A Modern Bathroom and Toilet Upgrade in Raumanga

The Initial Consultation

After previous renovation experiences left her disappointed and disillusioned, Helen, the owner of this 1970s Raumanga property, was wary of renovating her bathroom but knew it had to be done. The shower was leaking, causing water damage that was getting worse by the day. So, with the floorboards needing to be ripped up anyway, Helen took the opportunity to renovate both the bathroom and toilet. 

She reached out to Renovation Consultant, Shamrose Chaudry, who immediately put her mind at ease. Helen says of Shamrose: “he was very quick to respond to my email request regarding a visit. The process was clearly explained right from the beginning.” 

As they discussed Helen’s project it became clear that Refresh’s 5-step renovation process would dispel all her worries — the hassle of drawn-out jobs, tradies not showing up, and cost discrepancies. Reassured that she could be completely hands-off once design and budget details were finalised, Helen was happy to proceed. 

Concepts and Costing

During the concept and costings phases, Shamrose presented Helen with a high-end design, as she had expressed her intention of staying in the house. But, with a change of plans, Helen decided she didn’t want to invest in a property she planned to sell in the near future. So Shamrose put forward an additional design that was more budget-conscious yet still delivered a modern result. Plan B came to $33,217. With the water damage ongoing, the project started as soon as plans were finalised. 

Adapting During Construction

Shamrose turned to his trusted network of professionals to complete the job. Repeated partnering with these contractors and suppliers had enabled Shamrose to build solid relationships and deliver high-quality work at the best possible cost to his clients. 

When the team began demolition, they discovered the water damage extended further than anticipated. The wall behind the shower and floors in the toilet and hallway all needed to be replaced, which required removing the door frames. Shamrose consulted Helen as soon as the discovery was made. She decided to take advantage of the situation by changing an additional four doors in the hallway which, along with replacing the extra floorboards and wall linings, increased the final cost to $35,846. 

Even with a 10-day COVID-19-enforced pause on the project and delayed delivery of materials from Auckland, the renovation was completed within eight weeks. Helen was thrilled with both the results and the process saying: “Despite the lockdowns and shipping delays from COVID, issues beyond anyone's control, the team that Shamrose got together to get the job done were fantastic. From the builders, painters, electricians, plumbers, and the flooring. They were all great to work with.”

Clean Design

Retaining the layout of the bathroom and toilet saved money but also highlighted the impact of the changes. 

The old vanity was too large so the team replaced it with one of sleek design that offered plenty of storage. That in turn made space for an elegant soaker tub spanning the width of the bathroom. 

Initially, Helen opted for standard fittings, but happily approved mid-level alternatives when Shamrose was able to upgrade the tub and vanity from Placemakers without exceeding the budget. The toilet has a narrow profile hand basin of the same white material to ensure the design flows between the rooms, both of which have new grey tiled floors sourced from Flooring Design. Both Helen and Shamrose were thrilled with the renovation results. 

A Great Experience

With that past renovation debacle now well behind her, Helen praised Shamrose and his team for their professionalism and responsiveness which gave her high-quality results and great value. 

“Working with Shamrose took the headache out of planning the project, coordinating with the tradies at different phases of the project, and choosing what fixture and colour options. Everything was at my fingertips which made things so much easier,” she said. 

Keen to do a few more updates to her home before putting it on the market, Helen has embarked on more work with her trusted renovation consultant. “We are now on our second project with Refresh and are working on re-roofing. Highly recommend their service! Thank you Shamrose.”

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