This is one of the most common requests we receive, and it almost always comes from the same place: the bath has not been used in years, and it occupies the good half of a small room. The conversion improves the room dramatically — provided it is understood as a renovation of the wet area rather than a change of fitting.
Why it is almost never "just take the bath out"
The bath hides three things: floor that was never finished beneath it, waterproofing applied only around it, and a drain point at a position and height suited to a bath rather than a shower. The moment it comes out, all three are exposed.
So the conversion includes strip-out, checking the substrate and falls, usually a new screed, waterproofing of the whole area, making good the floor and wall tiling, and sometimes relocating the drain. Six to ten working days.
Three levels of conversion
- Shower with a tray. A ready-made tray in place of the bath. Cheapest and fastest, roughly ILS 7,000 to 12,000. Limits the design and leaves a step.
- Tiled shower with a low step. A built, tiled enclosure falling to a point drain. Roughly ILS 12,000 to 20,000. The most common balance.
- Level-access shower. A linear or recessed drain and a continuous floor. Roughly ILS 18,000 to 30,000. The best result and the most demanding — it needs screed depth that is not always there.
These figures cover materials and labour in a standard room, excluding a bespoke screen.
Level access — what to check first
This is the option that attracts the most interest and fails most often, because it rests on one physical fact: how much height exists between the slab and the finished floor level. There must be room for the fall, the waterproofing and the tile. In many older flats there simply is not. This is checked on strip-out day, before anything is promised.
Where the height is short, the options are a linear drain against the wall which needs less depth, raising the whole floor slightly, or a low step of two to three centimetres — a reasonable compromise that is barely noticed.
Accessibility
If the conversion is being done for long-term comfort, it is worth doing once and properly: a continuous floor with no step, anti-slip tiling rated R11 or better, wall reinforcement for grab rails even if they are not fitted now, and a folding seat or a niche to sit in. More — accessible bathroom.
When to keep the bath
- Small children at home. A bath is still easier for washing toddlers.
- It is the only bath in the home. A family flat with no bath narrows the pool of buyers. With two bathrooms — convert one and keep the other.
- The property will be sold or let soon. See renovating before a sale.
Full comparison — bath vs shower.
FAQ
Can it be done without stripping the whole room?
The work can be confined to the wet area and the rest of the floor kept, provided a matching tile exists or the break is designed in. In practice the cost gap between a partial conversion and a full renovation of a small room is not large, and most clients end up choosing the full renovation.
Does it reduce the property's value?
No, as long as one bath remains in the home. Where it is the only bath, it may narrow the family buyer pool.
How long is the room out of use?
Six to ten working days, of which three to five with no use at all.
How we work
We check screed depth on strip-out day and present the realistic options before committing to a solution. Part of shower renovation and of Bramy Group's finishing works. Get in touch.