Bathroom Renovation Old Street

Bathrooms in Old Street sit above other homes, so waterproofing is everything. GS Renovation renovates en-suites and family bathrooms across EC1, from ex-council flats around St Luke's to new-build apartments by the roundabout. We tank, tile and plumb to standards that protect the flat below and satisfy the managing agents these Islington blocks answer to.

In Old Street, a full bathroom refit typically costs £6,000 to £20,000 or more (indicative London ranges, MyBuilder and Checkatrade, 2026). GS Renovation Ltd, a building contractor based in Potters Bar, does the work in Old Street: we carry the tanking, plumbing and tiling as one contract, with the electrics certified by a registered electrician.

How the job runs

1. Free design visit at your Old Street home and an itemised quote.
2. Strip-out, then first-fix plumbing and electrics.
3. Tanking to the wet areas, then tiling.
4. Sanitaryware and second fix, with notifiable electrics certified by a registered electrician. Typically 10 to 15 working days on site.

Watertight bathrooms in Old Street flats

In a stacked EC1 apartment a leaking bathroom is not your problem alone, it is the ceiling of the flat downstairs. That is why we tank every wet area fully before a single tile goes on, bonding a waterproof membrane across floor and walls and forming falls that carry water to the drain. Wet rooms and walk-in showers demand this discipline most, and we detail the thresholds and junctions so water does not find its way through.

Drainage and ventilation take planning in these buildings, where soil stacks and extract routes are fixed by the original design. We work with the existing risers rather than against them, add mechanical ventilation to clear moisture, and coordinate any changes with the managing agent. Underfloor heating, recessed lighting and quality tiling complete a bathroom that is warm, dry and quiet, with the sound insulation these Islington flats need between floors.

Housing in Old Street

The valuation list shows roughly 6,800 homes in Old Street, of which 16% are pre-1919, 5% interwar and 76% post-1945, split 99% flats to 1% houses. A bathroom in a flat in Old Street sits over a neighbour's ceiling, so tanking comes first, which matters here because most homes are flats.

A new bathroom in an Old Street flat needs building control approval

Refitting an Old Street bathroom in the same place is a refit. Adding an en-suite or moving the bathroom is not, because new drainage and new extraction come under the building regulations. With 99% of Old Street homes being flats, the bathroom is often in a building with a shared entrance, stair or lift, and Islington says a building notice cannot be used for residential premises with common areas. Where that applies, the new bathroom is approved on a full plans application before the strip-out starts.

The drawings show the waste route to the stack and its fall, the extract duct to outside and how the floor is waterproofed over the flat below. Islington's statutory period for a full plans decision is five weeks, or two months if agreed, which can run while sanitaryware and tiles are on order. At the end Islington Council issues the completion certificate once the work is satisfactory and the fees are fully paid. We keep that certificate with the electrical certificates for the Old Street flat, ready for a sale or a query from the managing agent.

En-suites and space-saving layouts near Old Street

Apartments around Old Street rarely have space to spare, so an added en-suite or a reworked bathroom has to earn every centimetre. We plan compact layouts with wall-hung sanitaryware, slimline cisterns and walk-in showers that feel generous without stealing floor area. Where a converted warehouse offers a taller ceiling, we can exploit it with concealed services and full-height tiling; where a new-build is tight, we design around the fixed plumbing.

An en-suite carved from a bedroom means running new waste and supply through an occupied, managed flat, so we agree isolations and access with the managing agent before starting. Notifiable electrical work near water is certified by a registered electrician, extraction is sized to prevent damp, and the whole room is tanked to protect the property below. The result is a hard-wearing, well-ventilated bathroom finished to suit the character of the EC1 home it serves.

• En-suite creation in bedrooms and loft rooms
• Full plumbing, drainage and waterproofing (tanking)
• Tanking membranes and waterproof boards behind tiles

VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for Old Street & St Luke's. Counts rounded by the VOA.

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Why Choose GS Renovation in Old Street

In a stacked Old Street block, bathroom failures travel downward, so getting the waterproofing right is the whole job. GS Renovation tanks properly, respects the fixed drainage and ventilation of EC1 buildings, and coordinates access with the managing agent. Our founder's 30+ years on the tools means bathrooms that stay dry, pass building control on their electrics and never trouble the flat below.

Checked by Abdelaaziz Saaid, founder and director of GS Renovation Ltd (Companies House no. 14611254). Structural design is by the consulting engineer appointed to your project.