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With a new bathroom (or a new kitchen), homeowners can modernize older houses or apartments at comparatively little expense. According to the life expectancy table, sanitary appliances last 20 to 50 years. So if you own a house or apartment built in the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s and have since then never renovated the bathroom, now is probably the time to do it. Often the bathtub, shower, vanity or toilet bowl are replaced earlier because they no wear down much faster and don't look very appealing anymore. A bathroom with modern plumbing reduces the total energy and water consumption, improves living comfort and increases the property's value. In «Bathroom Planning: 13 Tips for your New Dream Bathroom», you can read what you need to know about bathroom renovations.
Bathtubs, shower trays and washbasins made of stainless steel, enamel or sanitary ceramics are durable, robust and easy to clean, a toilet without a flush rim is easier to clean than one with.
The cost of a new bathroom depends on its size, the sanitary appliances and your personal requirements. Other factors: The renovation will be more expensive if...
Calculate a rough estimate of 3 to 5 percent of the construction costs for labor and materials if you are building from scratch. So, for a house that costs 1 million CHF the bathroom would be around 30,000 to 50,000 CHF.
Many craftsmen are involved in renovation projects: a plumber costs 80 to 140 CHF per hour, an electrician 80 to 140 CHF, and a tiler 80 to 120 CHF.
Calculate roughly with 2,000 CHF per square meter. Thus, a basic bathroom measuring 12 square meters would roughly cost 24,000 CHF. This includes standard sanitary ware (a bathtub or shower, a single washbasin and a toilet) with simple fittings, a mirrored cabinet, a vanity unit and standard-sized tiles. Tiled only where it will be wet, all walls and ceilings are painted. With plaster walls or cement painting, you can even save the standard tiles and thus relieve your remodeling budget or afford something else.
For an average bathroom you should calculate with approximately 3'000 CHF per square meter. A 12 square meter bathroom will then cost about 36'000 CHF. This includes upscale sanitary ware (a bathtub, perhaps even with whirlpool jets, a floor-level shower, a double washbasin for two and a toilet) with designer fixtures, a larger mirrored cabinet, something to put the laundry in and natural stone tiles on floor and walls. This budget should also be enough to be able to include some smaller extras like a heated towel rail or a rainforest shower.
Calculate roughly with 4’500 CHF per square meter. A luxury bathroom measuring 12 square meters will therefore cost approximately 54'000 CHF. This includes exclusive sanitary ware (a bathtub with whirlpool jets or a bathtub and a whirlpool, a floor-level shower with frameless glazing made of safety glass, a double washbasin and a toilet) with high-quality fittings, a large mirror cabinet, if necessary with an interactive mirror, custom-made furniture for the laundry, non-slip natural stone tiles on the floor and seamless tiles on the walls. There could also be some money left in the budget for extras like a steam shower.
Depending on the extras, a luxury general overhaul can cost 100,000 CHF or more. If for example, you have new connections put in, underfloor heating or ambient lighting installed that you can control with your smartphone depending on your mood.
Just like buying a car, the options can be also expensive for the bathroom. Seven examples of how much the extras can approximately cost:
Do you want to transform your bathroom into a wellness oasis with a sauna? In «Sauna at Home: Costs, Materials and Tips», read how much this could cost you approximately.
If you want to convert a bathroom into an elderly or disabled friendly bathroom, you should expect additional costs of around 5,000 to 20,000 CHF. These expenses could include a non-slip floor, a barrier-free bathtub, a bathtub lift, a bathtub cushion, a floor-level shower cubicle or the conversion of the bathtub into a shower cubicle, a height-adjustable toilet with seat and/or grab bars, a washbasin that can be moved underneath and sufficient light.
Depending on the degree of care, individual conversion measures for handicapped-accessible living may be partially covered by the disability insurance. Cantonal funding is regulated on an individual basis. Get advice, for example from the cantonal Pro Infirmis advice centers.
