How to buy a bath, shower cubicle or toilet at a good price
Measure first, then choose
In a bathroom every centimetre counts, so start with a tape measure. Measure the space for the bath (the length and width, and the distance to the wall on the drain side), the size of the tray or cubicle, and the ceiling height if you are taking a cubicle with a roof. Standard baths come in sizes such as 150×70, 170×75 or 180×80, and corner and asymmetric ones come in left and right versions. These are easy to mix up, so write the side straight into your request.
Material: acrylic, steel or cast iron
Acrylic baths are light, heat up quickly and keep the heat, but need a good frame under the base. An enamelled steel bath is cheaper, but noisier when filling. A cast-iron bath is heavy, keeps heat for a long time and lasts for decades, but before buying check whether the floor can take it and whether it will get through the door and lift. There are also cast marble and quartz: strong and pleasant to the touch, with a price that depends on the maker.
Toilet: wall-hung or floor-standing
A wall-hung toilet needs a concealed frame (a frame with a cistern, and a flush plate). Ask separately whether the flush plate and the fixings are included. For a floor-standing toilet the outlet matters: horizontal, vertical or angled, because it decides whether it will fit your spot without changing the pipes. Rimless models are easier to clean, and a soft-close seat often comes in the set, but not always.
What to put in your request
- What you need — a bath, shower cubicle, tray, toilet, concealed frame or bidet.
- Dimensions — for example 170×75 cm or 90×90 cm, and the side of the drain.
- Material — acrylic, steel, cast iron, quartz, ceramic, glass.
- Design — corner, rimless toilet, tray height, sliding or hinged doors.
- Brand or model — if you have already chosen.
- What is supplied — trap, legs, panel, seat, flush plate.
- Installation — measuring, fitting, removing the old fittings.
- Address and budget — the city or area and an amount, if you want to name one.
Example: “I need a corner acrylic bath 150×150 cm, right-hand, with a trap and legs. Also a wall-hung rimless toilet with a concealed frame and a flush plate, soft-close seat. Sydney, delivery to the door needed. Budget up to $620.”
How to compare offers through BlaBlaPrice
You don't go round shops but write one request: sanitaryware sellers send offers in the chat with a price, availability and delivery. Each one sees where its offer ranks, so it tries to give better terms. The best-value offer is shown first, with reviews of the seller beside it. Your phone number stays hidden until you choose a particular seller. More on the “How it works” page.
Make sure all the offers include the same set. A bath without a trap and legs often looks cheaper, and then the extra payment evens it out. It is the same with a concealed frame: with the flush plate or without.
Common mistakes
- Buying a bath without checking that it will fit through the door and turn in the corridor.
- Forgetting the frame or panel for an acrylic bath.
- Not finding out the warranty and whether spare parts are available for the cistern.
Alongside, a renovation may need other items: look at plumbing and finishing and cladding materials.
