Stafford Bathroom Reno - before and after.

Hi all!

We've recently completed out Stafford bathroom renovation.

House is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1 car post war home in Stafford, about 7km north west of Brisbane CBD.

The bathroom was the last "big" item to renovate in the house. I've also added new blinds, built-ins, flyscreens, lights and internal walls painted as part of sprucing up the whole house.

Here's the original bathroom:

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Original bath and shower screen:

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Probably not the worst looking bathroom ever seen, but still pretty daggy.

Everything came out. Nothing was spared. Bath, toilet, tiles, shower screen, vanity, linen cupboard... all removed.

A new bathroom floor had to be put in, as the original floor was starting to cave in.

New bathroom:

IMG_5580.JPG


I kept the bath! Working class suburb - usually have kids and kids need baths.


New vanity:

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Dual flush toilet was also new, and important to enable water usage costs to be passed onto tenants.

More pictures can be found here: http://tr.im/vgRs

Total time: 14 days. Demolition took a day, preparing for water proofing took a day, water proofing took 2 days, tiling took a couple of days, two weekends were put into the mix and there was a delay in getting the shower screen in place.

Total cost: About $9k. Remember, I'm living in Sydney and left the project management of the renovation to someone else. I might have been able to get this done cheaper if I was on-site and organising all the trades, but that's not leveraging my time very well. No plumbing had to be moved. Johnson white tiles were used on the walls as they don't date and a dark coloured tile used on the floor to contrast. Walls were also painted, as was the rest of the house.

Feel free to ask me any questions!

Cheers!

-- MJ.
 
Hi BV,

This is my first reno, so be gentle. :)

MJ

I hope the $9K for the whole house and not just the bathroom...

It was more than just the bathroom. It was the project management of the bathroom renovation and organising of tradies.

I'm not interesting in debating whether I could have done the bathroom cheaper.

Of course I could have.

I could have flown up to Brisbane for a couple of weekends and done it myself, but I'm not handy, so what's the point?

If I was wanting to flick this property off I could have painted the tiles and sprayed the bath. A patch up job could have cost less than $1k perhaps.

I intend to keep this property for a long time, so I decided to get the job done properly by quality trades.

I also don't have time to babysit trades or project manage on the ground, so I outsourced this as well.

Other renovation costs:

* Painting whole inside of the house: About $6k (Previous owner had used gloss on the walls, so an undercoat had to be applied first)
* Built-ins to three bedrooms: $3k
* Repair carport by bracing (carport was going to fall down :eek:): $700
* Blinds to three bedrooms: $1k
* Flyscreens: $300
* New lights throughout the house: $500.

So all up, about $21k. :D
 
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thanks MJ

I prefer to do some of the work myself.

We usually do the painting, light fittings, water taps, plumbing accessories etc
and leave the difficult jobs for tradesmen.
 
thanks MJ

I prefer to do some of the work myself.

We usually do the painting, light fittings, water taps, plumbing accessories etc and leave the difficult jobs for tradesmen.

Agreed! Some people are more handy than others. I work in IT... although I'll try anything once. :) What made this reno difficult is the distance between myself and the property.
 
It was more than just the bathroom. It was the project management of the bathroom renovation and organising of tradies.
Not only was using a project manager better use of your time and expertise, but it made the renovation legal. Managing this reno yourself would be illegal in QLD without an owner builder's licence.

Nice work, mja, it looks much better, and I trust you will attract a tenant who consistently pays the rent, stays a long time, and doesn't bother you with unnecessary repair/improvement requests. :)
 
Looks great mja! Stafford is a pretty nice suburb, if we decide to buy more I will be looking around that area.

Thanks Joan! Actually, my street (Nevitt St) has about 80% housing commission at the moment. :( But Stafford has nice pockets and it's only a matter of time until the suburb is gentrified.

ozperp said:
Not only was using a project manager better use of your time and expertise, but it made the renovation legal. Managing this reno yourself would be illegal in QLD without an owner builder's licence.

Nice work, mja, it looks much better, and I trust you will attract a tenant who consistently pays the rent, stays a long time, and doesn't bother you with unnecessary repair/improvement requests.

Thanks Tracey! Good to know. :D

WinstonWolfe said:
who project managed mj?

I'll PM you. :)
 
Not only was using a project manager better use of your time and expertise, but it made the renovation legal. Managing this reno yourself would be illegal in QLD without an owner builder's licence.

Wow really... I had no idea about this.
Even though there was no plumbing changes to his bathroom?

I had better look into this further, IF we ever get to reno the bathroom we have in this house that is!
 
Wow really... I had no idea about this.
Even though there was no plumbing changes to his bathroom?
Absolutely. Lots of people think they're OK if they don't do anything "structural", but that's nonsense. You can be in breach of the legislation even if you don't touch a tool, for example from page 34 of the BSA's "Facts for Home Builders and Renovators" (my bolding):
It is a requirement under the Queensland Building Services Authority Act 1991 (QBS Act) that if you wish to perform or co-ordinate building work on your own property valued at $11,000 or more (i.e. the cost if a licensed builder performed the work – including labour, materials and GST), you must obtain an Owner Builder Permit.​
And from further down the same page:
It is important that you understand what “value of building work” means. “Value of building work” is defined in the QBSA Act as an amount representing the reasonable cost to a consumer of having the work carried out by a licensed contractor on the basis that all building materials are to be supplied by the contractor (whether or not the work is in fact carried out by a licensed contractor on that basis).​
 
Ok so seeing as the bathroom cost $9000 you could legally do it yourself (under $11,000)

I agree mja- if you cost in the travel costs, time etc it's not worth it.

My hubby is able to do lots of building things but some things we pay to get done even though he can do them.
We work out the time it will take. Something may take him 3 days whereas a professional can do it in a day. If hubby does 2 days overtime and we pay someone to do the work he has gained a day free time for no outlay. Plus the cost is tax deductible (sometimes).
You need to take more than just the cost in $ into account.
 
Ok so seeing as the bathroom cost $9000 you could legally do it yourself (under $11,000)
True, if you were just doing that. :) But mja's reno came out at $20K in total, and they look at the total for the property, not individual rooms.
 
True, if you were just doing that. :) But mja's reno came out at $20K in total, and they look at the total for the property, not individual rooms.

Not sure that this is true, the wording is "building work on your property for a single project" I have heard it argued in the industry that the deffinition of "single project" is not clear, the legislation also gives no deffinition. But a reasnoble person would consider a bathroom and then say a kitchen both as single projects unless done at the same time and using the same trades people.

Also the stupid thing about that rule is that all BSA trades are covered by the definition of "building work" so if you employ some one to install ducted air con in your house for say 12k you by law need to either employ a builder to coordinate it, have a owner bulders permit, or break the law and face a fine.

I have also heard the BSA argue that this can only be applied to your ppor and any rental house is considered as being for commercial use and therefore all work must be or ordinated by a builder regardless of value.
 
I have heard it argued in the industry that the deffinition of "single project" is not clear
I've heard the same argument, but when I spoke to BSA about it some years ago, they laughed. :eek: I think that position is reasonable, but I'd rather not be the guinea pig. ;)
James Allen said:
Also the stupid thing about that rule is that all BSA trades are covered by the definition of "building work" so if you employ some one to install ducted air con in your house for say 12k you by law need to either employ a builder to coordinate it, have a owner bulders permit, or break the law and face a fine.
I was told by the BSA that if it truly is completely single trade, then their trade licence negates the need for a builders' licence. More than one trade, though, and you're absolutely right.

The ridiculous example I gave was what if I need a carpenter to spend an hour trimming my doors so that new carpet can be installed. BSA said that if I hire the carpenter separately to the carpet contract, and combined value > $11K (which it was), then a builders' licence is required.
James Allen said:
I have also heard the BSA argue that this can only be applied to your ppor and any rental house is considered as being for commercial use and therefore all work must be or ordinated by a builder regardless of value.
Well, that'd make all this debate nugatory, in respect of IPs! :eek:
 
Ozperp... thanks for that info.

I am not sure on the total amount we have spent on the house.
Painting, laminated flooring and install flat pac kitchen so far. I would think it's under $10,000
Got plumber/gas fitter and electrician to do there stuff,
My husband has done it all the rest.
Is there any time limit between doing renos? eg. If you waiting 12 months and did the bathroom, we already have the shower cubicle and vanity, just no money to do anything with them.
 
I have also heard the BSA argue that this can only be applied to your ppor and any rental house is considered as being for commercial use and therefore all work must be or ordinated by a builder regardless of value.

:eek: What? Does this means that I cannot even paint my IP myself legally without getting the services of a builder?
 
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Nice result MJA.
If i can ask, was it financially rewarding? I.e. what has the valuation increase been post the reno?

Project 1080.

The project: 10 IPs in 80 mths.
 
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