Plan your bathroom, with fewer surprises.
A bathroom is a small room that asks a lot of questions. Work through these notes before you buy and the decisions become calmer, the quotes more comparable, and the finished room closer to the one you pictured.
Measuring the room
Start with the room itself, measured in millimetres rather than guesses. Note each wall length, the door opening and which way it swings, the window position and sill height, and the ceiling height. Mark where the existing fixtures sit — basin, WC, bath or shower — and where the pipes and waste run, because moving waste is often the quiet cost that decides a layout. Identify your service points: water in, waste out, power, and any isolator valves. Take photographs from each corner, and one of the pipework under the basin. Those images save a second visit and help any installer understand exactly what you are describing.
Choosing a scenario
Start with who uses the room and what matters to them. These examples are starting points, not installation plans.
A compact room
Keeping the WC near its existing waste connection may leave more of your budget for the products you touch every day. Decide whether a bath or a generous shower matters more; fitting both can leave an awkward route through the room. Check where the door, cabinet drawers and screen will open before choosing sizes.
A family bathroom
List the things that happen at the same time: someone brushing their teeth while another person showers, bathing children, or reaching towels with wet hands. A bath with a shower above it can preserve floor space. Check storage, cleaning access and whether the screen gets in the way of bath controls.
A room that is easier to use
Plan around the person using it: their reach, movement and any assistance they need. Discuss a level-access shower, seating, reachable controls and secure support with an experienced installer. Existing floor construction, drainage and waterproofing affect what is possible; a product photograph cannot establish that your room will accommodate it.
When you are ready to look at products, our toilets and complete WC systems guide explains the pan, cistern, frame and controls. The taps guide covers finishes and mechanisms, the whirlpool baths guide covers the larger statement pieces, and the infrared saunas guide sits at the wellness end of the range.
Water, pressure and valves
Planning a concealed shower? Our complete shower guide separates the visible trim, in-wall body and outlets, with manufacturer-listed examples.
Pressure and flow are different things. Pressure is the push; flow is the volume arriving each minute. A fixture can feel weak on one while the other is fine. Your hot water system — combi boiler, cylinder or thermal store — shapes what is realistic, and some mixers, diverters and shower valves ask more of it than others. Valves need service access, so plan a route to reach them without taking the room apart later. Ask your installer to confirm pressure, flow and the hot water arrangement on site before you settle on a specification.
Lighting, ventilation and wet areas
Think about the jobs your lighting needs to do: seeing clearly at the mirror, lighting the shower and finding your way at night. Ask your electrician which fittings and positions are suitable for your room before buying. Discuss ventilation and an extraction route with your installer. Waterproofing beneath the finish matters as much as the tiles you see, particularly around showers; have the complete installation method specified before work starts.
Building an honest budget
Ask for an itemised quote covering products, compatible valves and wastes, delivery, plumbing and electrical labour, wall and floor preparation, waterproofing, tiling and removal of the old bathroom. Confirm whether VAT is included and what has been excluded. A low product total can hide work you still need to pay for.
For example, if one quote includes a waste, concealed valve and bath panel while another lists only the bath, the totals are not yet comparable. Ask both suppliers to quote the same scope. Agree how unexpected work will be priced and approved, and leave room in your budget for it.
Specification and compatibility
Write the exact SKU and finish for every item, and note what each price includes — trap, waste, fixings, valve, seat or panel. Check that parts are compatible with one another and with your water system before ordering, and use compare to line options up side by side. A short specification with clear references avoids the wrong box arriving and the wrong hole being cut.
Showroom checklist
Tick the things you have ready. These ticks stay on this page while it is open; print the page to keep them, or download the showroom checklist below.
Before you place the order
Work through this list with your installer. Keep unresolved questions beside your saved product shortlist. Ticks remain while this page is open; print or save a PDF to keep your checked copy.
This is a purchasing checklist, not installation approval. Keep manufacturer instructions and your installer’s agreed specification with it.
Common questions
Do I need to know my water pressure before visiting?
It helps, but it is not essential. If you know your hot water system — combi, cylinder or thermal store — bring that along. Your installer can confirm pressure and flow on site before anything is ordered.
Can I move the waste pipe?
Sometimes. Drainage routes, pipe gradients and access can constrain the layout. Mark where the waste runs now and ask your installer to check a proposed move before ordering products or agreeing a final plan.
How do I compare quotes fairly?
Ask each quote to list the same inclusions: parts, labour, delivery, waste removal and wall or floor preparation. When the lines match, the comparison is honest.
Bring it to the showroom
Pair this guide with your visit plan. Download your showroom visit sheet, keep your project notes together, and book a time with us at the showroom.