u/Alone_Group_7102

The (very) experienced builder who’s doing the renovation hasn’t mentioned testing the floor but I’m worried that it’ll come once they start ripping through the linoleum. The house was built in the 70s and has some very thick linoleum over the Rimu floorboards in the bathroom. Should I just trust that he knows what he’s doing?

The estimate for my bathroom renovation is $50k (tiles, shower system and all other fixtures on top of it). I initially thought it’d be sensible to take out the MS 10-year guarantee but having read up about it I’m not so sure. Thoughts and experience?

I’m looking to fully renovate my bathroom. By that I mean to totally gut it out and start from scratch. The only things are the two windows. It’s not a large space: 2.2m x 4.3m.

Key changes:

• Separate toilet and shower/sink room will become one (one door sealed off, the other will stay where it is)
• Plumbing changes: toilet and shower are swapping places and washing machine is going in a corner that doesn’t currently have plumbing (note: house is raised and pipes are easily accessible)
• Tiling: fully tiled walk-in shower and all walls tiled up to the ceiling; the floor is to be confirmed (see next point)
• Floor: I’m hoping to salvage the Rimu floorboards underneath the linoleum or will tile the floor. Either way, it all has to be lifted and waterproofed to meet current regulations.

So far, I’ve had two estimates:

• Builder 1: $52k. He normally does higher end projects and has been very thorough.
• Builder 2: $48k. A great worker but more of an ’all-arounder’ who would be doing the work supervised by a licensed builder. The problem here is that the finishing isn’t always up the close scrutiny such as some of the plastering in another room.

Either estimates are well above the $40k that I was expecting, and only going into $50k if there was a major set back when the linoleum gets lifted, for example.

I‘m starting to question some of my decisions such as the tiling and the walk-in shower. However, this is my ‘forever home’ and I only have the one bathroom so I’ll definitely get plenty of enjoyment out of it! 😅

The current bathroom is usable for now (and maybe another year or so), but it was poor quality to begin with and cannot be salvaged. Also, I’m leaving anything non-essential such as linen cupboard until later and will probably go to IKEA for that.

Any advice or experience-sharing would be appreciate!

I‘ve been offered a 6-month contract in Wellington that requires 2 overnight stays. I’m based elsewhere and will need to travel to & from the nearest airport plus flights.

I just wanted to check I can claim the following:

- accommodation but only for the first three months

- flights

- airport travel

- airport parking

- transportation to & from airport in Wellington

Thanks in advance!