Bathroom Reno ChCh

[Gilld]

We have just purchased our first IP -a modest 2 brm unit in central christchurch in need of an update. Most we can do ourselves but the bathroom is in need of a redo before we rent it out. Can anyone recommend a tradesman/company for rental renovations?
Thanks.
Gilld

[jimO]

so close to xmas you have no show of getting anyone near it till feb

[Gilld]

Yip, really bad timing. However, only taking possession in mid-January. Hoping to get things planned for as soon as possible thereafter.
Any suggestions appreciated!

[Eugene]

We have just spent an embarrassing amount having a specialist company renovate a bathroom between tenancies but it was worth every cent not to have the hassle and risk (certainty) of delays had we tried to arrange it ourselves.
Having said that, if someone can recommend a good builder, you could save a lot of money.
In Wellington so recommendation no use to you.
But just saying the experience of going with a professional instead of mucking around ourselves was enlightening.

[SimonW]

How did you get on with this? I am also doing up a (very) small bathroom in Christchurch - just 1.8 metres by 1.7 metres. The two quotes I had to completely gut the room, re-line with Gib Aqualine, and install a new shower, vanity and toilet were approximately $12,500 + gst and $9,500 + gst. Both quotes seem exorbitent to me considering the size of the room and ordinary standard of finish requested.

I have started doing it myself now. I gutted the room on the weekend and am fortunate to have a mate who is a builder. He's gonna help me reline the walls and will install the new shower, vanity and toilet (with the help of his plumber mate). He'll also arrange the gib-stopping. All this will be done by the end of this week ready for me to paint it myself. $200 to $300 worth of lino laid and we're done.
I got the entire bathroom suite including shower, vanity, toilet, taps & fittings etc for $999 from Millens.

We're talking about maybe 10 hours building work, the plumber for a couple of hours, the gib-stopper for an afternoon, plus the materials - a ballpark of less than $5000 for the whole lot - which is about the same price I paid for a full bathroom reno contract pre-earthquake days.

I feel like there's a lot of price gouging going on in Christchurch as there's no shortage of EQC work being charged out at ridiculous rates, so tradies can name their price in most instances, and most people have no other option. It's a sad state of affairs if you ask me - all the more reason to learn how to do as many of the unskilled parts as you can.

I know the quotes received were for fully project managed renovations but it's such a small project I can't justify all that extra expense just so the contractor can line his pockets over and above his hourly rate. It seems like every tradie in Christchurch is driving around in a brand new ute or van so there is obviously money being made over and above what was considered normal just a few years ago. I don't really begrudge them that - you gotta may hay while the sun shines and all that.... It just hurts when you're on the receiving end of a bill that EQC or insurance isn't paying for.

I am happy to pay my builder mate (and his mates) their going hourly rates to do their respective jobs, and I am confident I can coordinate it without too much hassle.

Moral of the story: Make friends with a builder as soon as you can lol

[john888]

Thanks for sharing your project information.

It seems that diy is the way to go.

How did you get on with this? I am also doing up a (very) small bathroom in Christchurch - just 1.8 metres by 1.7 metres. The two quotes I had to completely gut the room, re-line with Gib Aqualine, and install a new shower, vanity and toilet were approximately $12,500 + gst and $9,500 + gst. Both quotes seem exorbitent to me considering the size of the room and ordinary standard of finish requested.

I have started doing it myself now. I gutted the room on the weekend and am fortunate to have a mate who is a builder. He's gonna help me reline the walls and will install the new shower, vanity and toilet (with the help of his plumber mate). He'll also arrange the gib-stopping. All this will be done by the end of this week ready for me to paint it myself. $200 to $300 worth of lino laid and we're done.
I got the entire bathroom suite including shower, vanity, toilet, taps & fittings etc for $999 from Millens.

We're talking about maybe 10 hours building work, the plumber for a couple of hours, the gib-stopper for an afternoon, plus the materials - a ballpark of less than $5000 for the whole lot - which is about the same price I paid for a full bathroom reno contract pre-earthquake days.

I feel like there's a lot of price gouging going on in Christchurch as there's no shortage of EQC work being charged out at ridiculous rates, so tradies can name their price in most instances, and most people have no other option. It's a sad state of affairs if you ask me - all the more reason to learn how to do as many of the unskilled parts as you can.

I know the quotes received were for fully project managed renovations but it's such a small project I can't justify all that extra expense just so the contractor can line his pockets over and above his hourly rate. It seems like every tradie in Christchurch is driving around in a brand new ute or van so there is obviously money being made over and above what was considered normal just a few years ago. I don't really begrudge them that - you gotta may hay while the sun shines and all that.... It just hurts when you're on the receiving end of a bill that EQC or insurance isn't paying for.

I am happy to pay my builder mate (and his mates) their going hourly rates to do their respective jobs, and I am confident I can coordinate it without too much hassle.

Moral of the story: Make friends with a builder as soon as you can lol