Bathroom Renovations Balaclava
Balaclava Bathrooms,
Done Beautifully
Delivering exceptional bathroom renovations in Balaclava and across Melbourne for over 20 years. Family-run, fixed pricing, no hidden costs.
Your Balaclava Bathroom, Done Properly
At Smarter Home Renovations, we have been delivering exceptional bathroom renovations in Balaclava for over 20 years. Established in early 2002, our family-run business is proud to provide friendly, fast, fair, and efficient home renovation services throughout metropolitan Melbourne.
What Our Clients Say
5.0 out of 5 stars, based on 25 reviews
Powder room & laundry into a small bathroom
“We are delighted with our new bathroom. Tony made the entire process very easy for us, which is what you want when renovating. Nothing was too much trouble and he was very patient with all our questions and provided great advice on the design and installation. The workmanship was of high quality and the quote was highly competitive. Highly recommend Tony and his team!”
Bathroom renovations: stressless and wonderful
“Thank you, Tony and your team, for a stressless and wonderful bathroom renovation. Our 4-year-old townhouse bathroom and ensuite showers had serious leakage issues, with water leaking into the walls and between floors. The builder was happy to silicone the problem as a solution. The only options were to replace the showers, or a full renovation for both rooms. We chose the latter. Tony provided a competitive quote. Despite the inevitable out-of-square bathroom issues, the job was completed without stress, on-time and in budget, and the finish was fabulous. And square. We are now looking at a kitchen update. Tony, find some time. Highly recommend Tony and the team.”
Wow! Now that's a bathroom
“In such difficult times we were so grateful that we picked Tony and his crew to renovate our bathroom. His knowledge of the industry and his attention to detail is second to none. Tony was always easy to contact and happy to discuss any issues. The standard of workmanship was outstanding. We love our new bathroom!”
Renovating Bathrooms in Balaclava Homes
Balaclava’s interwar and Art Deco flats often still have their original or early bathrooms, with small footprints, character tiles and old pipes, and sometimes a window that doesn’t open well. Cottage bathrooms are usually at the back of the house, often shared with the laundry, and built over timber floors that move.
Common Balaclava bathroom projects include making small flat bathrooms work harder with wall-hung fixtures and walk-in showers, keeping or reinterpreting period tiling, separating the bathroom from the laundry in cottages, and waterproofing properly over timber floors. Internal bathroom work usually doesn’t need a planning permit from the City of Port Phillip, but owners corporation approval is usually required in flats.
Balaclava at a Glance
- Postcode
- Balaclava VIC 3183
- Council
- City of Port Phillip
- From the CBD
- About 7 km south-east
- Typical Homes
- Interwar and Art Deco flats
- Victorian and Edwardian cottages
- Apartments
- Edwardian villas
- Property Market
- Median house price$1,466,000
- Median unit price$582,000
- House rent$975 a week
- Unit rent$580 a week
Source: CoreLogic via Your Investment Property, prices to July 2026, rents to September 2026
Before You Start
What to Plan For in a Balaclava Bathroom
Waterproofing
Bathrooms Above Another Flat
In Balaclava’s two and three storey interwar blocks, an upstairs bathroom sits directly over a neighbour’s ceiling, and original floors were often tiled onto a mortar bed with no membrane at all. A new bathroom gets waterproofing to the Australian Standard across the whole floor and up the shower walls, so a slow leak does not turn into a dispute with the owners corporation.
Apartments
Shared Stacks and Owners Corporation Rules
Most Balaclava flats share sewer and stormwater stacks, and many owners corporations ask for plans, insurance details and agreed work hours before anything starts. Moving a toilet or shower well away from the existing stack is usually the hardest change to get approved. We prepare the paperwork, coordinate with your owners corporation and keep common stairs and entries protected.
Layout
Splitting the Cottage Bathroom and Laundry
Balaclava’s small weatherboard cottages often have the bathroom and laundry in one room at the back, added long after the house was built. Separating them can mean borrowing space from a rear porch or reworking the lean-to, and the drainage under the timber floor usually has to be traced first. We look under the floor before suggesting any layout.
Heritage
Original Interwar Tiles
Some interwar flats in Balaclava still have their original coloured wall tiles, black and white borders or terrazzo. Heritage overlays mainly control the outside of a building, so keeping them is usually your choice, but salvaging a feature panel or matching the period palette in new tiles keeps the flat’s character. We assess which tiles can come off without damage.
Ventilation
Steam in Small Flat Bathrooms
Bathrooms in older Balaclava flats often rely on a small high window, sometimes painted shut, so steam drifts into the hallway and mould builds up on the ceiling. A ducted exhaust fan vented outside, rather than into the roof space, is the usual fix. In a block of flats, a new duct through an external wall may need owners corporation approval, so we plan it early.
Asbestos
Fibre Cement in Post-War Updates
Plenty of Balaclava cottages and flats had their bathrooms enclosed or updated between the 1950s and the 1980s using fibre cement sheeting, which can contain asbestos. Suspect sheeting is checked before demolition starts, and larger amounts must be removed by a licensed removalist. In a shared building the removal is also planned around neighbours, stairwells and other common areas.
Get a Free Bathroom Estimate in Balaclava
Two quick steps. We’ll be in touch within one business day to arrange a visit to your Balaclava home.
- 1Tell us about your project
Two quick steps. It takes about two minutes.
- 2We call you back
Tony will be in touch within one business day to talk through your ideas.
- 3Free on-site consultation
We visit, measure up and listen to how you want the space to work.
- 4Fixed-price quote
A detailed, itemised quote. What we quote is what you pay.
No obligation, no pressure
Family-run since 2002. Your estimate is free and your details are never shared with third parties.
Your Bathroom Renovations in Balaclava
Waterproofing
Applied by licensed trades to the Australian Standard for wet areas, and checked before a single tile goes down.
Tiling & Feature Walls
Floor and wall tiling, niches and feature walls, set out carefully so cuts and grout lines look right.
Vanities & Storage
Wall-hung or floor-standing vanities, mirror cabinets and recessed shelving that make the most of the space.
Showers & Baths
Walk-in showers, frameless screens, freestanding or built-in baths, chosen to suit your layout and routine.
Plumbing & Tapware
Licensed plumbers handle rough-in, drainage and fit-off, with tapware and toilets installed to manufacturer specs.
Lighting & Ventilation
LED lighting, heated towel rails and an exhaust fan ducted outside to keep moisture and mould under control.
Your Balaclava Bathroom in 5 Steps
Meet & Greet
We get to know you and your specific needs. And you find out more about us to make sure we are a good fit.
Consult & Design
We ask lots of questions to understand your ideal outcome for your project. We discuss layout, budget, colours and more.
Quote
A comprehensive quotation outlining all the details, costs and timelines to complete your project.
Construct & Manage
Time to get to work with all our suppliers and trades to construct your project and deliver it as promised.
Deliver
We strive to deliver your project on time and on budget. We believe in 100% customer satisfaction from start to finish.
Bathroom Projects
Bathroom Renovations In and Around Balaclava
Balaclava (3183) is about 7 km south-east of the Melbourne CBD, and well within our regular service area. We renovate bathrooms in Balaclava and its neighbouring suburbs, with the same team, the same fixed pricing and the same attention to detail.
Bathroom Renovations MelbourneNearby suburbs we service
Is my Balaclava home in Port Phillip or Glen Eira?
Balaclava is in the City of Port Phillip, with Hotham Street as its eastern edge. Some properties on and beyond Hotham Street are in the City of Glen Eira, and the suburb name on an address does not always settle it. Your rates notice or a VicPlan property report confirms the council. Internal bathroom work rarely needs a planning permit under either.
Do I need owners corporation approval for a bathroom in my Balaclava flat?
Usually, yes. Even when the work is inside your flat, changes to waterproofing, plumbing connected to shared pipes, exhaust ducts through external walls and noisy demolition generally need owners corporation approval, or at least notice under its rules. We provide plans and certificates, agree work hours and protect the common stairs and entries in older blocks.
Can a walk-in shower fit in a small Balaclava flat bathroom?
Often it can. Removing a bath with a shower over it in a compact interwar bathroom frees enough room for a frameless walk-in shower, and a wall-hung vanity and toilet make the floor look larger. The main limits are the fall to the floor waste and where the existing stack sits, which we check at the first visit.
How long does a bathroom renovation in a Balaclava flat take?
Most bathrooms take 2 to 4 weeks. In a block of flats the timeline also depends on owners corporation approval, agreed work hours and carrying materials up shared stairs, as many interwar blocks in Balaclava have no lift. We allow for these when we set the schedule and keep you informed as the work progresses.
Should I update the bathroom before leasing my Balaclava flat?
Plenty of Balaclava flats are leased, and the bathroom is often the room tenants judge first. Under Victoria’s rental minimum standards a rental bathroom needs a washbasin, a shower or bath, and hot and cold water. Beyond that, fixing leaks, regrouting, replacing a tired vanity and adding a proper exhaust fan usually matter more than a full redesign, and owners corporation approval still applies.
Ready to Start Your Renovation?
No matter the project, our team has the right solution. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation quote, and let's get your renovation underway.