Before you start arranging for the professionals to come in with quotations, there is one very important item that needs to be done... A bathroom plan. A carefully thought out plan will save you time and stress in the short term, and money in the long term.

Planning for a new bathroom
Designing a new bathroom can be one of the most major and expensive tasks you ever undertake in your home, possibly second only to fitting a complete kitchen. It is important, therefore, to decide what you need and want from your bathroom - for both the present and in the future - and to incorporate all these requirements in your bathroom master plan. A bathroom designed purely for aesthetic reasons generally will not be functional.

Is the existing bathroom spacious enough for existing, or future, requirements? Is there adequate space around the fixtures?

Could you move the door to incorporate a section of hallway, or an adjoining room to create a larger bathroom?

What style of bathroom do you want - period, traditional bathroom or contemporary bathroom?

Is there a room adjoining a bedroom that could be turned into an en-suite bathroom? Or could part of a bedroom be altered to create an en-suite bathroom or shower room?

What could you fit comfortably in your bathroom? Should you sacrifice the bath for a big shower or wet room?

What decorative finishes - tiles, glass, marble, wood and so on - do you want?

What are your budget limits for spending on the project? It's always important to allow for a 20 to 25 percent overspend when calculating costs. Shop around - great bargains are sometimes available from quality ends of line and ex-showroom suites. Quite often, expensive design look-alikes are available from different manufacturers at a huge saving.

Who will be using the new bathroom and what, if any, are the special needs of users in the new bathroom?

There are also several important factors that should be taken into account:

Consider the long-term effect of your choice of colour for the bathroom suite. White is easy to clean, never goes out of fashion and can easily be brightened up with colourful towels and accessories.

Ceramic tiles completely covering all walls and floors might make the bathroom appear cold and also create condensation problems. The latest European trend is to leave walls untiled and to apply colour and texture with paint, plaster or panelling.

A free-standing shower is vital if you have the room. Ensure the shower is correctly fitted - damage resulting from a poorly fitted shower can be expensive and difficult to repair.

Ensure the bathroom is effectively heated. A cold bathroom is unwelcoming and not conducive to a pleasant ambience. Options to consider during the design and planning stage include underfloor heating and heated towel rails.

Wherever possible, include sufficient storage in the bathroom to be able to pack away towels and toiletries and eliminate clutter. Small rooms do not necessarily have to mean a lack of storage but it does mean your design must be smart in the way it uses the space available. Look for opportunities to maximise nooks and crannies for shelving or concealed cupboards.

Once all the above has been consider and finalised, it's time to draw up your plan. Make a rough drawing on paper, then measure and mark your space accurately on the plan. Take the longest dimensions across the room, including every alcove and return, note the way the door opens, and mark where the window is - how high up from the floor and the distance on either side. It is especially important to mark the current positioning of any water and electrical pipes. This can be difficult if you do not have an up-to-date floor plan for your home, but there are electronic sensors available at most DIY and hardware stores that will overcome this problem.