Published on 12 August 2022
Posted in Advice & Reviews
You’ve made the decision to refurb your existing bathroom, or perhaps you’ve commenced a new build or extension project. Before you get to the first fix stage you’ll need to have a plan finalised for your new room. Depending on the project, your timescales from planning to fruition can vary, but typically for a bathroom you need to allow 4-6 weeks for the project through from early ideas to fitting and completion.
1. Think about your complete room – tiles should never be an afterthought as they will have a big impact on the final look and feel of the room
2. Plan your bathroom around your own use and make it functional. Don’t dwell too much on whether you should remove a bath if it’s not something that suits your lifestyle. It’s a relatively easy job to put a bath back in, and rarely a deal breaker in a house sale.
3. Think about your bathroom heating – a towel radiator seems the obvious choice, however these often have a low heat output. Your designer will advise on heating based on radiator / heating BTU which is calculated based on room size.
4. Always check you product on arrival – your order will most likely have been specially ordered in, so any defects should be logged ASAP to avoid unnecessary delays further down the line.
Your local MKM branch will be happy to help with your ideas and offer a free planning and design service. Once you know your approximate dates for your project schedule a visit to your local MKM showroom and we can help bring your ideas to life. It’s a good starting point for our specialists to be able to visualise the room, its space and dimensions in order to talk through your ideas. You can download and print a simple requirement form before you pop in and a simple sketch of the layout of the empty space is useful. Be sure to take some accurate measurements alongside marking any windows (with their position). Where the room already has a plumbed soil pipe which you’re not planning on moving mark this on there as well. Bear in mind if you’re planning on moving plumbing, how and where the pipes will run. In some properties the positioning of the joists will impact on what can be achieved with the new design.
Don’t feel awkward about having this conversation – a bathroom fit or refurbishment isn’t a cheap project but will be tailored to your budget. Your room designer will need to know what kind of budget you have to spend to ensure they guide you to look at the right options, from suite, to furniture and the finishing touches such as tiles. It’s important to remember that fitting can quickly eat into your budget and is a costly element. An average bathroom fit will take in the region of a week to 10 days – and for a large project longer is not unreasonable.
Our designers will meet with you face to face to discuss your requirements and bring the ideas together, your initial meeting will cover your requirements and you can expect a follow up meeting to discuss the design once it’s complete. Refinements might also be made over the phone or via email.
Your MKM designer may be able to recommend a local plumber or bathroom fitter. However, note that these are not affiliated with MKM Building Supplies, and whilst we can make the suggestion we hold no responsibility for the agreements you make with your fitter. It’s most likely that one of our own vehicles will deliver your product – your local branch will liaise with you on a time convenient.
Book a free design appointment at your local branch here