A well-planned bathroom renovation adds real value to a home and transforms one of the spaces you use every single day. The difference between a bathroom that works brilliantly and one that constantly frustrates usually comes down to planning decisions made before a single tile is laid.

Start With the Brief

Before thinking about tiles or taps, define what you actually need from the space. Key questions:

• Do you want a bath, a shower, or both? If space is limited, which is more important?
• Do you prefer a walk-in shower or an enclosed enclosure?
• Do you want double sinks? This significantly affects the vanity layout
• Is storage important? Where will towels, toiletries, and cleaning products go?
• Who uses the bathroom — adults only, young children, elderly family members?

Suite Options

Bath

Standard inset baths fit the majority of bathrooms. Freestanding baths are a design statement but require space on all sides and need the waste and supply pipes to come up through the floor. Double-ended baths (taps in the middle) work well in larger rooms.

Walk-in Shower

A frameless walk-in shower (no door, walk-in entry) gives a clean, open look and is easiest to clean. It requires a fall to the drain and a sufficient distance from the entry point so water doesn't spray out. Typically needs at least 900mm x 900mm of floor space, ideally more.

Wet Room

A fully tanked, level-access shower area where the whole floor drains. More expensive to install correctly than a shower tray (requires full tanking of floor and walls), but gives a seamless, accessible finish. A drain position and falls need to be designed in from the start.

Shower Enclosure

A shower tray with a glass screen or enclosure. More contained than a wet room and less expensive to install. A good option where the layout requires the shower to be in a corner.

Underfloor Heating — Is It Worth It?

Underfloor heating in a bathroom is one of those upgrades that most people who have it say they wouldn't be without. Warm tiles underfoot and a gently heated room make a significant difference to comfort.

lectric UFH (mat system)

A heating mat laid under the tiles connected to a thermostat. Relatively inexpensive to install (typically £800–£1,500 for a standard bathroom), but costs slightly more to run than water-based systems. No pipework required. The right choice for most bathroom renovations.

Water-based (wet) UFH

Pipework connected to the central heating system. More expensive to install and only really cost-effective in new builds or major renovations where the floor is being fully stripped. Better running costs than electric for large areas.

If you want underfloor heating, decide before the floor is laid. Retrofitting is possible but means lifting the floor, which significantly increases the cost.

Ventilation and Building Regulations

All bathrooms require adequate ventilation. Building Regulations require:

• An extract fan with a minimum rate of 15 litres per second for a bathroom, 6 l/s for a separate WC
• Fans must have a 15-minute overrun timer (run-on after the light is switched off)
• If the bathroom has no opening window, continuous ventilation may be required

Small Bathroom Tips

• Wall-hung vanity units and WCs lift the floor visually and make the floor easier to clean
• Large format tiles with minimal grout lines make a small space feel larger
• A frameless shower screen takes up less visual space than a framed enclosure
• Recessed niches in shower walls for shampoo and soap — no shelves cluttering the space
• Keep the colour palette simple — contrasting tones work well, but too many colours make a small room feel busy
• Mirror the full width of the vanity unit, or use a large mirror, to maximise the sense of space

Wittick Building Tip: Wittick Building handles full bathroom renovations from strip-out to final silicone. We supply and fit or work with your chosen products. We also offer design advice to help you make the most of the space you have.