My friend reasoned that when working to a strict budget the most effective solution is to do fewer things but to do them well. Here’s her guide:

• Give the bathroom an amazing spring clean – rooms look better when clean
• Don’t replace the bathroom suite, again do give the bath, sink and toilet a very good clean
• Simply replace the bath and sink taps with some gleaming chrome fixtures – these Hudson Reed taps are perfect and come in funky contemporary designs
• Don’t replace the tiles, just re-grout them – they’ll look as good as new
• Lay some new lino flooring down – there are no excuses for carpet in bathrooms, lino is so cheap and easy to lie. Keep it simple; white lino works best (so my friend says!)
• Replace curtains with blinds – smarter and more elegant finish, very practical too.
• Keep the features to a minimum – this will help preserve the budget and a cluttered room will not look as good. My friend bought a pair of Soehnle bathroom scales as her feature piece, a great modern reworking of a bathroom classic – I am getting a pair asap!
• Renovate any tired wooden bathroom furniture by stripping off the paint and simply applying a natural bees wax finish – the natural style look works really well in a minimalist bathroom IMHO…

Do let me know how you get on with decorating your bathrooms and if you use any of these tips. I’ll keep you posted on how my neighbour’s bathroom looks

If you are thinking about selling your house, you must make sure the bathroom looks its best, because it can be a key selling point for potential buyers. So, the best option when you are choosing a new bathroom suite is to make sure whether it’s easy to decorate around and that it will not date.

If you may shop around you may find there is a wide range of bathroom styles on the market, with prices that can vary greatly. But, check out with a few bathroom suppliers before you take the plunge.

Make sure you have enough storage with the new suite you are planning to have  in your bathroom.  You must think about how it will be heated too. As many modern bathrooms are on the smaller side, check out the wide range of new slimline radiators that can look great as well as save space. The trend for under floor heating also might be something you’d like to consider for a luxurious touch when refurbishing your bathroom.

Points to remember:

• When changing the layout of your bathroom, you may need to change the pipe work too which will be much expensive – therefore, try to keep the plumbing arrangements unaltered.
• Deal only with qualified plumbers and builders.
• Pack as much storage space in, as you can.
• The water pressure has to be checked if you’re  installing a power shower, you made need a pump to keep the pressure constant.
• Think about the different options for financing your project.