ᐅ Overwhelmed by Bathroom Tiling Options – Any Alternatives?
Created on: 17 Aug 2016 12:20
K
Knallkörper
Hello forum members,
In our new build, we have an 18 m² (193.75 sq ft) bathroom with a sloped ceiling and a 4.7 m² (50.6 sq ft) guest toilet. The main bathroom is planned to include a large walk-in shower measuring 1.20 x 1.00 m (3.9 x 3.3 ft), a stylish V&B bathtub, a double vanity, and an elegant toilet. The fittings for the shower and bathtub will be concealed-mounted.
The guest toilet will not have a bathtub and will only have a simple washbasin, but we want a slightly larger, attractive shower and a nice toilet as well.
We have received a quote from our general contractor’s preferred plumber. They want nearly 25,000 euros extra for the sanitary installation. Of this, 13,750 euros are for the “washbasin unit with mirror cabinet” in the main bathroom.
When I compare the largest material items in the overall quote with prices found online, I could save about 8,000 euros by purchasing the materials myself. For example:
V&B Squaro Edge 12 bathtub 190 x 90 cm (6.2 x 3 ft)
Installer’s quote: 1,655 euros (delivery only, plus installation)
Online price: 850 euros including shipping
The biggest discrepancies are with the individual parts of the Keuco “washbasin unit,” with price differences of over 100%.
Now I’m considering what to do. Ideally, I would decline the entire offer politely and source (almost) all parts myself and install them. Negotiation seems pointless since my idea of a fair price appears far from the plumber’s expectations.
So far, our own contribution to the whole house has been “only” laying all the flooring and doing all the tiling. If I install the sanitary fixtures myself, I wouldn’t have any scheduling conflicts with the general contractor. My plan is to have the GC’s plumber only make the connections at the correct positions. They can keep their standard fixtures. Then I would buy the bathtub, etc., at a better price and either install everything myself or hire another company for the installation.
Could this work? What should I consider regarding drywall work — is it done before or after the installation of the sanitary fixtures?
I would appreciate any suggestions or experience reports related to this kind of project.
In our new build, we have an 18 m² (193.75 sq ft) bathroom with a sloped ceiling and a 4.7 m² (50.6 sq ft) guest toilet. The main bathroom is planned to include a large walk-in shower measuring 1.20 x 1.00 m (3.9 x 3.3 ft), a stylish V&B bathtub, a double vanity, and an elegant toilet. The fittings for the shower and bathtub will be concealed-mounted.
The guest toilet will not have a bathtub and will only have a simple washbasin, but we want a slightly larger, attractive shower and a nice toilet as well.
We have received a quote from our general contractor’s preferred plumber. They want nearly 25,000 euros extra for the sanitary installation. Of this, 13,750 euros are for the “washbasin unit with mirror cabinet” in the main bathroom.
When I compare the largest material items in the overall quote with prices found online, I could save about 8,000 euros by purchasing the materials myself. For example:
V&B Squaro Edge 12 bathtub 190 x 90 cm (6.2 x 3 ft)
Installer’s quote: 1,655 euros (delivery only, plus installation)
Online price: 850 euros including shipping
The biggest discrepancies are with the individual parts of the Keuco “washbasin unit,” with price differences of over 100%.
Now I’m considering what to do. Ideally, I would decline the entire offer politely and source (almost) all parts myself and install them. Negotiation seems pointless since my idea of a fair price appears far from the plumber’s expectations.
So far, our own contribution to the whole house has been “only” laying all the flooring and doing all the tiling. If I install the sanitary fixtures myself, I wouldn’t have any scheduling conflicts with the general contractor. My plan is to have the GC’s plumber only make the connections at the correct positions. They can keep their standard fixtures. Then I would buy the bathtub, etc., at a better price and either install everything myself or hire another company for the installation.
Could this work? What should I consider regarding drywall work — is it done before or after the installation of the sanitary fixtures?
I would appreciate any suggestions or experience reports related to this kind of project.
S
Sebastian7922 Aug 2016 13:26Okay, then the 13,000 euros is not a problem – did you also pick something very expensive that is simply hopelessly overpriced compared to internet prices?
Keuco does offer quality and sometimes strong design, but even for items like the toilet brush and toilet paper holder, I was really frustrated. I bought all those items myself through eBay & eBay Classifieds, where I usually paid only about 30% of the regular price.
Keuco does offer quality and sometimes strong design, but even for items like the toilet brush and toilet paper holder, I was really frustrated. I bought all those items myself through eBay & eBay Classifieds, where I usually paid only about 30% of the regular price.
H
HilfeHilfe22 Aug 2016 15:09Surely, all the cabinets were not included in the standard package? They are always an extra cost. So, you should compare apples to apples. This means the porcelain should be considered an additional charge. Yes, it looks very good, but it wouldn’t be suitable for me either… it’s like a mid-range car. Any scratch would annoy me. With two small children in our family, that wouldn’t work.
I took a look at the items: quite expensive, but they do look good.
I find the single-lever mixers reasonably priced.
The mirrored cabinets don’t really seem expensive to me. I can imagine there is a lot of potential for savings in this area.
Additionally, it’s worth considering that the LED lighting is not replaceable, so I wouldn’t want to deal with that.
For the furniture itself, including the base cabinets, I would have a carpenter provide a cost estimate, as bathroom furniture generally comes with a significant markup.
I find the single-lever mixers reasonably priced.
The mirrored cabinets don’t really seem expensive to me. I can imagine there is a lot of potential for savings in this area.
Additionally, it’s worth considering that the LED lighting is not replaceable, so I wouldn’t want to deal with that.
For the furniture itself, including the base cabinets, I would have a carpenter provide a cost estimate, as bathroom furniture generally comes with a significant markup.
K
Knallkörper22 Aug 2016 16:04ypg schrieb:
P.S.
You have bathroom vanity units with a depth of over 50cm (20 inches), and the individual mirrored doors are also 50cm (20 inches) deep for a total width of 100cm (40 inches).
Isn’t it inconvenient to open such deep doors above the vanity?
Good question. I haven’t really considered that yet. A 40cm (16 inch) deep door would certainly be much more comfortable. I will keep that in mind when looking for alternatives. I was at a furniture store over the weekend where bathroom furniture was 30% off. The “sets” including vanity unit, faucet, base cabinet, and mirror cabinet were around 2,000 euros each. I’m willing to spend 4,000 euros for both.
The mirror cabinets are so-called “built-in mirror cabinets.” From my point of view, this just means that the stud wall will later be built around the mirror cabinet. So the mirror cabinet should be installed before the drywall installer comes in. Or am I missing something?
Alternative view: have you always preferred length over width?
Have you always dreamed of wide washbasins?
Or were you influenced by a showroom display?
I often recommend Ikea as well—they offer cabinets 100cm (40 inches) wide. But I can also understand if you don’t want Ikea products in your bathroom.
For a simple bathroom cabinet, though, I would find it hard to justify the cost. As @HilfeHilfe already mentioned, every smudge feels more painful that way.
But people are different: some delight in higher-priced items, while others appreciate achieving a similar look at a reasonable price.
By the way, we combined a 1.80m (6 feet) kitchen countertop with a base cabinet and an asymmetrical vessel sink: Ikea with Keramag.
Have you always dreamed of wide washbasins?
Or were you influenced by a showroom display?
I often recommend Ikea as well—they offer cabinets 100cm (40 inches) wide. But I can also understand if you don’t want Ikea products in your bathroom.
For a simple bathroom cabinet, though, I would find it hard to justify the cost. As @HilfeHilfe already mentioned, every smudge feels more painful that way.
But people are different: some delight in higher-priced items, while others appreciate achieving a similar look at a reasonable price.
By the way, we combined a 1.80m (6 feet) kitchen countertop with a base cabinet and an asymmetrical vessel sink: Ikea with Keramag.
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