ᐅ Custom Bathroom Design Even When Using a Developer (and How to Save Money…)

Good morning,

we are currently building a house through a developer. Yesterday, we visited the associated bathroom showroom to look at what is included. Standard sinks, showers, bathtubs, etc... nothing spectacular, but we were already aware of that. However, my wife has very clear ideas about how her dream bathroom should look. The house will have a total of three bathrooms (guest toilet, main bathroom, and a bathroom for future children in the attic). The main bathroom should be somewhat "special." For example, a countertop sink made of natural stone or marble with a nice wall-mounted vanity with a thick wooden countertop and matching fixtures, a bathtub that is a bit larger (with a middle drain), a rimless toilet, and a rain shower fixture. Of course, all of this comes with additional costs.

Especially for the vanity with the countertop sink and stylish fixtures, we were quite shocked – approximately (we don’t know the exact price yet because the developer might add another 10-30%) a 5,000 EUR (about $5,400) surcharge just for that. The other mentioned items are similarly expensive.

We would like to ask for your opinion and experience on this... We are now considering whether to purchase our desired bathroom components individually. For example, from Megabad or other retailers, and then install these items ourselves or have a friend do the installation. Do you see this as problematic, or is "DIY installation" a good option? One example that caught my attention: a rimless toilet cost about 500 EUR (about $540) at the showroom. At Megabad, the same brand (Villeroy & Boch) is available starting at 110 EUR (about $120)!

We understand that the developer offers a five-year warranty on the entire bathroom installation – and apparently charges a premium for this. But is that really necessary? Wouldn’t it be sufficient if the developer installs the bathroom up to the connections, and we have the rest installed ourselves?

Best regards & thanks!
Gatho

Hello!

Did you buy a turnkey home? If so, the builder should credit you for the fixtures and sanitary fittings. Whether they actually do is another question.

If a friend installs everything professionally, there shouldn’t be any problem. BUT IF there is, the complaints start. Your developer will most likely try to avoid liability.

Let’s assume there is a pipe leak. I don’t want to imagine what would happen then. Everyone would pass the blame around, and your friend could not be held responsible. They probably didn’t issue an invoice. That would be too risky for me. Better to pay the extra charge.

In our case, the additional costs were reasonable, but we didn’t choose exclusive marble finishes, just high-quality brands like Villeroy & Boch in white.

Hi!

Yes, exactly, the typical "turnkey" package (without floor coverings—except in the bathrooms and kitchen). That’s correct, fixtures and other items you might not want to keep would be deducted (but these should only be small amounts).

Regarding a possible pipe burst:
1.) A pipe burst is less related to the sink or the faucet, right?
2.) There would also be the household insurance that would cover that, wouldn’t it?

Gatho schrieb:
Hi!

Yes, exactly, the typical "turnkey" package (excluding floor coverings except in the bathrooms and kitchen). That’s right, fittings and other items that you might not want to use would be deducted (but those amounts should be small).

Regarding a possible pipe burst:
1.) A pipe burst is less related to the sink or tap, right?
2.) There’s also the household insurance that would cover that, isn’t there?

1- Interesting question if it happens within the first 5 years. I would like to know what then happens.

2- In our case, it’s, I think, the building insurance. But even with a new house, I don’t know how the insurer will respond. They will investigate and want to recover costs. They will send out an expert.

I had the developer remove a second bathroom upstairs for the children, including a shower, sink, and toilet with fittings (except for the floor tiles); this resulted in a price reduction of 3500 EUR.

Problems can arise at the interface between the installation pipes and your own work.

Examples:

• Assuming the tiler was careless. Your friend installs the toilet, you sit on it, and the tiles break under the load. This immediately leads to disputes.
• Sealing of the shower tray/bathtub or correct connection to the installation pipes. A little water leaks under the tub, and suddenly you have a damp ceiling on the ground floor... The water not only damages the ceiling but also spreads under the screed and into the electrical conduit pipes...

• Gatho schrieb:
  a rain shower fixture

  Should the rain shower supply line be installed in-wall? Normally, the shower hose only runs up to 1.10m (3 ft 7 in). So there are additional costs and coordination efforts if the developer has to run water overhead, and possibly issues with the valve intended by the developer.

Especially when work is not invoiced, insurance companies often try to recover their claim payments from third parties.

In the screed-conduit case (which I have witnessed in real life), the damage amounted to 90,000 EUR. The water had been dripping for only three weeks. Since the bathroom was in the attic, the moisture reached all the way down to the basement as it spread through the electrical installation...

Hello,
During the selection process, we removed all the sanitary fixtures except for the bathtub and decided to source them ourselves. This was actually the recommendation from the selection consultant...

You should be aware, however, that the general contractor/developer will still keep the profit margin they had included for your sink, for example. In other words, if they had previously included around €300 for a sink in your budget, they will probably only reimburse you about €200.

Nevertheless, this can still be worthwhile, as the markups are sometimes quite high.

Best regards,

Andreas