25 Step Guide to Designing and Buying a Bathroom
A Professional Designers Guide
Step 9. First Bathroom Plan Blues
You have surveyed your own property or employed professional help. You have sweated over your bathroom plan on the kitchen table or waited in anticipation of good things to follow from your designer. What should you expect, at this part of the process?
One plan covers all ?
It is probably the hardest part of the design process, to have to focus on one bathroom design layout and commit to it. I believe that too much emphasis is put on providing a definitive bathroom layout, that covers every wish from day one, by both the bathroom industry and clients. I always find it much better to have more than one design scheme if the bathroom demands it, and reduce back to one after considering the advantages and disadvantages of all design options. It is easier to be get progress when all design options are on the table. It is good to get alternative bathroom quotes and schemes as back up to any purchase, but it is unwise to dismiss a bathroom designer early if the scheme is not quite right. Good designers have 'off' days and can miss crucial details. It is better to provide as much feed back as possible and ask for a revision on the points that have not been well covered. If he does not shape up at the second meeting then fine, asta la vista baby!
I don't get it !
I have sometimes sat infront of clients and presented a bathroom scheme to be told by one partner that she or he does not get it ! Mainly the problem is that the bathroom layout bares no relation to what they expected and are comfortable with. Once I have explained every reason for this radical deviation from the brief, they have often said that I was right to do it, and that it made more sense when they have had time to assess it. A lack of communication here, or not allowing a breathing space to contemplate, can miss an opportunity to raise the bathroom scheme above the ordinary, and it is easily done.
Is different good ?
I have had the situation quite often where my attempts to provide something interesting or radical are what cause the most problems, because the bathroom scheme is considered to be too different. It is always easier to regurgitate what I know other less motivated designers will produce, and take my chances sometimes, because it is easier to sell a bathroom scheme that is less contraversial, if my clients prefer to play safe. I still believe that the best schemes come out of a process of ripping up and re-shaping and sometimes starting again. It is important for you as the client to engage in this process, and expect to be tested on your resolve about areas that need more thought. If the answer is that you require a more conservative approach, then do not shoot the designer for trying to be interesting. Also do not assume that if this design is different from the rest that it must be suspect, especially if it works well on a practical level. I would suggest that this designer is a rareity and should be given careful consideration ! Especially if it is me !
Can I be objective with my own design
If you have produced your own bathroom scheme, and need to be objective about it, then good luck ! My wife and I are both designers, and we have very different ideas about what we like . I am motivated by very modern recently to the point of radical. My wife is more traditional and prefers clutter. We have survived each others tastes by ending up somewhere in the middle. Sometimes it is difficult to find that common ground, and one person wins the battle by not blinking first ! It is important that this common ground is found because it will always be an area of resentment by one partner if they are not happy.
Getting your quotes
It is easy to lose sight of what it costs to buy a good quality bathroom. If you are designing and buying it yourself, then I would say this is doubly so. It is relatively easy to get a bathroom plan and quotation from your local bathroom studio, from a very basic sketch, to see if you are on the right track. It should not be taken for granted that its cheaper buying your bathroom equipment on the internet, or at the sheds. I have easily beaten them on price, when fitting of the bathroom, and supply of better quality items are taken into account. If you have one company supplying, fitting and guaranteeing the project, then peace of mind always has a real value. In most areas there is a good cross-section of small to medium size specialist bathroom retailers, who will always be my first port of call. All independent bathroom retailers are keen to be competative at the moment.
Whos the fitter ?
Farming-out of the fitting to sub-contractors is another area to look at. With the sheds in particular, fitting it can vary from acceptable to absalutely appalling. The fitters on average only get half of the fitting money you pay to the retailer, they also have to deal with poor ordering and delays all the time. There is a big mismatch, between what you have paid, and the service that half of that money will buy. The money is not enough normally for the hassle, and the fitter will be off if there are too many problems.
Should I be flexible ?
It is important to get progress with all your quotes and not let anyone drag their feet, to be able to decide if the budget is realistic . It is also important to be sure if you think the designer is being unrealistic with budget to make sure you are comparing like- for-like. That means having an itemised quote at some stage, ideally at the first presentation, but probably at the second presentation if you let someone get that far ! It is very easy, if given a competative lump sum budget by a company or individual, for things to be missed and charged extra for later. Individual fitters in particular have a habit of trying this out when doing their own projects and conciously avoiding detailed paperwork to make extra profit at your expense. Another trick is to ask for cash at the end of the job, to gain extra money and leave you without a receipt unless you have your wits about you.
We need to get the costs down
Where is the best place to reduce the cost if the bathroom is too much at first presentation? Go some where else? I would say this is too harsh unless the costs presented are outlandish. If your bathroom designer has compared like for like with other bathroom companies and they are all steep, then your budget is probably optimistic. Where do you go from here? It is always important to weigh up how much you want a particular specification if you cannot afford it. I would actively consider keeping the quality high. it is unwise to buy cheaper goods if it can be avoided.. We all have to compromise sometimes, but a good quality bathroom will last 15 years and beyond ! So that extra £1500 is £100 per year, or the price of a new car tyre. it is a long while to regret not having what you want!
what is a good quote
A good quotation should itemise everything being sold to you in a clear manner, and state when a sum is an estimate. If the scheme is too expensive, then let the designer decide how to get down to where you want to be. I have had many a lively discussion, normally with the husband who wants to remove and replace the expensive bits, and leave his wife with nothing that makes the bathroom individual and interesting. Often the disparity is not much when looked at.
My conclusion is that the quote is either competative or not. If the quote is not competative then let the designer remedy the problem and propose the best way to keep the essence of the bathroom design whilst reducing his price. Don't get bogged down with changing everything unless the price is rediculous, or things have been missed. Bespoke bathroom specifications are more complicated and do require more discussion early on to clarify the types of materials and build quality. I will cover this later.
Contract conditions
It is always good at an early stage to discuss the contract and payment structure of a company before going too far. it can be disappointing to reach final drawing and quotation stage with no agreement to the companies terms. this is an area where I could rewrite every contract if I tried to keep every customer happy. It would be easy to get bogged down with a lot of detail here, I will cover this later, so I will try to keep it simple.
A reasonable contract will not expect you to part with more than 25% deposit unless you are having something unique built that cannot be sold on easily or returned if you default . An interim payment of 50% on delivery of goods is acceptable if 75% adds up to what you have recieved or less. 25% on completion is acceptable if it covers the installation costs or the replacement costs of another installation team if the company lets you down.
All up front ?
If a bathroom company demands all the money up -front or much more than what you have recieved at any stage of the contract, then this is unreasonable. it is also likewise unreasonable at any stage of the contract for you to hold back a disproportionate amount of money for any goods or services not recieved. If a light socket is loose at the end of the contract then deduct £100 not £1000 and so on. If you are happy with the job then pay your dues and take pride in parting with a clear conscience.
Delivery and installation dates
It is worth at an early stage discussing delivery and installation dates to prevent disappointment later. At this stage you should be in a position to decide whether it is worth waiting longer to get what you want.
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