30.6.2023

Updated:

7.6.2024

5 min read

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This family of five put their plans on hold to sell their lifestyle home in Wellington’s countryside. Let’s find out why.

Dave and Jane are no strangers to renovating. They purchased their home in 2019, and set out to enhance its value so that they could eventually sell to another family to enjoy.

With an unpredictable property market, they decided to stay put, and are now enjoying the rewards of their latest project: an overhaul of their main bathroom and ensuite.

Dave shares his insight on renovating two bathrooms which he wanted to be ‘fit for purpose’ for him and his wife, and three teenage daughters.

Keep reading for a unique look into the journey from start to finish, including:

  • The vision

  • Using BC

  • Choosing a trade pro

  • The challenges

  • The results

  • Advice from the expert

Before: The main bathroom & entryway, which also got a facelift. | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

What was your vision for the bathroom reno?

“Our bathrooms were built in the early 2000’s and had slippery tiles,” Dave says.

“They needed to be functional, with decent storage and amenities, without changing up the style too much.

“Though we like the modern style, going too modern would have taken away from the rest of our home.

“We’re familiar with projects of this scale, as we renovated our last home, and have done a few improvements around here, so we knew our budget and what we wanted — we just tried to keep it simple.

“Ultimately, we wanted to make it timeless and sellable.”

Before: The main bathroom was the first to be renovated. | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

What brought you to BC?

“I’ve been using it quite a bit over the last few years, with about five or six different projects,” Dave says.

“In the past, I’ve had projects where it has been really hard to find anyone, and I had struggled finding a builder or project manager to do this piece of work outside of Builderscrack.

“So I thought ‘I’ll just post a job and see what happens’. You never know who has got a gap to fill in their books.”

During: Preparation for the fixtures in the main bathroom. | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

How did you choose a trade pro for your bathroom reno?

“I had a look at the reviews of the tradespeople who approached my job,” Dave says.

“While I take reviews with a grain of salt, I usually like to see how tradespeople respond — it’s great that both sides get the opportunity to respond to a job.

“I chose BIM Projects Ltd to do an initial on site review and quote. They were a great bunch of people and you could tell they had worked on a few projects together, which was a big help.

“It wasn’t until we picked BIM Projects Ltd that I realised I had gone to school with Kane and his brother.”

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During: Next up, overhauling the ensuite. | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

What were the biggest challenges?

“Things were quite straightforward as we had the fittings and fixtures decided on before the work commenced,” Dave says.

“From there, it was pretty much all back-to-back work, as we didn’t want to have a construction site for the whole of winter.

“The biggest challenge was that we needed to keep one bathroom functional at a time.

“We discussed with BIM Projects Ltd which order we wanted to do the bathrooms in, and decided it was best to start with the main bathroom, followed by the ensuite.”

After: A sneak peak of the results of the completed main bathroom. | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

How do you feel about the end results?

“Awfully happy,” Dave says.

“Anything we saw that didn’t meet our expectations at the time was rectified straight away.

“Everything was kept clean and tidy around the site, and as a result the bathrooms are in a really great condition — and they look great too!”

After: The ensuite with a new glass shower and double vanity fitting. | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

What advice would you give other homeowners?

  • Try to use the same subcontractors so that the workmanship and finish are consistent.

  • Have conversations early on with your project manager about what’s happening when and plan the general logistics.

  • Don’t underestimate the cost and timeframe for the job to be done at a high standard.

  • If you have the space, ordering the fixtures and fittings early can save time and stress.

  • Make sure to put enough storage in your bathrooms, especially with kids and teenagers.

  • Listen to the advice you get from tradespeople and have some flexibility on your vision.

  • Don’t be afraid to express what you want, so you can discuss ways that you can bring your vision to life.

Before & after gallery: The main bathroom from start to finish. | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

Over to our trade professional: What are the key elements involved in a bathroom project?

We spoke to Kane from BIM Projects Ltd who shared the key elements involved in a bathroom renovation like Dave’s.

  • Establish the site: A foreman or project manager will visit the homeowner and establish the site, power sources, hazards, and set up signs and site boxes.

  • Pre-plan: We ensure that both parties understand their role, requirements and expectations.

  • Indicate requirements: The decision will be made on which bathroom is more important and which to carry out the renovation on first.

  • Establish access: A clear layout of how the site will be accessed will be made e.g., the main bathroom will be accessed via the hallway and main entrance.

  • Organise materials: One of our prerequisites is that any items that the homeowner is supplying should be selected and on site before work commences.

  • Communicate: Keep in contact. We have started a WhatsApp group where we send a short video clip of the work we’ve carried out that week, and what’s coming up.

     

“Dave and Jane were awesome to communicate with, and it was a pleasure working with them on both these projects,” Kane says.

Before & after gallery: The ensuite from start to finish. | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

The Logistics

Materials:

  • GIB for wet areas (details)
  • Solid Surface VCBC Vanities x2
  • 4 drawers
  • French Oak finishings by ZIPs Plumbing Plus
  • Sliding Duet custom glass showers by Focus Glass (details)
  • Athena Contro Bath (details) and tiling

  • Cost: $60k (ensuite) and $63k (main bathroom)

  • Job duration: 4 months

The Results

After: The new bathrooms are both timeless and functional! | Photos: Kane (BIM Projects Ltd)

Thank You

Thanks to Dave for sharing the ins and outs of his main bathroom and ensuite reno, and a big thank you to Kane and his team at BIM Projects Ltd for their hard work in achieving these results.

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