Drainage, toilet systems and tapware can be costly to have installed or altered by a licensed plumber, and some jobs require drilling into tiles, demolishing walls and rebuilding. Consider these cheaper alternatives to restructuring.

1. Separate hot and cold taps
Use the two existing fixtures to install a single mixer. Whether for the shower or basin, install a transformer that uses the existing plumbing to convert two taps into a single mixer tap. The transformer blocks water from the existing outlets and diverts it to the new spout.

2. No ensuite for the bedroom
A macerator pump discharges waste through pipes concealed in the wall. If the master bedroom isn’t near the main sewer, extensive restructuring may be required to install an extra bathroom.

A macerator pump, correctly installed by a licensed plumber, can significantly save renovation costs, as it can move waste up to eight metres vertically and 100 metres horizontally.

The bore pipes fit within wall cavities and ceiling voids, where conventional drainage pipes would require cutting through concrete, making it a costly exercise.

3. Single-flush water wastage
Instead of buying a new dual-flush toilet, a simple solution is to install a water-saving device in just three minutes to convert the single flush to a dual flush.

By removing the screw bush from the cistern, a flush device is positioned over the button with the half-flush screw adjusted to flush at reduced capacity, allowing both full flush and half-flush buttons to be activated when the device is depressed.

This simple DIY solution will only require buying the device, but getting a plumber in to install a dual-flush toilet would cost considerably more.