House plans, home builders & dreams

The bathroom(s) and toilet(s) can be very expensive parts of the house so it is important to consider them carefully.

If you don't really spend a lot of time in the bathroom, don't spend a lot of money on it. Think of your priorities and what excites you when you think of the house. Is it lying in a large bathtub or would you rather put the money into a billiard table?

The design of your bathroom should suit the style you have chosen for the house and your own desires.

It is good for your health and your overall cleanliness to soak occasionally in a bathtub. I don't think any house should be without one. And you can put the shower over the bath so you don't need both. You can also have a bath screen so it doesn't splash on the floor. You don't have to have a shower curtain unless you want one (personally I don't like them).

Spas can be noisy, but if you really want one – get one. If you are in a colder climate, you might want to consider a sauna, steam room or steam cabinet. Or heated towel racks.

If you are in a warm climate, you might add extra ventilation by inserting a gap in the wall (up high, where it's not obvious and no one can see in).

Consider your height and the height of other members of your family, when you decide on the height of your vanity. In Australia, the standard ones seem to be around 860mm (usually including a 100 mm kickboard and the thickness of the counter top). In the US, they seem to vary from 30 to 36 inches (750mm-900 mm). Vanities can be framed cupboards, frameless cupboards or shaped like fine furniture.

The most common cleaning problem with bathrooms is that we all tend to splash the mirror above the vanity and someone generally gets lumbered with the job of cleaning it. A solution? Don't put it just above the vanity. Have a splashback (like in a kitchen) and start the mirror a bit higher up.

See the ebook for the rest of this section.

Before the pipes are put into place in the slab, your plumber has to know which types of baths, showers etc you are going to get. The toilet pipes have to be put the correct distance from the walls (although some modern toilets are flexible and can be cut to size later).

If your house is on posts, you generally don't have to decide on your plumbing items and the exact location of your pipes until a bit later on in the building process.

You can have bins hidden inside cabinets doors, a place to have your CD player and other decorations incorporated into the bathroom design. Bathrooms don't have to be dull. You can display colorful towels on painted ladders leaned against the walls or have stunning splashbacks and brightly colored walls. So many possibilities!

For example, I'm planning to have a fish tank in my bathroom which will also be visible from the adjoining living area via a window. Something to look at while I'm soaking in the tub or cleaning my teeth!

If you want to add some extra luxury, consider fog-free mirror systems, sound systems so you can listen to music, warm bathroom floors and so on. You could have heated towel racks, but don't just waste energy for the sake of it. Think of the environment. If you put your bathroom where it gets some sun you may not need a heated towel rack.

See the ebook for the rest of this section.

Water is such a precious commodity in the world today, that I would strongly recommend you install water saving devices in your taps/faucets and special shower nozzles so that you use less water. Depending on your local authority, this may also save you money.

In some places, it is a requirement that you install such water saving devices. Your new house may not be approved unless they are in place.

Good lighting is important in the bathroom as most people shave, pluck and/or apply make-up in them.

Some people are opting for low energy alternatives such as micro-fluorescent lights but they do make a very harsh light. However, they can be placed under cabinets and hidden by a board so you don't look directly at them. Other people prefer halogens or xenon under-cabinet lighting.

See the ebook for the rest of this section.