Tiling and Bathroom Renovations for properties in Croydon and South London
When renting a property in the Croydon area, the quality of a bathroom renovation is essential but has to be suited to the client and area you are targeting.
Overall, an important component of the bath renovation is the durability of the materials over the aesthetic. You often do not have much time to renovate since it is costing you time and money in rental income so when you do it you want it to be almost perfectly durable, so you don’t have to keep going back and fixing it.
Look for reliable tradesmen and get a mix of quotes. Reputable firms include K2 Construction Bathrooms and Tiling and Topps Tiles, both based in central Croydon.
The other thing when doing up a rental property is that you need to attract the correct clients.
Functionality of a bathroom
So, the functionality of the bathroom is important as well as the aesthetic. For example if the buy to let you are buying is close London and is aimed at commuters – having a good quality shower can make the difference between attracting the right client and the wrong client, i.e. the kind of tenant who will look after your bathroom and pay the rent on time and commit long term.
Should I fit a Shower or bath?
However, if you are attracting a couple or a family with small children a shower and bath in one unit might be better for your new bathroom, if you cannot have them separately. That way you don’t discount attracting those families who require a bath.
Functionality is key and long-term revenue generation is important, the longevity of your investment the better off you are. You naturally wouldn’t want to be reinvesting into the property every 3 or years unnecessarily.
We have thought in small flats and homes with just one bathroom you are better off going with a shower / bath and a high-quality shower unit. This enables you to attract families and young couples / singles. If you can accommodate a larger oval bath end all the better for comfort of the bathing experience and the shower.
The only downside to consider on a shower / bath when fitting your new bathroom is the height limitation. Be sure to measure and check that you are not preventing yourself from renting to tall people!!
Decorations of a Bathroom
There are few other things to consider for ease of maintenance in your buy to let. For example, installing waterpropfing using a high quality solution such as that supplied by Mapei (Link to CTD Tiles). This will prevent disturbing the neighbours too much if the bath overflows!! Also, will allow you to spot leaks easily e.g. from the toilet, sink or bath / shower unit. Because the water will stay within the bathroom, and you will be able to spot it.
Grout is an important detail, skipping on grout can cost you for what overall is relatively inexpensive. Grout with mould protection will help keep the bathroom looking fresh and give you the best impression and happiness to tenants.
Trim is a detail which overall doesn’t have an impact on longetvity, is more about the aesthetic look of the room. Being a buy to let property the bathroom renovation needs to be as cheap as possible but also functional.
Tiling vs Painting
Tiles although as materials cost more than paint they are more durable and easier to clean. You could maybe consider having half paint and half tiles. We would strongly recommend tiling around the sink area (splash back) and behind the toilet. Naturally the shower area being a no brainer. The alternative to tiler the shower area would be plastic, which is a worthwhile consideration.
Choosing a Tiling Contractor
Tiles both floor and wall tiles if well fitted can be a good investment in a rental property. When fitting the bathroom consider the colour of the tiles carefully. If you should need large remedial works, its good if the floor or wall are neutral colours allowing you to easily replace the whole surface and still having the bathroom coordinated. You could fit whites, greys, and creams and other such neutral tones and interchange them should the need arise.
An area tilers and bathroom fitters often skip on is the quality of adhesive and even more so the amount of adhesive which is spread. It is of critical importance that you ensure your tiler spread the whole tile with adhesive especially if this is going to be laid on the floor. We have had countless times when we have gone into repair floor tiles, and it has been because the tiles have cracked because there is imbalance in how the adhesive has been spread. Be particularly vigilant of this when you are using a contractor to install the bathroom.
Fixtures in a new bath
Tap fittings for the bathroom should be of decent quality if mixer taps have been chosen, we strongly recommend getting one with a high quality ceramic internal fixture to avoid continually repair. The sink and toilets are generally functional from most suppliers, but a decent flushing mechanism can save on maintenance int eh future.
See our previous guide discussing little-known strategies for competitive commercial mortgages.