Main bathroom and ensuite, 1920s bungalow

The brief

“We wanted to keep the character of the house but stop living with a 1980s renovation that was falling apart. The main bathroom had to work for two kids, and we wanted an ensuite off the main bedroom without losing the bedroom's proportions.”

What we found

Every renovation has surprises. Publishing ours is the point — this is what a variation actually looks like, and how it got handled.

• The 1980s renovation had been laid directly over the original floorboards with no proper fall to the waste — the shower had been draining into the subfloor for years.
• Two floor joists under the old shower base had rot and needed sistering before anything could be set out.
• The earthenware sewer line under the house had a cracked section about three metres in from the boundary. We showed the client the camera footage and replaced that run while the floor was already up — far cheaper than returning for it later.
• The original copper water lines were sound and were retained, which kept cost down.

Scope of works

• Strip-out of both existing bathrooms
• Subfloor repair and joist sistering
• Replacement of the damaged sewer run
• New rough-in for main bathroom and new ensuite
• Waterproofing coordination and hold-point inspections
• Full fit-off — two showers, freestanding bath, two vanities, two toilets