Couple’s £1.9k Reno Turns Boring Bathroom Into A Pampering Haven
- Shaz Price and Gary Murray gutted and rebuilt their “boring and clinical” bathroom in three weeks to give it the “wow factor”
- The luxurious space features a his and hers vanity, freestanding copper bathtub, and its very own fireplace
- The savvy couple saved at least £875 by upcycling and shopping for secondhand items and are “so proud” of the end result
A luxurious, hotel-style bathroom to retreat to for a warm bubble bath or invigorating power shower is a welcome addition to the home.
Shaz Price, 34, and her partner Gary Murray, 31, from Wirral, are living the dream, having transformed their old bathroom into a pampering haven on a £1.9k budget. What's more, they saved at least £875 along the way by upcycling and snapping up secondhand buys.
“We decided to change our bathroom, as we found it boring and clinical,” Shaz, an animal care assistant, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk. “We wanted something with a wow factor, as well as a larger shower and a smaller bath to make the best use of the space.”
Shaz took inspiration from styles she’d seen in hotels and on Pinterest to come up with a vision for the space. The end result looks like a luxury chalet style bathroom with its blend of tiles, stone and wood alongside five-star touches, such as the double vanity and freestanding copper bathtub.
“Gary and I did all the work ourselves, including the tiling, fitting and flooring,” says Shaz. “We thought we wouldn't be able to afford a professional to carry out the work on our budget. We’d renovated other houses we’d owned in the past and picked up some skills along the way so we were confident that we could tackle the refurb ourselves.”
The plan was drawn up around the two essential items Shaz and Gary, who runs a property solutions company, wanted in the space: the large shower and the statement bath.
“We really wanted a freestanding copper bathtub, but the ones we saw were too expensive at around £600. We got this one secondhand from Facebook Marketplace for £50, sanded it down and sprayed it copper,” says Shaz. “The shower was from ebay and features massage jets like the ones in hotels.”
With the main pieces bought, Shaz chose complementing luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring from Flooring UK, grey polished porcelain wall tiles from Homebase and textured split face tiles for the feature wall from Total Tiles.
“We ripped out the old bathroom, laid the flooring, which was easier than tiles as it was LVT, and retiled the walls completely,” says Shaz. “Next, we installed the new shower and had to configure some pipework, repaint the ceiling and wire in all the new lights.
“We adapted the double vanity, which we already owned, by building in an additional two drawers for extra storage. It also got a new worktop that went really well with the rest of the bathroom. This was another Facebook Marketplace bargain – it's a Wren Kitchens worktop that was £400 originally, but we got it for £75.”
Originally, Shaz wanted a water feature in the bathroom, but the couple couldn't find a way to make it work, so went to plan B.
“I decided to add a cosy fireplace instead,” she says. “It’s an ethanol fire, which didn't require any pipes or electrics so was easy to fit.”
The couple already had the fireplace elsewhere in the house so it was a simple case of relocating it.
“The only challenge we came up against was that the old plasterboard was damp so we had to build a false wall behind the sink, shower and toilet wall,” says Shaz.
The upgrade took the couple around three weeks and they fitted in the work around their full-time jobs.
“The way it has turned out is absolutely amazing,” she says. “We are so proud of what our hard work has achieved and think we did very well considering our tight budget.
“We’ve been renovating our house during lockdown and have also built a bar in the garden and an extension from scratch so there’s not much left to do now.”
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk comments: “By taking on the hard work themselves, Shaz and Gary have given their bathroom a luxurious makeover for less.
“Even if you're not a DIY expert, you can still learn some tips and tricks from the couple on ways to keep your costs in check.
“The idea to upcycle a freestanding bath saved them £550 compared to buying a new one. Plus, they saved £325 by opting for a secondhand vanity worktop, which is a fantastic result.”
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Wow! Looks absolutely brilliant & The Bath is Amazing!
I would hope to get lost, & be lucky enough to find your place
Knock "Can we use your phone please, we've broken down
Erm.. may I use your bathroom please 
Well done guys! Great job! Thanks for the great tips too! 
