29 June 2020

Recommendations for Bathroom Renovations in Canberra?

| davlom
Join the conversation
45

We are looking to do a complete bathroom renovation (not just a makeover) and don’t just want to start cold calling from the paper or phone book.

Can anyone recommend a good, reliable company or tradesman (preferably who you may have used) who can undertake the whole job – from taking out the old to completing the new (tiling, plumbing, electrical etc).

Thanks in advance!

If you’re also looking to get your bathroom renovated, check out our recently updated article on the best bathroom renovation companies in Canberra.

Join the conversation

45
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Give Phillip a call at http://www.7startiling.com.au/ for a complete bathroom renovation.

J&M Bathrooms are great for all bathroom renos & any other tiling jobs. Highly recommend Mark 0438132491

canberracustombathrooms8:03 pm 25 Sep 14

Hi all Alex here from custom sealing services we are so amazed by the amount of great recommendations spoken out us.
I would like to take this time to thank everyone that has gone out of there way to post comments for us and show people the work.
60% of our work is via recommendation and we hope it continues.
We would also like to take this time to let people know that we are doing great special offers up to Christmas and hope everyone gets there new bathroom.
Please keep a few things in mind when you come to get your bathroom done.
If you move plumbing it adds a great deal to the price.
If you tile to the ceiling it is not to much more than half tiling and saves you ever painting the walls.
remember that the bathroom will be in service for the next 20+ yrs so pick a color that will not date.
I hope that helps you if you would like any more advice please feel free to contact us on our new number 0432275257 or alexl1@live.com.au

PeterHatcher11:01 am 12 Jul 14

Lol Laurie,
We also used John at Purr-fect Bathrooms in April and were extremely satisfied with the bathroom renovation that they provided. John and his team are experienced, flexible, courteous and very organised. The whole job was finished inside two weeks for a competitive price. We are particularly pleased with the quality of the tiling work.

Hi,
I would just like to make a recommendation. I would highly recommend John and his team from Purr-fectbathrooms.com.au. They completed the renovations on our bathroom and en-suite a few months ago. I am very pleased with the results. He and his team were very professional. As a woman this was a daunting exercise for me, and John was so helpful with his advice and knowledge. The work was competed in two weeks and John and his team took a lot of stress out of this exercise for me. They were pleasant and friendly and were understanding about what I wanted. He took care of all those little things that happened along the way.
I will also be recommending John to all of my friends.
Laurie.

In the past 30 years at several abodes in Canberra I have had two kitchen renovations, 3 bathrooms and a complete internal renovation done by Bordeaux Kitchens & Bathrooms, 8 Aroura Place, Queanbeyan, phone 6299 4642.
It’s a family business and they do most of the work themselves. The contractors they use to do the other stuff are first class. If you are bereft of ideas just tell Steve what you think you need to do and he will tell you about things that can be done that you would never have thought of. He speciality is creating new storage spaces in bathrooms, kitchens and pantries.
They don’t take any shortcuts either. Pricing is what you would expect to pay for the best job available.

Hi folks. We had a great job done by a guy that was recommended to us by a workmate. His name was john from contemporary bathrooms. I believe he doesn’t advertise and relies on referrals to get work. He had great design ideas because we needed help getting it all together. He was punctual and always showed up for appointments (you’d be amazed how many don’t!) he gave us a really competitive price and didn’t charge a mark up on the tiles we chose. What really impressed us though is the finish in our bathroom. It is top class. John arranged all the other trades too like plumber and electrician. We didn’t have to worry about anything and had a beautiful new bathroom. He can be contacted on 0450781339. I don’t think he has a website.

Thanks for all the great recommendations on this post….

Looking to get a few quotes ourselves but just having trouble tracking down a working web address for Chris from Eco-seal / Canberra Tiling and Bathrooms as well as well as Alex from Custom Sealing Services….If anyone knows their web addresses, please post!

Thanks in advance!

I had our 3 bathrooms done from scratch by Anthony at ADN Builders. I am fussy and he did a fantastic job. Each stage was discussed so there was no confusion; he organised a plumber and electrician.

I love them. You are most welcome to view mine too (I live in Belconnen).

Oh I forgot get custom sealing services on 040727262851 or alexl1@live.com.au
Bye for now.

Hi all I would like to say a big thank you to the team at custom sealing services they revamped my old ex – govie for me and did an amazing job and cost no were near what we were expecting.
Thanks guys Amazing Job See You At The End Of The Year For My en – suite.

Joan monash

Thank you John and the friendly team for transforming my tiny 1970s “beige nightmare” into a bright and efficient bathroom/laundry. I love my large shower and improved storage.

With my budget in mind, you listened to what I needed and made great suggestions. All the work was carried out to a very high standard, with the tradies making every effort to minimise the mess and clean up as the job progressed.

When any unexpected issues arose (such as finding poorly located original pipes), I really appreciated you checking with me as to which remedy to apply.

I am very happy to recommend Purr-fect Bathrooms (0409986436) for a high quality renovation.

Merrin, Weston Creek

Hi
I have just had a bathroom renovation done by John Lanz from Purrfect Bathooms (0409986436). John and his team did an excellent job on turning a dowdy 70s bathroom into something very stylish. His price was very reasonable and I would highly recommend him.

jenny_v said :

P.S if you would like to come look at my bathroom please respond on the forum and I will email you as now I want to show it to the world.

jenny_v – I would like to take up your offer to view your bathroom, if the offer still stands?

You couldn’t go past Image Bathrooms – Paul was our main contact and couldn’t have been more helpful. His quote was very detailed and included everything we needed such as tiles, toilet, tapware etc etc. Paul was on site everyday to make sure everything ran smoothly and on time. Very professional attitude and workmanship. We are looking at doing our ensuite next and not even going to bother getting others around to price up. We were recommended by a friends work colleague. They are a little hard to find in “the book” – number is 62425445

Hi we looked at this same site (Riotact.com) and would love to say thankyou for the work we have received from Custom Sealing Services.
We had four quotes from different people when we enquired about our bathroom renovation but we chose Alex as he wanted to save us money where we wanted by re planning the bathroom on the fly but spending money where it mattered e.g shower rails and taps.
When we booked in the job with him he told us it was going to be a six week wait and was that alright.
We said that was fine and we look forward to seeing you, He rang and orginsied to come two days before he was meant to and we were fine with that.
The day the work started we were waiting for rubbish to be everywhere but it was not.
We asked the work crew if they would like to use our coffee and deck to sit on feel free, Alex responded thankyou very much but we would not use anything in your house as we like to treat your house the same as our own and I would not like cups left out or half my milk gone.
The job was amazing from first contact to the end a lot of little things you don’t think about like vanity plugs he took care of it all just asked what style I would like.
Alex contacted us every day something was not right or we would just like to know something even at 9;00 pm when I finish the gym.
The job was finished on schedule with a lot of things going wrong on many party’s but some how we are still not even sure Alex made it to work smooth.
Everything about the whole renovation was done with extreme prescience not to mention the tiller he uses Alex asked him to come from Queensland with over 30 years of tiling experience I have never seen work of that standard in magazines or anywhere.
Nothing for the whole crew was to hard and I was never charged any extras the other thing I liked about them was the fact that they would not use MDF mouldings as they said you want a quality job and we want to give it to you.
So all in all thanks for listening to my rant about them but I can not be happier and could not think of another person/crew I would recommend higher .
His contact details

alexl1@live.com.au

http://www.customsealingservices.net

0407262851

Best of luck but you are in the right hands

Best wishes

Jenny V

P.S if you would like to come look at my bathroom please respond on the forum and I will email you as now I want to show it to the world.

canberra_boy said :

I would like to say i used Custom Sealing Services as well i got his details of this site from the time i called he could not be more helpfull i asked him to do the quote, that was very well set out then i asked him to come back around another 3 times and he did every time on time.
His price was alot lower than some other people on here that quoted it and his work was GREAT.
he fixed one load bearing wall that had a lot of rot in it for a very cheap price as “he felt bad for me as it was not to be known”
Thank you for whoever put his name up here as without you i would not have found this great tradie.
His phone number is 0407262851
His website is http://www.customsealingservices.net

We just had our bathroom and ensuite renovated by Custom Sealing Services and are really pleased with the result. They were always very professional to deal with and nothing was ever too much trouble.

familydude7212:56 pm 06 Dec 12

We called up John from Purr-fect Bathrooms after reading a number of positive reviews on this site. We wanted to get a whole new bathroom, ensuite and separate toilet done. We also wanted to replace the old deteriorating aluminium windows.

John came out on a Saturday and discussed our needs. We were really impressed because he actually listened to our thoughts and preferences etc. before giving us some incredibly useful tips and ideas. Soon afterward, we received John’s quote. Given the level of his knowledge, experience and the attention that he gave to us, we decided that we weren’t going to contact anyone else to get a quote.

John’s quote included a breakdown of costs for each of the rooms that we wanted done and then a list of material requirements that we would need to buy from the bathroom places. The detailed measurements on this list were incredibly helpful when buying baths and vanities etc. (I highly recommend Cameron at Renovators Depot in Fyshwick – he went beyond the call of duty for us & has superior customer service skills).

John and his team were at our house almost every day over a 3 week period. This is something that our friends were envious of because a number of them had bathroom renovations drag on for months with different contractors involved. The advantage with John and his team is that they do it all and he has his own electrician and plasterer on call. His team were like a part of the family. They were all so easy to chat with and very obliging with our numerous requests. Every morning John would chat with us and give us an update on what they would be working on. They made short work of stripping the old bathrooms out in preparation to start fresh. Any surprise along the way would not phase them and they would just adapt, problem-solve and get on with the job.

The team from Purr-fect Bathrooms also had to contend with other renovations going on at our place at the same time, including the stripping and installation of a kitchen, jack-hammering of floor tiles in living areas, and brick-sawing through walls (all with the need for frequent power outages). This didn’t bother John and he actually ended up helping us by on-the-spot quoting for additional work that pretty much needed to be done that day to do with other areas of the house.

At the end of the day it is obvious that John and his team enjoy their work. They turn up happy and the final product reflects a real pride in their work. When the shower manufacturer turned up to install our new screen, he asked us who had done our bathroom because he thought that the tiling job was of a very high quality. My only regret is that I didn’t speak with John before organising other building related work around the house because he could have done most of the other things. If we ever need any bathroom renovation work (or any renovation work for that matter) in the future, I will definitely be calling John.

canberra_boy said :

I would like to say i used Custom Sealing Services as well i got his details of this site from the time i called he could not be more helpfull i asked him to do the quote, that was very well set out then i asked him to come back around another 3 times and he did every time on time.
His price was alot lower than some other people on here that quoted it and his work was GREAT.
he fixed one load bearing wall that had a lot of rot in it for a very cheap price as “he felt bad for me as it was not to be known”
Thank you for whoever put his name up here as without you i would not have found this great tradie.
His phone number is 0407262851
His website is http://www.customsealingservices.net

I would like to comment that I was very disappointed with custom sealing services. I rang for a quote which was organised for an time convenient to both of us. I might add, that I did require taking time off to be at home for the quote but the guy did not turn up for the appointment. No phone call either to state that he was running late, etc. I tried to ring him on two occasions, even left a message but received no reply back.
Subsequently, my partner talked me into getting in contact with John from Purr-fect Bathrooms (a contact that he found). We have been very happy with his experience and work ethics. John has gone well out of his way to accommodate our needs in every respect. He finished our bathroom last week and his quality and ethics were everything that was previously discussed on this riotact site. Our bathroom start to finish took 10 days to complete and we are so happy with the outcome. He also fixed our front door which had been sticking for some time, at no extra cost. We also asked John to remove a load bearing post which was situated in the middle of our garage making it virtually impossible for me to park my car in the garage. Now I have no problems parking my new car and we can install some decent electric roller doors for protection. We will definitely use John again when we have our finances ready, to renovate our ensuite and laundry.

canberra_boy10:53 pm 03 Jul 12

I would like to say i used Custom Sealing Services as well i got his details of this site from the time i called he could not be more helpfull i asked him to do the quote, that was very well set out then i asked him to come back around another 3 times and he did every time on time.
His price was alot lower than some other people on here that quoted it and his work was GREAT.
he fixed one load bearing wall that had a lot of rot in it for a very cheap price as “he felt bad for me as it was not to be known”
Thank you for whoever put his name up here as without you i would not have found this great tradie.
His phone number is 0407262851
His website is http://www.customsealingservices.net

I recently had John from Purr-fect Bathrooms renovate my bathroom and toilet. I am very happy with both his work and his professional approach to the job. He came to quote at the agreed time and promptly provided a detailed quote setting out the work to be done, the costs, the time it would take and suggestions where to look for fittings. He and his team are most polite and cheery – they even sing on the job. Each day they left the site clean and tidy and cleaned up on completion, removing all rubbish. The people who came to install the shower screen after the tiling was finished, commented on what a good job it was. I highly recommend John on his work, professionalism and his price.
He even fixed my toilet in the ensuite from dripping for no extra costing involved.
http://www.purr-fectbathrooms.com.au

melsa said :

la_psyche said :

I highly, highly recommend Chris from Canberra Tiling & Bathrooms. He gives obligation free quotes if you want to get an idea of pricing first. His number is 0406 426 366.

We had some serious bathroom problems due to shoddy workmanship by the builder’s subcontractors, which led to non-bathroom problems, including leaking through the ceilings below the bathrooms. Chris fixed everything – ie not just the bathrooms, he also replastered and repainted the ceiling – and even fixed our back door lock! Really nice guy that does really good work.

I second this reccomendation. Chris Pittaway from eco seal (new company name) is absolutely fantastic. You can contact him directly on 0406 426 366.

We had a really shocking builder – our bathrooms have been re-done 3 times (on a 2 year old house!). Third time is a charm, obviously when we pay and choose the tradesman.

Chris completely gutted both our bathroom and ensuite, re-sealed, tiled and fitted everything. The process was painless, well priced and very fast. We are so pleased with how our bathrooms turned out. Chris is a very honest and reliable tradesman (very hard to find in Canberra!) and we will use him again in the future for anything bathroom related!

I would also recommend Chris. He did our bathroom and laundry renovation about 12 months ago and it is absolutely perfect! I coudn’t be happier with the quality of the work he did, and how easy the process was. I am very very fussy and nothing was too much to ask. He can do a whole lot of extra stuff too – he tiled our entry way, installed a door (complete with dog door), and even put up a blind. As the others have said, he is a really nice and honest guy too.

I would have no hesitation is recommending Chris and I would definitely use him again.His number is 0406 426 366.

My partner and I also used John from Purr-fect bathrooms and were certainly not disappointed in any way. He spent a long time with us finding out exactly what we wanted when he came for the quote, listening to all of our suggestions and giving some of his own. His knowledge is widespread. His work was exceptional, in all aspects. He was in contact with us every day going through things with us. We highly recommend him. ph: 0409986436. I checked on the web, his site is “coming soon”.

Another vote for Graham at Quality Budget Renovations. did ours about 6 months ago and couldn’t be happier. Oversaw the whole project and was very organised. All of the other tradesman required turned up on time and got their part of the reno done promptly so the next part could happen.

Oops, mistake in the wording, slip of the keyboard….should read “Not the cheapest around and certainly NOT the most expensive but you will never be disappointed with his work.

Not the cheapest around and certainly the most expensive but you will never be disappointed with his work. Unfortunately his website isn’t up and running yet, will be shortly, though

Last comment should have read “not the cheapest around but certainly NOT the most expensive. Slip of the key board.

We used John from Purr-fect Bathrooms, and he certainly lived up to his name. The transformation to our house after John renovated our bathroom, toilet, ensuite, laundry and outside deck is beautiful and really much more than we had hoped for. John loves his job and really respected our needs. He listened to our requirements and offered his honest and professional opinion and advice. John and his team of professional tradesmen were very prompt, efficient and very friendly completing the job within the stipulated time frame (usually 2 weeks). He used only quality products and gave us a fixed price. We did ask for some variations to our existing quote and John was only too happy to work with us, discussed our wishes and incorporated these into the work after discussing the extra costs involved beforehand. He was recommended to us via some friends whom he had previously done some work for and I can not recommend him highly enough. He is an incredible man with over 30 yrs experience in the building industry, so no issue too great. I am sure that he would not mind me giving you his number which is 0409 986436
Oh, forgot to mention, that John also works on kitchens, carpentry, any plumbing and electrical work, general maintenance as well as removal and installations of windows and doors. He has a wealth of knowledge. Not the cheapest around and certainly the most expensive but you will never be disappointed with his work. Unfortunately his website isn’t up and running yet, will be shortly, though but he gave us names and phone numbers of previous customers so that we could actually view in person the works that he had completed. He also warranties his work, which is a nice change.

heavenandhell11:14 pm 26 Mar 12

We used a guy by the name of Alex lanz i can not recommend him more he did everything we asked for plus plus plus.
We got him to renovate our bathroom and laundry, the work was of a GREAT standard and i could not ask for more he had all of the trades under control and there was no day that they were not working, I was surprised as a friend hired Keno services and it took them 2 mths to finish the renovation.
And after we accepted the quote (and may i add $3k cheaper) he fixed a few things up around the house for me free of charge i will get him back for my next house as i am so happy with his work a friend that is a tiler down the street even said how well he did.
He has done jobs for three of my friends and they all love him and his work
his phone number is 0407262851 or http://www.customsealingservices.net
All the best
Heavenandhell

la_psyche said :

I highly, highly recommend Chris from Canberra Tiling & Bathrooms. He gives obligation free quotes if you want to get an idea of pricing first. His number is 0406 426 366.

We had some serious bathroom problems due to shoddy workmanship by the builder’s subcontractors, which led to non-bathroom problems, including leaking through the ceilings below the bathrooms. Chris fixed everything – ie not just the bathrooms, he also replastered and repainted the ceiling – and even fixed our back door lock! Really nice guy that does really good work.

I second this reccomendation. Chris Pittaway from eco seal (new company name) is absolutely fantastic. You can contact him directly on 0406 426 366.

We had a really shocking builder – our bathrooms have been re-done 3 times (on a 2 year old house!). Third time is a charm, obviously when we pay and choose the tradesman.

Chris completely gutted both our bathroom and ensuite, re-sealed, tiled and fitted everything. The process was painless, well priced and very fast. We are so pleased with how our bathrooms turned out. Chris is a very honest and reliable tradesman (very hard to find in Canberra!) and we will use him again in the future for anything bathroom related!

Hi folks, anyone used Binos Bathrooms or Building Creations? We’re at the point where we need to get some serious work done and were wondering what these 2 companies are like? thanks in advance 🙂

simmy81 said :

Has anyone used A&J Bathrooms?
Thanks in advance

Good question?
Yes we had A and J do some work. Did they do a good job? Pretty good – in the end. But, and a big BUT, they took FOREVER!
Two bathrooms, 3 months. They would arrive one day and then we wouldn’t see them for weeks. No explanations, apart from “we’ll be there soon”. They appear to take on too much work and seem to dash from one job too another doing just enough to calm the customer down.
Having said that, all the tradies are excellent, friendly guys. I’m not at all sure whether the positives outweighed the negatives. Probably not!

Has anyone used A&J Bathrooms?
Thanks in advance

Anyone used Vaughn at Property Transformations?

NorthgoingSouth4:31 pm 06 Jan 12

kean van choc said :

Hey folks – has anyone used Graham at Quality Budget Renovations for their bathroom? He was recommended to us by Ziggy at the Slate Man (our job requires some building work that was a bit much for Ziggy).

Did you end up going with Graham? How did it go? We are looking at getting bathrooms done and his name has come up as well so are thinking of calling for a quote…

Try Floors by Powell , Simply one of the best in Australia.
They do both Install and polish

PS any Decent carpenter can install boards but it requires a specialist polisher for finishing the boards.

Dreamer123 said :

Hi,

First, as you all seem to be doing renovations, I am looking for somebody to install hard wood floors so if you know of anyone a name and number would be much appreciated.

My wife and I have recently (start of the year) had our Kitchen, bathroom, ensuite and laundry renovated entirely. E&L projects did the work for us. Luke had a joiner come to our home to discuss layouts and materials ( I think the joiners name was Jeremy) and the plan was later emailed to us.

Initially we had intended to move out to ensure all the work could happen as fast as possible. However Luke organised a portable bathroom to sit in our rear yard. This was connected to water and, as we had an inside separate WC, we only needed it for showering.

Prior to starting the job we were given a detailed outline of what would be happening and when. The goal was to have the kitchen removed one day and completely installed and connected by the end of the following day to minimise inconvenience. The laundry was to be installed at the same time. The days were to coincide with the completion of the two bathrooms.

Luke started the work as he said he would and in the first day we had plumbers, an electrician, some labourers and a carpenter in the afternoon all working on the disconnection and demolition of the wet areas (I stayed home on the Monday to make sure things went as promised). Work went incredibly fast and each day we could see different things progressing. 4 weeks later the kitchen and laundry went in, as planned and expected, and by the Friday of week 4 all of the works were completed. The tilers were excellent (discussing where we wanted our feature tiles and so on) and all the trades were so friendly and helpful. Each trades person asked us where we wanted things like vanities, power points, light fittings etc located before doing anything. They discussed pros and cons of doing things certain ways. Luke called us every other day to let us know what had been done and what to expect when we got home from work. Each day the house was relatively clean (in the start there was a lot of dust due to the demolition works) and our floors were all covered while work was going on. (not really necessary as we now want new timber floors to match our brand new wet areas)

A major issue we encountered on the job was that our shower had been leaking and our floor boards were rotten. When I received the call I was thinking how much this would cost. I arrived home to find the entire timber floor in the main bathroom had been replaced with new flooring. Luke called us that night and let us know that, as promised, there would be no extra costs on top of the quote as he should have expected the floor to have some water damage and therefore it was his responsibility to allow for it.

The only problem we had with the entire job was that the shower screens, that were ordered once tiling had been complete, took 4 weeks to arrive and be installed (supposed to be 2). These were ordered through Regency and we completely understand that this was beyond Luke’s control. He was very apologetic but it really was not his fault.

Overall a great job at a fair price. The quality of the kitchen cabinets and stone tops is amazing.

Sorry for the long essay but I understand what it is like trying to choose people to work on your home, especially with some of the stories going around about dodgy builders/tradespeople, so hopefully the above prepares you for renovating and I wish you good luck with it all.

P.S Rusalka I am very sorry about your experience and fortunately ours was very different and quite pleasant.

Bathroom renovations are an interesting project. The first thing to consider is the type of Bathroom Reno. IF you are doing stone tiles (which are much warmer to the touch) then not everybody can do that level of work. My recommendation is that you do not use tradesmen based on the cheapest price, especially out of the local free paper. You really get what you pay for.
I have given many free quotes over the years, only to be undercut. then to be called to see if I can fix somebody else’s shoddy workmanship 6 months latter. The full cost of repairs we much greater than what they paid the cheap guy,
1. look at the work they have done.
2. Get an agreed fixed price, understand what is not included, and what extra works cost.
3. understand that not all items (pc items – baths taps vanities etc) are included and that it costs money to fit them unless you agree in the original price.
4. Cheap pc items usually have to be replaced in a couple of years (about 1 week after warranty runs out is Murphy’s law).
5. Use a licensed waterproofer, I always used wetseal Australia, They are a national company and have a 10year national warranty. Most tradesmen can waterproof but I always felt better giving my clients a warranty backed by a national company and their product is simply the best (i never had a leak in any bathroom with these guys.(i’m not affiliated with them)
5. Budget more than you think ( you will never get a bathroom tiled on a per meter rate)
6. Always tile to the ceiling, I never charged much more and it looks so much better and tiles don’t peel like paint.
7. Don’t use cheap junk tiles, Tiles are only a small component of the cost of the bathroom, and skimping here doesn’t make sense, Even expensive retail and hardware shops are selling overpriced cheap tiles. I highly recommend that you compare the tiles you are looking at with the products from Rivoland in Queanbeyan or Mitchell (no affiliation to me)
8. It is better to not try an mix different tradesmen it you want a smooth Job. Use someone that can manage the whole job and will organise the tradesmen for you. If your tradesman doesn’t turn up and stops the other tradesman from completing their work it could cost you time and money. Blame for mistakes or fixes remain with one person only.

Regards Mark
Happy to offer further help if you need
markshep@tpg.com.au
Mark

kean van choc5:48 pm 01 Jul 11

Hey folks – has anyone used Graham at Quality Budget Renovations for their bathroom? He was recommended to us by Ziggy at the Slate Man (our job requires some building work that was a bit much for Ziggy).

Hi,

First, as you all seem to be doing renovations, I am looking for somebody to install hard wood floors so if you know of anyone a name and number would be much appreciated.

My wife and I have recently (start of the year) had our Kitchen, bathroom, ensuite and laundry renovated entirely. E&L projects did the work for us. Luke had a joiner come to our home to discuss layouts and materials ( I think the joiners name was Jeremy) and the plan was later emailed to us.

Initially we had intended to move out to ensure all the work could happen as fast as possible. However Luke organised a portable bathroom to sit in our rear yard. This was connected to water and, as we had an inside separate WC, we only needed it for showering.

Prior to starting the job we were given a detailed outline of what would be happening and when. The goal was to have the kitchen removed one day and completely installed and connected by the end of the following day to minimise inconvenience. The laundry was to be installed at the same time. The days were to coincide with the completion of the two bathrooms.

Luke started the work as he said he would and in the first day we had plumbers, an electrician, some labourers and a carpenter in the afternoon all working on the disconnection and demolition of the wet areas (I stayed home on the Monday to make sure things went as promised). Work went incredibly fast and each day we could see different things progressing. 4 weeks later the kitchen and laundry went in, as planned and expected, and by the Friday of week 4 all of the works were completed. The tilers were excellent (discussing where we wanted our feature tiles and so on) and all the trades were so friendly and helpful. Each trades person asked us where we wanted things like vanities, power points, light fittings etc located before doing anything. They discussed pros and cons of doing things certain ways. Luke called us every other day to let us know what had been done and what to expect when we got home from work. Each day the house was relatively clean (in the start there was a lot of dust due to the demolition works) and our floors were all covered while work was going on. (not really necessary as we now want new timber floors to match our brand new wet areas)

A major issue we encountered on the job was that our shower had been leaking and our floor boards were rotten. When I received the call I was thinking how much this would cost. I arrived home to find the entire timber floor in the main bathroom had been replaced with new flooring. Luke called us that night and let us know that, as promised, there would be no extra costs on top of the quote as he should have expected the floor to have some water damage and therefore it was his responsibility to allow for it.

The only problem we had with the entire job was that the shower screens, that were ordered once tiling had been complete, took 4 weeks to arrive and be installed (supposed to be 2). These were ordered through Regency and we completely understand that this was beyond Luke’s control. He was very apologetic but it really was not his fault.

Overall a great job at a fair price. The quality of the kitchen cabinets and stone tops is amazing.

Sorry for the long essay but I understand what it is like trying to choose people to work on your home, especially with some of the stories going around about dodgy builders/tradespeople, so hopefully the above prepares you for renovating and I wish you good luck with it all.

P.S Rusalka I am very sorry about your experience and fortunately ours was very different and quite pleasant.

WestonGuy said :

I had my old bathroom fully gutted and replaced with a nice modern one 6mths ago. Pretty happy with the result. Has really brightened up my little ex-govt house actually. Got E&L Projects to do it all for me. Not sure how many people work there but I’d ask to speak to Luke, he’ll look after you. Seems pretty switched on. Phone number is 0414 870 258 according to the yellow pages. See link:

http://www.yellowpages.com.au/act/red-hill/el-projects-14106873-listing.html

I’m glad E&L Projects were good for you WestonGuy. They also advertise as Electricians and we tried calling them in April to get our new hot water system connected and possibly upgrading our original 1960-70s fuse box. We called them because Luke had helped us out on the phone a few times over the year with advice (only electrician I have called to ask questions and not been yelled at) and genuinely seems like a lovely and helpful guy.

However our calls weren’t returned, both messages and when I talked to Luke and he would ask me to text my name and number to him. He said he would pass on my details to the main office and I never heard from them either. Finally Luke gave me the office guy’s number to call. This other guy said that he had never heard of Luke or E&L. Called Luke back, checked the number and the guy’s name, to which Luke said that was their office guy and he was probably busy and just didn’t want to talk to me then. After 6 weeks of this we gave up.

Maybe they are trying to get out of electrics and move into more renovations, I don’t know. Luke is still a nice guy, but I would hate for them to act like this in the middle of them ripping out and replacing your bathroom.

Patrick Reid at Reid Bathrooms (http://www.reidbathrooms.com.au/contact.html) did an awesome job for us.

It was a complete renovation, including asbestos removal, and they did a fantastic job. They were very happy to work with our ideas, let us try and buy on sale where we could to save costs (but also offered us wholesale from their suppliers) and had an electrician on call.

I had my old bathroom fully gutted and replaced with a nice modern one 6mths ago. Pretty happy with the result. Has really brightened up my little ex-govt house actually. Got E&L Projects to do it all for me. Not sure how many people work there but I’d ask to speak to Luke, he’ll look after you. Seems pretty switched on. Phone number is 0414 870 258 according to the yellow pages. See link:

http://www.yellowpages.com.au/act/red-hill/el-projects-14106873-listing.html

I highly, highly recommend Chris from Canberra Tiling & Bathrooms. He gives obligation free quotes if you want to get an idea of pricing first. His number is 0406 426 366.

We had some serious bathroom problems due to shoddy workmanship by the builder’s subcontractors, which led to non-bathroom problems, including leaking through the ceilings below the bathrooms. Chris fixed everything – ie not just the bathrooms, he also replastered and repainted the ceiling – and even fixed our back door lock! Really nice guy that does really good work.

I would highly recomend
The Slate Man – 4/125 Lysaght St, Mitchell ACT 2911 (02) 6241 7117

Ziggy and the boys totally redid our 3 abthrooms and laundry and we found them to the fantastic – great products, excellent workmanship, reasonable prices and easy to deal with. A++

give Matt and Lisa at Stellar bathrooms a call – we used them to remodel (Gut and re do) our ensuite 6 months ago – not the cheapest but not the most expensive either and handled all the bits from strip the room, electrical, plumbing, tiling etc. Very happy with the finish. Contact – info@stellarbathrooms.com.au
http://www.stellarbathrooms.com.au/

Expect it to cost more than you would think though!

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.