Why a bathroom renovation is never just about the bathroom

The average renovation project includes products and specifications from more than 10 different home retail categories. For a bathroom, that might come as a surprise - a homeowner might assume they're simply selecting sanitaryware and tiles.

• Lighting - wall and ceiling
• Electrical systems, switches and PIR sensors
• Radiators and towel rails
• Plumbing and extractor fans
• Toothbrush sockets
• Flooring, thresholds, doors and windows
• Paint, panelling and storage
• Mirrors and window coverings

“Just choosing a vanity influences the mirror. The mirror influences the lighting. The lighting influences the electrical plan and the tiling choices.”

Renovations like this require coordinating multiple specialists - architects, designers, builders, electricians and plumbers - across dozens of interconnected decisions. The industry consistently underestimates that complexity.

This isn't a collection of separate purchases. It's one renovation project made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of interconnected decisions that somehow all need to work together.

Our analysis of thousands of Reno projects backs this up: 65% of renovations cover more than one room type, the average project spans 10 product categories, and 71% of users create more than one design iteration before settling on a plan.

The retailers who succeed in the years ahead will be those best equipped to support customers' broader renovation journeys, rather than treating each visit as an isolated, room-by-room transaction.