Home / Bathroom Renovation Guides
FIELD NOTES — READ BEFORE YOU RENOVATE
These are practical notes on the questions that come up before a bathroom renovation: what drives the cost, how much work your bathroom actually needs, why the surface under the tiles matters, and what to have ready when you get in touch.
Written by Ivan Bodnar, Independent Home Renovation Specialist, Melbourne
Reference photo: floor tiles set beside freshly spread adhesive.
THE GUIDES
Most homeowners start with cost, then work out the scope, then find out how much depends on what is behind the existing tiles. Each guide stands on its own, but read together they follow a renovation from the first question to the first enquiry.
01
GUIDE — COST
“How much will my bathroom renovation cost?” has no honest answer without seeing the room. This guide explains the factors behind a figure, including why existing conditions and concealed issues can change the scope once work begins. It does not give price lists.
02
GUIDE — SCOPE
Cracked tiles and failing grout don’t always mean the whole room has to go. This guide compares updating an existing bathroom with a more extensive renovation, and what tips a job from one to the other.
03
GUIDE — SUBSTRATE
The visible finish is only one part of a successful renovation. Whether new tiles suit a wall or floor depends on the existing substrate and the system proposed for it. This guide explains what preparation involves and why it comes first.
04
GUIDE — ENQUIRY
A short list of things worth gathering first: what is wrong with the bathroom now, what you want it to do differently, and anything you already know about its history. A clear starting point makes the first conversation more useful.
WHY THESE GUIDES EXIST
Ivan has around 15 years of residential renovation experience. He learnt the work alongside his father, then worked with tradespeople, renovation teams and as a subcontractor. He has worked in Australia since 2016 and in Melbourne since 2019. Most of what is in these guides comes back to one habit: explaining what can be assessed, what remains uncertain, and why.
A bathroom you can see is not the whole bathroom. The guides pair well with the process pages on on-site assessment and existing conditions and on licensed specialist coordination. The second explains how plumbing, electrical and other regulated work is done by appropriately licensed specialists, whom Ivan may coordinate.
Reference photo: a wall tile positioned against adhesive.
CHAPTER 01
Updates to existing bathrooms through to more extensive renovations. Service page →
CHAPTER 02
Wall and floor tiling, matched to the substrate underneath. Service page →
CHAPTER 03
The work beneath the finish. Service page →
NEXT STEP
If you are in Caulfield or a nearby Melbourne suburb and your bathroom no longer works for you, you can request a quote and talk to Ivan directly. He is the person who assesses the room and carries out the renovation work. Shorter answers are on the frequently asked questions page.
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