Bathroom Update Enhances Guest Experience

This holiday rental property (popular with the family market) was tired and in need of a modern update to enhance it's appeal and guest experience. The property owner wanted a renovation that would improve the aesthetics while being affordable to ensure return on investment. The original budget indication for the full renovation of all spaces come in over the value that the owner wanted to invest at that time. So the Refresh Renovations team worked with her to reduce the scope of works. In the end the replacement of the upstairs shower was removed from the works to be completed at a future date. However, we did replace the vanity, flooring and mirror in that space to give it an immediate lift and to match the new look in the downstairs bathroom.

Despite some hiccups to the timeline along the way renovation consultant Kathleen and the rest of the Refresh team were able to complete the renovation to a quality standard in time for its first post renovation guests.

Major Challenges

The biggest concern with this project was managing the timeline, as the property had future bookings already secured post renovation. As issues can arise during the construction period we recommended adding an extra time buffer for unexpected issues. This was great forward-planning by the Refresh Renovations team as this buffer ended up needing to be used due to some issues with incorrect materials being supplied. This put pressure on the renovation meaning that the final mirror glazing had to be delayed. The Refresh Renovations team provided and installed a temporary mirror solution so that the spaces were ready for their first guests and then coordinated with the property owner to fit the new mirrors in-between guests without impacting on the properties revenue stream further.

Design Highlights

The biggest difference made to the space was achieved through reorientating the shower over bath plumbing to the opposing wall. This meant that the alcove wall could be removed. This has an immediate impact of opening up the available space and making the room more inviting. The old vanity style was very dated an had an integrated cistern. Instead, the toilet and vanity zones were separated and a modular vanity set was used. A combination of drawers and open shelves enables a long vanity to fill the space, provide additional benchspace and allowed for the basin to be centred under the mirror (which was restricted in placement due to the existing location of the windows.

Project Execution

This project included the following services and oversight to ensure a quality finish that meet with the original project objectives.

Planning & Budgeting:

• Design the main bathroom to have a contemporary update with minimal layout changes to minimise labour costs during construction.
• Provide budget options for different construction phases for financial planning of the project.

Demolition & Structural Adjustments:

• Removed the existing shower over bath alcove and open up the room.

Plumbing & Electrical Work:

• Alter the plumbing for the shower over bath.
• Adjust the vanity wastes for the new units.
• Install a motion senor on the extractor fan, for movement located near the shower and/or toilet the fan runs automatically. Ensuring proper extraction without relying on guests.

Finishing Touches & Quality Control:

• Installed luxury vinyl plank flooring for durability.
• Applied Resene Black White paint for a fresh, modern look
• Used Robertson tapware for quality and durability
• Conducted final inspections to ensure everything was completed to a quality standard ready for customer handover.

Thanks to careful planning, this project was completed ready for its first guests.

Key Trades Involved

A team of skilled professionals contributed to the success of this project:

• Builders – Structural modifications and fixture installations.
• Plumbers & Electricians – Addressed plumbing challenges and installed new sanitary fixtures.
• Flooring Installers – Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring.
• Painters – Gave all three spaces a fresh update.
• Designers – Developed a concept plan that was comprehensive enough to use as working drawings for the build team.

Their attention to detail and specialist expertise ensured a high-quality renovation.

Client Feedback

This busy property-owner was very pleased with the renovation, She loved that fact that the Refresh Renovations team did the heavy lifting on this project. With good communication involving her every step of the way without it becoming a huge drain on her valuable time. She appreciated Kathleen's guidance particularly in the early design stages to create a solid plan that would achieve the modern look that she was after while still being within her budget. She was concerned that complaints over the bathrooms at the property would start to come in base on their existing condition but thanks to the Refresh Renovations team this is something that won't be a concern for years to come.

Final Thoughts

This project, led by Kathleen Magon and her team at Refresh Renovations®, demonstrates that with careful planning you can create a renovation window for updates to be completed in a rental property in a timely manner ensuring minimal guest impact for an in demand holiday home.

If you’re looking for a cost-effective renovation that maximises function without compromising quality, contact our team today to discuss your project.

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