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41 Bathroom Renovation Mistakes You Must Avoid

Our expectations of the humble bathroom have become quite inflated. It’s no longer just a place to get clean, we want more, a refuge where we can close the door on the daily humdrum to luxuriate and recharge, or perhaps just to have some peace and quiet at a place where no one disturbs you, or just simply play with our phones to tune out from the world for a bit. 

There’s a lot more to designing a bathroom than choosing taps and tiles (as fun as that part is). Get it right, you will have a beautiful, functional space that you will enjoy spending time in every day. Get it wrong, and you could end up with a bathroom plagued by impractical niggles or, worse, that needs to be completely refitted (not to mention the sleep you lose along the way). 

When renovating, it’s incredibly important to have a plan. It doesn’t matter what your space is, a plan will help you figure out exactly what it is that you need to achieve your ideal space. Without a plan, mistakes can happen. Even with a plan sometimes mistakes can happen! What we don’t want is to spend a truckload of time, money and inconvenience on our dream bathroom only to find out a few months down the track that it’s not living up to its promises. 

At Buildmatcher, we deal with homeowners renovating their bathrooms on a daily basis and let me tell you, I’ve seen just about everything that could go wrong, go wrong! So, if you’re also looking to renovate your bathroom this year, then this guide is meant for you. 

Today, I’ll offer my perspective on what mistakes to avoid in a bathroom renovation. Make sure to read through until the end because if you make any one of these mistakes, your renovation costs will shoot through the roof. 

So here are 41 most common mistakes in renovating bathrooms. Watch out for these common mistakes so that you can sprint to that beautiful washroom you’ve been dreaming of, instead of tripping over the hurdles of inexperience in your renovation nightmare. 

1. Being seduced by the showroom 

We’ve all been there: falling in love with glorious waterfall showers, statement sinks and enormous soaking tubs after a trip to a glamorous bathroom showroom. In reality, these room sets have been designed around the suite with perfect proportions, so it’ll never feel cramped or ‘too much’. Put that oversized bath in your average family home though and it soon becomes an albatross. Too often it becomes a glorified towel holder, filling it up takes forever and it’s too big to get children into and out of safely. You’re better getting something more suited to the space that you’ll use every day. 

2. Forgetting to future-proof 

If you’re in your ‘forever home’ then think about setting up the bathroom to be safe and functional as you and your family get older. Non-slip surfaces, grab handles, flat walk-in showers and swapping twisting knobs for lever taps can make the transition a little easier. If you’re not quite ready for that, think about leaving space to add these details in later. 

3. Using Fixtures And Features That Date 

We have all seen it: the chocolate sanitary ware and the gaudy border tiles. Your choice may be very on-trend when it is installed but within a short time frame (within 2 years) will begin to look dated. By keeping your, fixtures, fittings and finishes very elegant and classical, you will ensure that your bathroom has broad appeal that lasts for a very long time. 

4. D.I.Y waterproofing 

One of the most common issues in a bathroom is a leaking shower and it is an expensive item to fix. Best to do it right the first time by engaging a Certified-waterproofing tradesman and ensure that you are provided with a waterproofing certificate and warranty. If you sell your home following the bathroom renovation you will be required to produce the waterproofing certificate. 

Buildmatcher's Waterproofing tip: once the waterproofing is complete, keep an eye on the follow up trades, particularly the tiler. A small nick in the waterproof membrane with the tillers trowel or a broken tile will compromise its integrity and may result in a leak. 

5. Inappropriate Materials 

All surfaces in the bathroom should be impervious to moisture otherwise it will swell, rot or discolor with time. This excludes soft wood, non-waterproof mdf, & particleboard, and fabric. Porous stones such as travertine marble and hardwood should be sealed. 

6. Knocking down resale value 

If you have any inkling that you might move to a new house in the next five years, then you’d do well to keep your bathroom a neutral and bright space that won’t alienate future buyers. Grey and white suites will all stand you in good stead and are easy to personalize with your favorite colors in accessories and furnishings. Consider applying a bathroom wallpaper or add artwork and greenery to make the space yours without jeopardizing a future sale price. When you're ready to sell-up, it's a simple repaint job to get it viewing ready.

7. Leaving out counter space 

While too much clutter is unsightly you should account for creating a little bit of counter space around a vanity unit. Whether it’s a place to put a make-up bag while you’re getting ready or somewhere to park your morning coffee, if you don’t add in a little bit of table-height surface you’ll regret it. 

8. Trying To Squeeze Too Much In 

Avoid overcrowding the bathroom. If you have a separate toilet close by, don’t install one in the bathroom.. Maximize space as much as possible to make the room less cluttered and more comfortable. If the room is too small for a bath and a shower, the shower over the bath is preferable to cramping the room. Wall hung cabinetry and an in-wall toilet cistern will help preserve floor space. 

Buildmatcher's Tip: Sometimes simply changing the side the door swings from can improve the use of the space. 

9. Forgetting finishing touches 

Well-chosen accessories can make or break any design scheme, and the bathroom is no exception. Treat yourself to some top-quality towels – organic cotton towels feel luxurious and are Eco-friendly, too. If you’re short on hidden storage, consider decanting shampoos and shower gels into attractive bottles. Small soaps and bath salts can be stored in glass Kilner jars. 

10. Not considering worst-case scenarios 

Future maintenance can cost thousands if there are problems that can’t be quickly fixed, such as inaccessible taps or pipework, which means you must rip up flooring or damage walls if problems occur. Use fixings that can easily be unscrewed if necessary or perhaps create a false tile or bath front that’ll give easy access to a plumber.

11. Not thinking about height 

The height of a towel rack, the depth of a bath and a slightly too low shower head can mean the difference between an average bathroom and a brilliant one. Think about the tallest and the shortest person in the house, and that could include small children, before deciding where things should go. 

12. Not looking up 

There could be an opportunity to add character to your bathroom by removing a drywall or false ceiling and expanding upwards into the rafters. An eaves space is fabulous over a bath, as is adding a skylight, which allows you to watch the weather while enjoying a soak. It’ll also add value to your house, too. 

13. Not having a back-up bathroom 

At some point during your bathroom project, the water will have to be switched off. How long it’s switched off for depends on the scale of the works you’re undertaking, but if it’s anything longer than a day or two you’re going to need somewhere else to shower and go to the loo. Now might be a good time to go on holiday or visit friends. If you stay at home, then a Portaloo might be a good investment, and you may find yourself using the gym (and its showers) a lot more than usual. 

14. Not filling the bath 

One of the biggest nightmares a homeowner can face is springing a leak in the bathroom. Luckily, there are a few things to do when you’re installing to protect yourself against any future disasters. The bath overflow needs to be checked when its plumbed in and if you half- fill the bath with water before applying your sealant, it will account for the extra weight and flex which should stop cracks appearing. 

15. Having mixed styles 

Finding a style and sticking with it is incredibly important. The one style ensures consistency throughout your bathroom, avoiding any potential style clashes. It’s also important to consider the style and color scheme used in the rest of your home, as you’ll want to have consistency throughout. When walking between rooms, they should feel like they belong in the same home and not like a collection of interior trends from different decades.

16. Moving plumbing fixtures 

Moving plumbing fixtures is by far the most common and the costliest mistake in bathroom renovations. If you choose to move your bathroom fixtures around, you’ll need to invest in new plumbing. This can easily take your renovation cost up by a few thousand dollars. Serviceseeking.com.au estimates bathroom plumbing costs to be $5,000 on average! Before you think of moving your plumbing fixtures around, consider if you really need to do it. 

Buildmatcher's Tip: Quite often, you can remodel your bathroom around your existing fixtures. The money that you save by doing so can also be spent on accessorizing your space or on higher grade products. 

17. Using stone tiles in moist areas 

Another common renovation mistake that people make is using stone tiles in the wet areas of their bathroom. While stone tiles look incredibly elegant, they are naturally porous. Over time, water will seep into these pores and damage the tiles. You’ll unnecessarily need to re-tile your floors if you opt for stone tiles in the first place. Be sure that it will be an expensive affair because natural stone tiles are expensive to start off with.

If you’re set on using stone tiles, consider switching to stone-look tiles for the wet areas of your bathroom instead. Our stone-look tiles replicate the look of natural stone perfectly and are available in a range of styles, colors, and designs. Alternatively, porcelain tiles are the most popular choice. You’ll find a range of such tiles at our store. 

18. Considering beauty over functionality 

One of the most common mistakes I see is from bathroom renovators who put design aesthetics before functionality. Sure, if you’re spending around $20,000 on a bathroom renovation, you want it to look great. But not if that means it is at the expense of the functionality of the bathroom. If any fixture or accessory in your bathroom is not functional, you’ll soon feel the need to replace it. This will unnecessarily cost you in the future.

Here, with Buildmatcher we offer a complete range of bathroom products which perfectly blend style and functional. Our products are specially designed to be in line with the latest trends, while also offering all the functionality you need. When you choose our products, you’ll get the best of good looks as well as features and functionality. 

19. Making Your Bathroom Tricky To Clean 

A drain serves two purposes, not only the obvious to drain the water but, to act to trap unwanted matter such as hair to ensure the bathrooms drainage pipes are kept clear. As peculiar as it is, a great deal of people position their drain in the center of the base of their shower. When you think about this, it’s not ideal as you’ll actually be standing over the drain when showering and in turn block it. Therefore, ideally consider your drain to not be positioned directly under the spray of your shower head. 

20. Lazy layouts 

The layout of your space is incredibly important. If you don’t plan this aspect correctly, chances are you’ll find yourself unable to get out of the shower without walking into something, not being able to comfortably sit on the toilet and unable to reach the sink to wash your hands. To avoid this error, plan, plan, plan! It is possible to plan your space yourself however if you don’t feel 100% confident, hire an expert.

You can also visit your local trade store and speak with people there, or even a trip to IKEA can be great to help you plan your space.When it comes to a practical space like a bathroom, function has to come before form. Make sure you allow enough space between sanitary ware so people can move around and sit or stand comfortably – for example, there should be at least 60cm between the toilet and anything that’s in front of it. Towel rails should be fitted within easy grabbing distance of the bath or shower and cupboard and shower doors need to open without obstruction. 

21. Poor pipe planning 

But before planning your layout, there’s a more important underlying issue to address first: where are your pipes going to go? Start with the soil stack, the wide pipe that carries off waste water from your sanitary ware. Your loo needs to be a maximum of 6m from the soil pipe to allow for proper drainage.

Showers, baths and basins should be a maximum of 4m away. Consider how smaller pipes will reach the soil pipe, as this may be affected by the layout and condition of your underfloor joists. 

22. Switching things around unnecessarily 

If you’re renovating an existing bathroom and the layout already makes sense, think carefully before switching sanitary ware around. Moving pipes can quickly become expensive and can raise more problems than it solves. If you do want to switch things up, make sure you consult a plumber first to make sure your plan is feasible. 

23. Thinking too big for a small space 

Your ideal bathroom may include a roll-top bath, walk-in shower, twin basins and oodles of storage but you have to work with what you’ve got or risk ending up with a cramped, impractical space. Pick just one of your dream items – the roll-top bath, for example – and keep everything else compact. If your bathroom is really tiny, add lux touches in your finishes instead. 

24. Not including enough storage 

Towels, shampoo bottles, toothbrushes, spare toilet rolls – you’ll need to find room for all these things and more in your bathroom. If possible, include a mixture of open shelving for attractive toiletries and accessories, and hidden storage for more day-to-day bits and pieces. A mirrored cabinet with integrated electric toothbrush and razor charger is a neat storage option, while built-in shelving, cupboards and drawers will help you make the most of every inch of space. 

25. Poor ventilation 

The bathroom is the most humid room in the house, making it the ideal breeding ground for mold if you’re not careful. Invest in a good extractor fan that stays on on a timer after you’ve left the room. This is especially important if you have an internal bathroom with no windows.

The definition of horror is finding tiny black specks of mold marching up your newly painted walls and ceilings. This is generally caused by poor ventilation. Even if you have good open able windows, you will still need an exhaust fan or IXL-tastic to extract the steam. Tip Paint the walls with oil based or mold-resistant bathroom to lessen the risk of mold taking hold. 

26. Poor drainage 

Every wet area floor requires “fall”. The floor must gently slope towards the floor waste to allow water to drain away efficiently. Large format floor tiles make this difficult, particularly in a small bathroom.

The tiler sets the level of fall by laying a sand and cement screed (topping) that grades toward the waste. The tiles are then laid over top. If the area is small and the tiles are large, they will be difficult to manipulate over the slope and require a lot of cuts. The maximum workable floor tile size is 300 X 300mm. If you have your heart set on large format tiles then consider a linear floor waste.

A quick tip on linear floor wastes; If your design requires a linear floor waste that spans the room (2 meters) +)consider installing two at half the size. This will make cleaning much easier and will reduce the cost significantly. 

27. Choosing incompatible fittings 

Dream of starting the day being pummeled by a rainfall shower and massage jets? So do we, but before you go splashing out, make sure your water system is up to the job. Speak to a plumber or bathroom specialist to work out whether your current system can handle something like a power shower and be prepared to upgrade your boiler, water tank or pump if need be. 

28. Wasting water 

Water is precious. Waste it and you’re not only pouring money down the drain, but you’re not doing the planet any favors either. Luckily there are plenty of tricks that can help you save water without having to ditch your daily soak in the tub or power shower. Start by fixing any leaky taps. Look out for shower-heads with the water-saving label, install a low-flush toilet, or pop a brick in the cistern if you have an older model – just check with your plumber before you try this! 

29. Using the wrong finishes in the wrong places 

While it’s OK to use ordinary wallpaper in some areas of a bathroom, you’ll need to make sure you have a top-of-the-range extractor fan to prevent it from peeling over time. If you’re using wallpaper in an area that’s directly exposed to splashing or steam, place it behind glass, or choose a waterproof wallpaper, some of which can also be used in wet rooms. As for paint, go for a bathroom-friendly option that resists damp and mold. 

30. Careless lighting 

Bad bathroom lighting is at best impractical and at worst dangerous. Make sure you layer up a mix of general lighting, task lighting (for make-up etc.) and mood lighting for unwinding in the tub. If you want to include statement fittings such as a chandelier or sconces, it’s essential that you choose an option with an ingress protected (IP) rating, which is safe to use in wet areas.

31. Poor Task Lighting 

Many bathroom activities require good lighting. Shaving, waxing applying makeup and hair styling are difficult to do well in general ambient light. Including some well-designed task lighting is a must. In short, install a large mirror over the basin or vanity along with some lighting that directs back onto the face. There are many sleek lighting options available rather than the dated Hollywood style makeup lights. 

32. Removing The Bath 

Taking the bath out of a home will affect the resale. It doesn’t matter which bathroom it is located in, just as long as there is one. But if there is already a bath in the home, a second will not add value. 

33. Not having a tiling plan 

It doesn’t matter how good your tiler is – leave them to tile your bathroom without giving them any guidance and you risk getting results you’re not happy with. Small details, such as making sure the tiles in a niche follow on seamlessly with wall tiles, will give your bathroom that coveted designer edge. Make sure you alert your tiler to any details like this, ideally by drawing up a plan of exactly how you would like your tiles to be laid. 

34. Putting wall tiles on the floor 

This may sound obvious, but when you fall in love with a particular tile design it can be easy to overlook how suited it is for the task at hand. Always check whether a tile is hardy enough before using it on your bathroom floor, or you may find yourself living with unsightly chips before too long. Similarly, some floor tiles are just too heavy to use on partition walls. Many designs are suitable for both walls and floors but if in doubt, ask your tile supplier before you buy.

35. Overlooking the importance of good grouting 

Plain tiles can be given an instant overhaul simply by choosing the right grout. A darker grout can create an eye-catching pattern in its own right, while a brightly-colored grout will make an even bigger style statement. If you want your grouting to last and not leak, go for epoxy grout rather than cement grout, as it’s highly durable, waterproof and practically stain-proof. It's also a stylish way to add character to a white bathroom. 

36. Doing it all yourself Is a Big Mistake 

Unless you’re a seriously experienced DIYer, there are certain bathroom renovation jobs that are best left to the professionals. Getting your plumbing right is essential and can be easier said than done thanks to rules about pipe widths, angles and drainage gradients. Hiring a plumber could save you time, stress and money in the long run. Similarly, proper waterproofing is a huge issue for bathrooms, and it will need to be inspected and signed off my a licensed certifier. For any electrics, play it safe and hire an electrician. 

37. Not asking the experts 

Even if your D.I.Y skills are second to none, it’s still a good idea to consult expert advice before you start your project. Many high street and high-end bathroom stores have design teams who can help you iron out any flaws in your bathroom plan. In some instances, seeking advice is non-negotiable. If you want to knock down walls, move or add windows or install new joists, you’ll need to check with your local building control office about whether you need Building Regulation approval. 

38. Not protecting the rest of the house 

Every building project generates dust. Hauling heavy equipment and products to and from the bathroom can also scuff up your floors. Minimize the damage by protecting floors of hallways and any other rooms used to access the bathroom with a temporary floor covering, such as Correx®. If your bathroom is an ensuite, cover bedroom furniture with dust sheets. 

39. Blowing the budget 

Bathrooms are notorious for harboring hidden costs. Rusted pipes, rotting joists, dodgy electrics and endemic mold are just some of the nasty surprises you might uncover once you start lifting up tiles and floorboards. This is very easy to happen in a wet area. What starts out as a minor makeover can very quickly morph into money pit material. To avoid over capitalizing keep the total cost of the renovation below 1.5% of the value of the property. 

Here are some Buildmatcher's tips For minimizing costs :

• Design for standard fixtures and fittings to avoid the expense of custom making. 

• Purchase all your tiles; tap ware, sanitary ware, cabinets and accessories before you start. Watch sales and auctions for good buys. 

• Take photos of the existing fixtures and fittings in situ so that you can advertise on eBay or Gumtree to sell or give away and at the very least reduce the rubbish removal fees. 

• If you are able to maintain the configuration of the bathroom, you can usually save on plumbing and the time and expense of council approval process. 

• If at all possible, allow a 15 to 20% contingency fund so you’re prepared for the unexpected.

40. Going too big... or too small with tiles 

Use oversized tiles in a small bathroom and chances are you’ll end up having to cut the edge pieces down to size, which can look messy and awkward. But go too small, and your bathroom may feel too busy. Medium-sized floor tiles around 45x45cm are often the safest bet in a small space. You can go a bit smaller on the walls, as long as you limit the pattern and color palette. 

41. Hire licensed tradespeople – don’t just D.I.Y it! 

You might be tempted to save money by DIYing certain parts of your bathroom, however, unless you’re a trades person, there are certain aspects that you definitely shouldn’t D.I.Y! One of these is your plumbing.(I know I am repeating myself, because it is just that important.) Hiring a licensed professional might be a little more costly in the short-term, but it ensures that your job is done right the first time and will save you money in the long-term by avoiding costly fixes or a water damage disaster. Of course, professionals can still make errors, so be sure they provide quality guarantee or warranty, ask your friends and family for suggestions and speak with the tradespeople before hiring to be comfortable that they understand what you’re trying to achieve.

You might be tempted to save money by DIYing certain parts of your bathroom, however, unless you’re a trades person, there are certain aspects that you definitely shouldn’t D.I.Y! One of these is your plumbing.(I know I am repeating myself, because it is just that important.) Hiring a licensed professional might be a little more costly in the short-term, but it ensures that your job is done right the first time and will save you money in the long-term by avoiding costly fixes or a water damage disaster. Of course, professionals can still make errors, so be sure they provide quality guarantee or warranty, ask your friends and family for suggestions and speak with the tradespeople before hiring to be comfortable that they understand what you’re trying to achieve.