Hi all,

(Disclaimer: I am not 'handy' at all so may ask some stupid questions - sorry in advance )

I am planning to renovate the bathroom in my small unit. It currently has a shower/bath combo which I hate and want to replace with a normal shower, preferably larger than the standard 900x900. It is also very dark so I want to brighten it up a great deal by using largely white fittings and fixtures.

I hope to sell my unit in 3-5 years so I want it to look good for resale and be functional but I don't want to invest too much.

I have an $8,500 budget which I realise isn't much. I'm buying fixtures and fittings via auctions (e.g. grays) and from outlets, so hopefully will be able to buy my shower & base, shower rail/tap, vanity, basin & taps, laundry tub, toilet, exhaust fan, 4 x spotlights, heated towel rail, 38m2 of ceramic tiles (tiling right to the ceiling), mirror, toilet paper holder and hand towel holder for $3.5k. That will leave $5k for labour.

I've come to realise $5k for labour is pushing it given that I want to change the plumbing a little and rip up and replace the tiles. Therefore, to try and reduce the labour cost I want to try and strip out the room myself but I'm not sure how to do it and would be grateful for any advice.

Here are some photos of my bathroom in its current state. I'm not sure what the black "tiles" are on the floor - perhaps some sort of stone? (I'm told my unit is on a concrete slab.)







I've also come up with the following floor plan. I want to move the washing machine and laundry tub to the right hand side of the room (where there is currently a cupboard) so it will be more separate and less visible (I may eventually put doors in front so it is completely concealed). I'll have a 1200x450 vanity where the laundry and tiny vanity currently are. I intend to replace the bath with a 1200x1200 corner shower, and I want to knock down the wall between the bath and toilet (which is on the right of the bath). The toilet will stay in the same spot. Does this plan look OK?



One tiler that came to give me a quote had an issue with me keeping the shower where the bath/shower currently is because of the location of the window. However, there doesn't appear to currently be any problem having the shower there, and if I tile around the window and use waterproof paint on the window sill there won't be a problem, will there?

Thank you


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