Savvy DIY fan saves £800 by transforming bathroom herself with eBay bargains & YouTube tutorials – and it looks amazing
SICK and tired of your bathroom but don’t want to splash out on pricey renovation costs? Then take your inspiration from this DIY fan who saved themselves a huge £800 by tackling the job themselves.
Electrician Ash Rumsam, 32, and his partner Suzanna, 36, purchased their home – a 1970s fixer-upper – in Blackburn in 2019 and had plans to renovate the entire house.
Of course, with such a big job on their hands, the cost of all the renovations was never going to come cheap, so they decided to turn their hand to budget buys and YouTube tutorials in order to save themselves some cash.
Tackling their dull and dated bathroom, blogger Suzanne decided to make it a DIY job despite their ambitious plans to remodel the entire bathroom, as they didn’t like its original awkward layout.
“We ripped it all out and started designing from a blank canvas,” she told Jam Press, with Ash taking on the huge plumbing job himself.
Initially a wet room with no bath, the couple wanted to create a bath and shower where the old sink and toilet stood.
“We re-plumbed those to the other side of the room, so the room flows much better now,” Suzanne explained.
Ash brushed up on his plumbing knowledge with some guidance from Suzanne’s dad and renovation tutorials posted to YouTube – saving the couple a huge one £800 on plumbing alone, as they could do it themselves.
He also installed a new toilet, a chic shower screen and matching bath panel, plus a grey vanity unit and his and hers sinks.
Proving to be quite the handyman, Ash even tiled the entire bathroom after following how-to guides online.
Suzanne revealed: “My husband learnt to tile by watching YouTube videos and with a bit of guidance from my dad, but he tiled the whole room himself including the floor and I’m so impressed with the attention to detail.”
Chuffed with his efforts, she joked: “You’d think we’d have had professionals in!”
The couple threw out the bathroom’s old-fashioned fixtures and instead brought it to life with sleek and modern designs, including matte black taps and bargain finds from eBay, including their black radiator (£123, eBay) to match.
Ditching the extremely drab tiling that came with the initial bathroom, the couple opted for stylish white brick tiles (£220, Wickes) on the walls and monochrome Victorian patterned tiles (£120, Wickes) on the floor – and the finished result is stunning.
Extra touches included matching vanity mirrors they picked up from eBay (£80) and industrial chic overhead lights (£30, eBay) at the double sink, as well as tasselled towels and influencer-approved decor like a vase of white pampas, scented candles and a wicker tray.
Suzanne, who describes herself as a “creative by nature”, revealed that all in all the bathroom transformation didn’t break the bank and cost the couple £2,435 – after their huge saving.
The brains behind its new look, she said: “I designed the room and hubby executed it. We work so well as a team and play to both our strengths. I’m a creative by nature and he’s a hands-on guy.
“We are so proud of what we have achieved in this room on our own! I am thrilled with the finish of this room, it’s magical watching your vision come to life.
“We have had our ups and downs and setbacks, as with any project like this, but overall we are both thoroughly enjoying the process.”
Savvy and stylish – what’s not to love.
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