When Debi Smith, 47, asked a builder for a quote to redo her bathroom, she was shocked to discover that the labour alone would cost £3,500.
The cleaner and mum, from Cardiff, was desperate for a new bath to help ease the pain of her fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes pain all over the body.
Confronted with the high costs of getting the bathroom professionally done, Debi decided to take a DIY approach, with help from a friend who was happy to do the work for a lower cost.
The mum-of-one started by looking for bargains on Ebay and Amazon to keep costs low, then shopped in the sales at Wickes and Plumbworld.
She told LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘The light pull and towel holder were from Amazon on offer, the LED cabinet was £121 on Ebay and has anti-fog on it so it doesn’t get steamed up when using bath or shower.
‘I chose slate effect tiles (everyone said it would look dark but I had my mind made up!) from Wickes at 15% off for the floor and walls at £600 and PVC cladding with recessed lights for £56.
‘I totally gutted the bathroom (thank goodness I have a downstairs loo!) and replaced it all bar the window.
‘The tiles were on offer in Wickes – £25 for a box of five tiles. All furniture was on offer in Plumbworld, so I got everything for £850,
‘My only problem I encountered was that the shower glass panel was damaged but Plumbworld sent a replacement out the same day so I can’t fault them.’
In total, the project including labour and materials cost £4,000 – approximately £1,100 cheaper than what it would have costed with the builder.
The project took a lot of hard work over the course of two weeks, but Debi says it was all worth it when she settled in for her first hot bath.
‘I was overwhelmed at the transformation – it was like a completely different room. It was so nice to be able to take a hot bath after a year of not being able to – nothing quite beats a bath when you have aches and pains,’ she said.
‘If you want to do something similar, I’d say shop around, take note of online reviews and trust your gut feeling – everyone I asked was against me having such a dark colour but all those people now say it looks stunning!”
‘Having my friend help me for £2,400 was considerably cheaper and saved me quite a bit.’
Have you completed a DIY project you fancy showing off? Get in touch to share it by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE: Dad’s campaign for baby changing tables in men’s bathrooms pays off
MORE: Couple spend four years and £230,000 building eco-friendly dream home
MORE: Teacher quits job to focus on becoming a mum but discovers she has ovarian cancer at 36
source https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/24/mum-saves-1100-bathroom-transformation-shopping-ebay-amazon-12115183/
0 Comments