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Easy in-store ReturnsTurning a dated, dysfunctional bathroom into a cool, contemporary ensuite
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How do you deal with a tired, dated bathroom on a limited budget? Find out how a Port Macquarie couple transformed their old bathroom for less than $7000.
Home owners: Christie and Christian Corse
Location: Port Macquarie
The project: Main bedroom ensuite
The budget: $6500
Christie’s top tip for renovators: “Know the style you want to go with and get all your ideas together before you start.”
Ever since buying their house in 2013, homeowners Christie and Christian Corse started renovating the bits they couldn’t live with. But it took them 10 years to rip out and renovate their dated, stuck-in-the-eighties ensuite.
“I hated that bathroom!” laughed Christie. “It was huge, but it had a single shower poked into the corner, and a wall in front of the toilet which didn’t serve any purpose. There was no storage; it had this tiny little vanity with a single door that was falling off its hinges. I had this massive bathroom, but nowhere to put anything.’”
The plan
Over 20 years and two houses, the couple have done plenty of renovations themselves – and their ensuite reno was no different.
“Christian’s an aircraft engineer so he’s a bit handy, and I’m good at putting everything together, picking colours and what we’re going to do,” she says. “I set up my page on Pinterest and I get the Bunnings magazine and I just gather ideas before we start. Plus, we’d recently renovated our daughters’ bathroom so we knew what we wanted. Keeping it simple and having a plan makes it easier.”
They followed a slick, striking industrial theme – all black accessories, black window frames and grey and white tiles. “We picked that because you can’t go far wrong with it and we figured we’d get a good 10 years out of it before it started to date.”
The build
The couple decided to tackle as much of the ensuite reno as they could, stripping and gutting the ensuite within one weekend and chucking everything in a skip bin.
They hired a plumber to change the old-fashioned toilet to a new back-to-wall one, and he added an extra shower rose for the second shower head. They also got an electrician in for the bits they couldn’t do, and they had the two original windows replaced with one large one, to let more natural light in.
“We waterproofed the following weekend ourselves, and we did the tiling – I’ve done so much tiling in my life now,” says Christie, “I know I definitely don’t want to be a tiler when I grow up!”
One big challenge they faced was lining up the roof sheets for the ceiling and trying to make it look neat. “We didn’t get plasterers in, and that kind of work always makes me nervous; it’s hard to smooth a ceiling. And it’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good!”
The couple worked weekends and a few nights after work to finish the job and Christie estimates the whole ensuite renovation took them about two months all up.
The budget
Saving money while creating a more beautiful and functional ensuite was always the priority. “I was always thinking, ‘how can we do this and that, and not spend a fortune,” says Christie. “In the end, it cost around $6500 but we did so much ourselves. I can only imagine what it might have cost if we had left all of it to tradies.”
Because they’d done another bathroom reno recently, the couple had an idea of what it would cost. “We saved on the white tiles, which were from Bunnings, along with things like the villaboard, new toilet and waterproofing materials,” remembers Christie.
“We did splurge on two things – the vanity, which was over $2000, and the motorised blind which cost about $1400, made to measure. We wanted to do it properly.”
The final result
Now they have a gorgeous new space, what does Christie love about it?
“I just love how bright and open the space is now, and how we’ve got so much more room – there is not one thing I would change about it,” she says.
“We’ve got a double vanity now and a double shower and it’s a lovely space to be in to get ready in the morning. [If my daughters try to come in] I say, ‘girls, get out! You’ve got your own!’”
Christie’s top tips for saving money on a reno
1. Don’t move the pipes “Moving pipes equals ‘Hollywood dollars’, as one plumber told me! Work with the current pipework – it’s much cheaper.”
2. Buy what you need yourself “Buy it direct, pick it up yourself and have it all there ready for your trades. Anything they buy for you, they’ll add a cut onto.”
3. Sell what you can “I sold our old shower screen for $500 and the loo for $20 on FB marketplace. Anything you can sell you can put towards the new reno.”
See more from Christie and Workshop
Check out a step-by-step of Christie’s ensuite, and her other projects on Bunnings Workshop.
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More D.I.Y. Advice
Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.
When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.