Renovating a small cloakroom can feel like a relatively simple home improvement project. Often this isn’t your only toilet in the house, which means you don’t have the worry of not having a functioning bathroom while the work is being carried out.
In fact, if you’re lucky enough to have a second bathroom in your home, research from Nationwide indicates that this could add approximately six per cent to the value of your property. And if you renovate it to a high standard before selling, it might even add a bit more.
What’s more, it’s only a small space with limited decisions to be made about design. After all, if you’re only replacing your toilet and basin, how much do you really need to think about?
Well, when it comes to choosing the right cloakroom wash basin, there are a few points to consider.
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The size of your cloakroom wash basin
Cloakrooms aren’t renowned for being spacious, which means you may need to be creative about the fittings you choose for this part of your home to make the most of the space available to you.
In general, cloakroom basins are designed to be small so that they can work in a variety of spaces. They are only needed for handwashing, which means you can get away with a smaller, more slimline basin as well as a single mixer tap.
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Whether you go for a wall-mounted or pedestal basin
One of the ways in which you can make the most of your space is to choose the right kind of fixture for your basin. The most common options are wall-mounted basins or pedestal basins. Each has its merits.
Wall-mounted cloakroom basins are a good option in particularly small rooms as they make the space feel more open, not to mention physically giving you a bit more room to maneuver.
Although there is no designated minimum size for a single bathroom in the UK, the general advice is to ensure that you have enough space both in front of the toilet and to either side to make it comfortable to use.
That typically equates to 60cm in front of the toilet (as a minimum) and 45cm to either side, measured from the centre of the toilet. When it comes to basins, therefore, a wall-mounted basin can help you create that space.
If your room is a little larger though, you may want to choose a pedestal cloakroom basin to hide the pipework that typically features under a basin. These kinds of cloakroom wash basins are particularly popular in period properties.
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Whether you need additional storage
For some households, having some extra storage space in a cloakroom can be invaluable, which is when countertop wash basins come into their own. These units can be slimline and therefore suitable for a smaller space.
What’s more, they offer discreet storage space under the sink itself, giving you somewhere to store items like cleaning materials or spare loo rolls.
There are various options for countertop basins, including wall-mounted units that give you a bit of extra floor space, as well as corner units that can be a handy way to maximise the area you have available in your cloakroom.