The typical Penrith ensuite
From the late 1980s, Penrith project homes started to include an ensuite as standard. Space was usually taken from the main bedroom or its walk-in robe, and the room was sized to the minimum that could be marketed.
The result, in many Glenmore Park, Emu Plains, Cranebrook and Werrington homes, is a narrow room with:
- A corner shower with a raised tray or a tiled hob and a framed pivot door
- A single vanity with doors and a laminate top
- A toilet squeezed between the vanity and the shower
- Wall tiles to about two metres, painted above
- A fan venting into the roof space, or no fan at all
None of those is a disaster. All of them make the room feel smaller and harder to keep clean than it needs to be.
What makes the biggest difference
Lose the corner shower. Replacing a corner tray and framed door with a tiled walk-in shower and a fixed panel is the single most effective change. It can often use the existing waste, and it makes a 900mm shower feel like a much larger one.
Swap the vanity. A wall-hung vanity with drawers, where the floor tile runs underneath, adds visual space and practical storage. A slightly shallower unit can widen the walkway. See vanities.
Tile higher. Taking wall tiles to the ceiling removes the painted strip that marks and peels, and makes a small room feel taller.
Fix the ventilation. An ensuite beside a bedroom needs a fan that actually removes steam, ducted outside, so mould does not creep onto the ceiling and into the robe.
Light the mirror. A backlit mirror or a light above it is far more useful than a single downlight behind your head.
When the layout should change
Some ensuites are simply laid out badly: a toilet facing the door, a shower that blocks the window, or a vanity in the only spot where the door can swing.
On a concrete slab, moving a waste means cutting concrete. It is sometimes worth doing in an ensuite because the room is small, so the extent of cutting is limited, but it is always priced as a separate decision so you can weigh it against the benefit.
On a timber subfloor — found in some Emu Plains and older Penrith homes — moving fixtures is more affordable.
Doing both bathrooms
If the main bathroom is also due, pricing both rooms together makes financial sense. Set-up, the skip, waterproofing attendance and tile delivery are largely fixed costs, so the second room carries less overhead.
The practical question is timing. Some families stage it: ensuite first while everyone uses the main bathroom, then the main bathroom while the ensuite is back in service. It takes longer overall but keeps a shower available the whole time. The main bathroom page covers that room in detail.
Newer homes and warranties
If your house is only a few years old — common in Jordan Springs, Caddens and newer parts of Glenmore Park — and the ensuite is leaking, check whether it is covered by the original builder's statutory warranty before paying for a renovation. Under NSW home building law, major defects are covered for six years and other defects for two years from completion.
If the ensuite is not defective but simply builder-grade, a partial upgrade may be better value than a full strip-out: new vanity, tapware, mirror, screen and lighting, with the tiles and waterproofing left in place.
Cost and timing
Costs depend on the scope, size, layout and finishes: a partial upgrade with the tiles kept costs least, and moving a waste costs more than keeping the layout — see our cost guide or book a quote for a price on your job. A full ensuite renovation takes about three weeks on site.
Before you commit
Ask whether the quote includes a waterproofing certificate, a ducted exhaust fan and rubbish removal. The deposit on residential building work in NSW is capped at 10 per cent, and for work above the statutory threshold home building compensation cover must be in place before a deposit is requested.
Renovation work is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group, a licensed NSW builder; licence and insurance details are provided on request.
Call 02 4703 9332 or send the room details through.
Get a firm price
- PhotosTwo or three angles of the room.
- SizeRough length and width.
- Wish listShower, bath, vanity, storage.
Questions people ask before they commit
How much does an ensuite renovation cost in Penrith?
It depends on the size, the layout and the finishes. A very small shower-toilet-basin ensuite costs less than a larger one with a double vanity. The cost guide gives rough bands, and a free on-site measure gives a fixed price for your ensuite.
Is it cheaper to do the ensuite and main bathroom together?
Per room, yes. Trades attend once, the skip and waterproofer set-up are shared, and tiles arrive in one delivery. The trade-off is going without both rooms at the same time.
Can a corner shower become a walk-in?
Usually. The corner shower tray or hob is removed, the floor is built up or set down to create fall, and a single fixed glass panel replaces the framed screen. In most cases the existing waste position is kept.
Can a small ensuite fit a double vanity?
It needs roughly 1.2 metres of clear wall for a comfortable double. Below that, a wide single basin with a long benchtop gives two people space without two sets of plumbing.