Funny how nobody cares about the “premium” toilet but everyone remembers the floor.
I get what you’re saying, but I’ve actually had clients rave about their upgraded toilets—especially the ones with heated seats or bidets. Maybe it’s just a matter of priorities? Patterned tile is eye-catching, but comfort sticks with people too. And on the rainfall showerheads, I’m in the minority—I love them, but only if you’ve got solid water pressure to start with. Otherwise, yeah, it’s like standing under a leaky gutter.
I hear you on the priorities—honestly, I went cheap on the toilet and splurged on tile, and now I kinda wish I’d done the opposite. Those heated seats sound ridiculous until you try one in winter. Rainfall showerheads though...yeah, if your water pressure’s weak, it’s just sad.
I put off the heated toilet seat, but after my neighbor raved about his, I caved during a Black Friday sale. Didn’t think I’d care, but it’s a game changer in winter—never going back. Meanwhile, my rainfall showerhead is gathering dust in the garage...our pressure just couldn’t handle it. If I had to do it again, I’d invest in better plumbing before fancy fixtures.
- Heated toilet seat—totally worth it, especially if you’re in a cold climate. I’ve put them in a few flips and buyers always mention it.
- Rainfall showerheads look great, but yeah, if your water pressure’s weak, they’re just sad. Plumbing upgrades aren’t sexy, but they make all the difference.
- My last full bath gut (mid-range finishes, nothing crazy) ran about $14k. Labor was the biggest chunk.
- Curious—did you get quotes for boosting your water pressure, or was it just not worth the hassle?
Heated toilet seats are one of those things I used to think were a luxury, but after installing a couple (and living through two New England winters), I’m convinced they’re a game-changer for comfort and energy efficiency. They actually use less power than you’d expect, especially if you get models with timers or motion sensors.
Rainfall showerheads look great, but yeah, if your water pressure’s weak, they’re just sad. Plumbing upgrades aren’t sexy, but they make all the difference.
Couldn’t agree more here, though I’ll add: sometimes it’s not just about boosting pressure, but also about optimizing flow. In one remodel, we swapped out some old galvanized pipes for PEX and upgraded the main supply line—pressure improved noticeably, and water usage dropped because fixtures were more efficient. It wasn’t cheap (think $2k+ just for that part), but it made every fixture in the house work better.
On the cost side, $14k for a full gut with mid-range finishes is pretty much what I’ve seen lately. Labor eats up so much of the budget now—especially if you’re moving plumbing or dealing with older homes where you never know what’s behind the walls until demo day. If you want to keep costs down (and be eco-friendly), reusing or refinishing existing tubs and vanities can help. There are some surprisingly good low-VOC refinishing products out there now.
As for water pressure upgrades—sometimes it’s worth getting at least one quote. In my area, pressure boosters run about $700-1200 installed, but if your street pressure is already low, you might be stuck unless you can convince the city to up their supply (which... good luck). Sometimes just cleaning out old supply lines or replacing shutoff valves makes a bigger difference than people expect.
If you’re aiming for eco-friendly upgrades, consider dual-flush toilets and WaterSense fixtures—they’ve come a long way style-wise and can save a ton on utility bills over time. The upfront cost is higher than builder-basic stuff, but long-term it pays off.
And yeah, plumbing isn’t glamorous, but when it works well, nobody notices—and when it doesn’t, everyone complains. Such is life.
