming, stress-free space for your family or any guests you may have coming to stay.
Whatever the case may be, adding an ensuite to any one of your bedrooms is not a small project and requires some careful thought and planning. That’s exactly why we’ve created this guide.
Read on to find out more about building and decorating an ensuite bathroom in your home.
Decide where you want it
One of the first things you need to do, and often one of the easiest decisions to make is to think about which bedroom you want to add the ensuite to.
Often, there is a logical answer to this, either you want to add it to your room, the guest room, etc. Or perhaps there is only one viable option in your property, a bedroom with an office or large wardrobe attached that can easily be converted.
Either way, you need to make sure that you know where you’re adding the new bathroom and make sure you’re completely happy with this decision before you begin the work.
Determine if you need planning permission
In most cases, you will not be required to get planning permission if you are transforming an existing part of the property into a bathroom.
That being said if the ensuite is part of a house extension or if your home is a listed building, you may be required to get permission.
At the very least, it’s worth checking with your local planning authority beforehand, as the last thing you want is to start building (or even finish building) and find out that you’ve broken the rules and have to take it down.
If you do need planning permission, make sure you've filled out all forms completely and to the best of your ability. If you're feeling stuck, ask a professional for help to get this part of the process done.
Make sure the ensuite meets your needs
As you begin to plan your ensuite, you need to make sure that it’s going to meet all your needs. For example, is it a small room and you want to keep it basic with a toilet and sink? Or perhaps you want to add a bath as you don’t currently have one in your house?
Whatever the case may be, you need to make sure that your hard work and money will result in an ensuite that meets your needs as much as possible. So think and plan carefully before you begin buying or building anything.
Make a detailed checklist
You don’t want to overlook even the smallest detail, so it’s a good idea to make a checklist of everything that needs doing in the bathroom and everything you want to include. Your list might include items like:
- Wall demolition or reconstruction
- Plumbing
- Electrics
- Plastering
- Laying tiles or tiling the walls
- Installing new appliances
- Painting the walls
- Waterproofing and adding silicone to joints
- Finishing touches and decorations
You could even break each of these items down into smaller lists, making note of estimated costs, materials needed and how long you anticipated each stage will take.
Decide who will do the work
One of the biggest and most important considerations for your ensuite project is going to be deciding who will complete the work. You may well be able to do a lot of the work yourself, or you may have a family member or friend that is in the industry and can help you out.
If not, you need to find the right tradespeople for the job and get them booked. This throws up some other issues, like finding out when they will be available, getting a price for labour and determining whether you’ll need to do any prep work before they arrive.
You also want to ensure that you find the best (and most affordable) company to do the job. So take your time and don’t rush this part of the process. Be sure to do some research, ask around and always read reviews and online feedback before settling on a company or individual.
This will help you to find the best person or team for the job.
Start choosing your bathroom suite and appliances
Once you know who will be building your bathroom, whether you or someone else, it’s time to choose your bathroom suite. This will very much depend on the size of the room and what you hope to get from it. But this will give you the basis for your new bathroom.
You can take a look online or pop into your local bathroom showroom to get some ideas and place your order.
Finalise the cost
At this stage, you should be able to get a really good idea of how much your ensuite is going to cost and the timeframe in which it will be completed.
You might find that you have to cut back on certain areas as costs add up or you might find the opposite is true and you have room left in the budget to add a few more luxury items and create your dream bathroom.
Either way, make sure to review your budget frequently so you don’t get caught out.
Place your order and let the work begin
Once you’re ready, you can get the job booked with the relevant tradespeople and order your bathroom suite or appliances ready for the job to begin.
When the day comes to get started, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on each stage of the process, how it’s coming on and ensure that everything is exactly as you want it to be. There may be times when you have to speak with contractors or redo some of the work yourself, but this is your chance to get it perfect.
Your lists will also come in handy at this stage to ensure that you're sticking to your budget and that your bathroom is coming along as it should be.
Add the finishing touches
Once all the basics are in, it’s time to add the finishing touches to make the bathroom reflect your style. This might include painting the walls, adding any decorative elements to the walls and putting in any furniture or accessories you've bought for the new ensuite bathroom.