These dedicated lads from Yorkshire have made history, Team GB’s first ever Gold Medals in the Men’s synchronised 3m springboard! A huge congratulations and very well done to Jack and Chris from everyone here at ukBathrooms!

As some of you will know Jack’s Dad is our very own Development Manager David.  We know David is ecstatic with pride today, he has already been on a phone interview on BBC One’s BBC Breakfast program and no doubt will be busy today with interviews and calls. As such he has a well deserved day off today. The rest of us in the office will be celebrating today with some calorific local cake and Yorkshire tea! Well done guys, it couldn’t have happened to nicer harder working people!

Follow the link below to see the historical Gold Medal winning dive on the BBC website:

Jack and Chris make history, BBC Sports

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Rio 2016 has begun and everyone in the ukBathrooms office will be cheering on Team GB diver: Jack Laugher!

Jack, the son of one of our long-standing members of staff has gone from strength to strength over the years competing with other world class divers and winning a steady stream of medals and prizes.

Jack will be recognisable to the general public for his diving, but also alongside other Team GB athletes on Aldi’s recent value fruit and veg advert campaigns, amongst other sponsorship deals. Jack has certainly put the hard work in over the years, and kudos to Jack’s parents for their commitment and support, early training starts and such a hectic schedule can’t be easy to manage!

Jack will also be diving with team mate Chris Mears in their Synchronised Dive, the pair have been training and competing together, good luck to them both we know their hard work and dedication will pay off.

You can next watch Jack competing in Diving for Team GB:

Men’s synchronised 3m springboard Wednesday 10^th August

Men’s 3m springboard Monday 15^th August

From everyone here we wish Jack and Chris the very best of luck in Rio 2016!

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To celebrate the traditional spring festival of May Day, UK Bathrooms are offering huge savings across all their bathroom ranges, but hurry, this Bank Holiday sale is only available till Monday the 4^th May.

With summer fast approaching, now is the best time to start planning your new bathroom and if you order this weekend you can be sure that you’ll have a brand new bathroom before the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May and all for a great price.

Need some inspiration? Then check out some of our favourite products below:

Everyone like to be pampered, and our latest study has found that the majority of Brits would like to create a home spa experience in their own bathroom. Steam showers, whirlpool baths and home saunas topped the list of must have features of a dream bathroom.

Whether it’s due to a lifestyle shift or the fact that traditional spa days are getting more and more expensive, males and females across the country are choosing to pamper themselves in their own homes rather than booking expensive treatments in beauty salons and day spas.

As the at home spa industry continues to grow, our team of researchers set out to find what the must have features of a home spa were. Our study asked over 1,000 UK residents over the age of 18 “Would like to recreate the spa experience in their own home?”

Those who answered yes were then asked, “If money was no object, what at home spa features would you have in your dream bathroom?” Participants were asked to choose from an extensive range of bathroom spa features, the top five answers are as follows:

1. Hydrotherapy/whirlpool bath (65%)
2. Sauna/Steam shower (55%)
3. Massaging showers (46%)
4. Sensory shower – lights/aromatherapy (38%)
5. Foot spa (28%)

Hydrotherapy/whirlpool baths came top of the list, with over 27% of women and 25% of men naming it as their top home spa feature. A sauna/steam shower was also popular among respondents with 20% of women’s votes, and a surprisingly higher men’s vote of 25%.

Showers featured highly on the list with sensory showers and massaging showers both coming in the top five. Foot spas also figured highly with 28% of the vote.

Our director Peter Gregg has this to say:

“Visits to a spa can be pricy, especially if you like to visit frequently, so it’s no surprise that people would love to recreate this experience themselves at home. Initially the outlay would be expensive, however over time the cost benefits would out way this and of course the availability of spa features such as a whirlpool bath or sauna or steam room whenever you want without leaving the house.”

Adding, “When you consider relaxing after a long day, listening to the fizz of bubbles as water jets help massage away your stress and strains from that day it is easy to understand why whirlpool baths came top of the list. And then also having the convenience of a sauna or steam shower at home would save you a trip to the spa or gym, you can see why these would be top of any dream wish list.”

Our researchers have been busy compiling more data about the relationships Britons have with their bathrooms and have found that a staggering 65% said that they are jealous of other people’s bathrooms. In our poll the bathroom was narrowly beaten by the kitchen as the most likely room in the house to be jealous of.

The most common bathroom features Britons were most jealous of included Jacuzzis/hot tubs with 26% of the vote and large or feature baths comprising of 24% of the vote. The study also found that the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms were the most converted room in the house.

We asked 1,824 UK residents over the age of 18 and asked, “How often do you get jealous of other people’s homes?” to which 64% said they regularly got jealous, 27% said they rarely got jealous and 9% said that they never got jealous.

Participants were then asked which rooms they were most likely to get jealous of, the top five answers are below:

1. Kitchen (71%)
2. Bathroom (65%)
3. Master Bedroom (49%)
4. Utility Room (34%)
5. Lounge (27%)

Participants were then asked which household features in particular they were most jealous of. Provided with a list of possible answers the respondents were asked to select all relevant answers; the top five are listed below:

1. Jacuzzis/hot tubs (26%)
2. Large or feature baths (24%)
3. Double fridge/freezers (18%)
4. Fireplaces (13%)
5. Waterfall Showers (9%)

In a bid to compile as much data as possible, participants were asked for their reasons why they judge the bathroom over other rooms. The results are below:

1. You can tell a lot about a person because of their bathroom – 56%
2. I have to wash in the bathroom – 31%
3. I don’t want to catch any germs – 27%
4. I like to relax in the bathroom – 17%
5. I’m scared of using dirty bathrooms – 11%

In our final question we asked if any of the participants had remodelled a room in their home after being jealous of someone else’s. A staggering 62% said that they had remodelled a room after being jealous of someone else’s, with 51% stating that they remodelled the bathroom.

Finally, respondents were asked if they had ever remodelled or refurbished a room after feeling jealous of another person’s house, room or fitting, to which 62% stated they had. When asked which room this applied to, the most popular room to change following a trip to another person’s house was revealed to be the bathroom (51%).

Our very own Peter Gregg has this to say about the study:

“Although the grass isn’t always greener, jealousy is definitely not always a bad thing; particularly if it inspires change in your own home and makes you enjoy your own space more as a result! As bathroom specialists, we see a lot of bathrooms and bathroom features that we are really envious of!”

Adding, “There are numerous sources of affordable bathroom features online, so it’s no wonder bathrooms get the most makeovers as a result. I would urge Britons who are jealous of other people’s houses to get online and get their house up to scratch for their own tastes and styles. You never know, people might end up jealous of your home when they come round; and you don’t need to break the budget, with great deals available all year round.”

Bathroom trends are forever changing, but it seems that traditional designs are back in fashion. Our researchers have found that classic features such as roll top baths and double-pedestal basins have once again become popular for homeowners. Roll top baths and double-pedestal basins topped the list of the most common classic features included in bathroom renovations over the past year.

Our study polled 1,438 UK residents who had renovated their bathrooms over the past year and asked, “Did you include any classic bathroom features in your bathroom refurbishment?” 54% of respondents said that they had fitted some kind of classic feature to their bathroom, the remaining 46% said they did not feature any classic features in their bathroom refurbishment.

Participants who said that they had fitted traditional features were also asked the reasons behind choosing a traditional bathroom design. The top five answers are below:

1. Traditional items look classier than modern alternatives (46%)
2. I favour traditional items (34%)
3. I felt traditional items were better value for money (31%)
4. I dislike modern items (27%)
5. I incorporated family heirlooms / inherited features (21%)

These participants were also asked which traditional bathroom items they had included in their bathroom renovation. The top five answers are below:

1. Roll top bath (47%)
2. Bath and shower mixer taps (36%)
3. High-level toilet (31%)
4. Two-pedestal basin (26%)
5. Marble counter tops (22%)

Our researchers have crunched the numbers from the respondent’s data and worked out that the average Briton spent £2,072 on traditional features during their bathroom renovation.

Our director, Peter Gregg talked about the results, saying:

“The bathroom is an important part of the house, so many of us like to refurbish and change things around in our bathrooms. Whilst many favour modern features and technology, it would seem that the vintage bathroom is making a comeback!”

He continued, “Modern bathroom features are great, with the likes of power showers and Jacuzzi baths really boosting the complete experience. However, there is a sense of timeless luxury, romance and simplicity in some of the more traditional items, which can be a lovely, refreshing change for a modern house.”

We are fortunate enough here at UK Bathrooms to work with some of the best bathroom manufacturers in the world and always pride ourselves of providing our customers with some of the most inspiring bathroom designs for them to create their own.

So, it’s no wonder that we have been awarded the Best of Houzz for design for the second year running. Houzz is the leading platform for home renovation and design, and connects millions of people online with some of the most innovative interior design brands in the world.

UK Bathrooms have been chosen by the 25 million plus users of the Houzz community to be awarded with the Best of Houzz 2015 prize for design. We now get to display our Best of Houzz 2015 award on our Houzz profile, taking pride of place next to our 2014 award and helping users around the world to learn even more about our business and products.

For those of you not familiar with Houzz, here is a brief description about the website:

Houzz is a leading portal for home renovation and design, providing over 25 million users worldwide with everything they need to improve their homes.

From decorating a spare room to building an entire home, Houzz connect homeowners, designers and enthusiasts with over 15,000 builders, interior design specialists and suppliers from all over the world.

This vibrant community allows users to find inspiration, get advice about their projects, buy products and hire professionals to turn their ideas into reality.

Check out the website today and see what inspiration you can find by visiting the UK Bathroom Houzz page.

Our researchers have been busy finding out what puts off prospective home buyers when it comes to the bathroom and for most people it was ingrained dirt and black mould. Our study asked 1000 UK residents “What do you find most off putting in a bathroom when buying a house?” to which the majority of respondents (50%) said that black mould or a bad silicone finish was off putting in the bathroom.

“Mould! It might be an underlying problem!” Samantha (@PrincessP100)

“Damp and mould” Agata (@AgataPokutycka)

“Mould and/or spiders!” Chloe (@9grandstudent)

“Lime scale” Rosie (@Silly_Secrets)

“If buying then damp/mould as you can fit a new bathroom anyway but if renting then carpets, pink/brown/green baths and toilets.” Michaela (@YorkshireMumOf2)

Black Mould

Picture: aimee rivers

24% of respondents said that they would be put off a property that had an old or outdated bathroom, and 14% admitted that the colour scheme of the bathroom would be a turn off.

“Coloured bathroom suites and wood panelling…..#shudder” Lottie (@WhatLottieLoves)

“A coloured suite other than white. And too much floral print!” Caroline (@notesFcaroline)

Outdated Bathroom

Picture: tiffany terry

Cracked or damaged tiles would put off 9% of those questioned, as matching or replacing individual tiles is not an easy task, while others said that a newly fitted bathroom would cause them concern, leading them to ask what was it hiding and worries about whether it had been done on the cheap or not.

Some of those questioned said that the positioning and layout of the bathroom would put them off especially if the space was not used well, while some said that bad pipework and wiring would also make them think twice about buying a property as it can be expensive to upgrade.

“The bathroom being on the ground floor in a two story house!” Amy (@teacupcocktails)

“Not having both a bath AND shower.” Lora (@blogfrosting)

Our very own Mark Walters had this to say about the survey:

“From our extensive research we can now begin to understand what people look for in a bathroom when they are buying a property. This is a great help to potential buyers, sellers and estate agents alike. Not only is black mould unsightly it can also cause health issues in some. “

He added:

“Black mould can be problematic, but there are ways to clear it from your home and keep the amount it grows back to a minimum. If you’re selling your home, we would recommend tackling any mould issues you may have and keeping on top of it so you don’t put off potential buyers. “

“I’ve seen some terrible bathrooms in my time of renting & viewing! Ancient suites with no shower are the worst.” Becky (@BeckysBoudoir)

“Carpet. I ripped the carpet out as soon as got in.” Sarah (@MsSBurns)

“Just a shower, old decor! I love everything fresh, clean and modern!” Liza (@LizaPrideaux)

Black mould as well as looking unsightly, can, in some cases affect your health too; having black mould in your home could mean that there are ventilation issues within the home. Ventilation is key to reducing black mould and we would suggest fitting an extractor fan to help with the problem. Cleaning regularly and using mould removing cleaners will also help you to keep on top and often prevent black mould from forming.

The Ideal Bathroom

The beginning of a New Year is the traditional time when manufacturers increase their prices, unfortunately at UK Bathrooms we are not immune from increases that are passed onto us, but in order to beat these increases in price we are offering all our customers a chance to buy bathroom equipment at today’s price but spread the cost over a period. The really good news is that we do not impose interest charges on a huge range of items, full finance information can be found here.

All that is required is that a minimum of £500.00, excluding carriage charges, is spent and then the cost can be spread over an agreed period, the offer is restricted to online purchases. To give a simple example of how the scheme works, let us assume that the purchase price of the items is £750.00, a deposit of 20% is paid which would be £150.00 leaving a balance of £600.00 spread over twelve months, repayable at £50.00 per month.

We have arranged that up to £12,000.00 can be borrowed with a minimum deposit of 10% and on completion of the online application a decision is reached within two or three minutes. Monthly repayments are made by direct debit and the balance can be paid off early at any time.

UK Bathrooms helping you beat the New Year price increases.

The bath has been a traditional feature in bathrooms throughout the UK for the best part of a century, but modern life is slowing changing what we want in a bathroom and over the past few years there has been a shift in what people are installing in their bathrooms. Gone are the days when a bath was a compulsory fixture in the bathroom, many people are opting for shower enclosures and walk-in showers instead of baths and over the past two years we have seen a 340% increase in sales of walk-in showers alone.

As part of our ongoing research into the habits if Brits in the bathroom, we looked into why this change is happening. We surveyed 1,000 people from throughout the UK and asked them two questions, “What bathroom suite would you prefer to have in your home?” and “Do you generally prefer to shower rather than take a bath?”

Our survey found:

• 43% of those polled would prefer to have a walk-in shower and a bath in their bathroom if there was enough space.
• 25% would like to have just a walk-in shower in their bathroom.
• Although a standard fixture in many homes in the UK only 18% of those surveyed said that they would prefer a shower over a bath.
• 14% of respondents said that they would prefer to have only a bath in their bathroom instead of a shower.
• 62% of participants said that they preferred to shower than take a bath.

Our survey seems to be reflected in our sales figures which have seen a 340% increase in sales for Walk-in showers over the last 24 months. Shower heads and accessories have also seen an increase of 34% over the same period. Funnily enough, although not as popular as they once were, baths have also seen a steady increase of 106%, so it seems that even if users prefer to shower than take a bath, it is still seen as a must have fixture in the home.

Our very own Mark Walters had this to say about our research:

“From the survey results and the sales figures, we can easily see a change in bathing habits, which is reflected in our lifestyles as people become more time conscious you look to showering as its quick, but also from an ecological point of view it is also better than taking a bath which uses more water. However baths are still an important addition in people’s homes. “

He added:

“We can see the evolution from bathing to showering in the UK, the contemporary bathroom which has in the UK shifted to a preference for showering, with modern baths being reserved as a luxury, flash item for the master bathroom, influenced by European design and lifestyle. But we aren’t ready to give up taking baths just yet in the UK as we still see them selling well, just not at the same phenomenal rate as walk in showers.”