Accessible bathrooms that feel like home

Every accessible bathroom is different, because every person is. Someone recovering from a hip replacement needs something different from someone using a wheelchair, and both need something different from a couple in their sixties who want to stay in their house for another twenty-odd winters. So we start by asking how the bathroom is used now, what's hard, and what's likely to change.

If an occupational therapist has already assessed you, their report is gold. Share it with us and we'll build to it. If not, and the needs are significant, it's worth asking your council's occupational therapy service for an assessment before you commit. They can recommend exactly what's needed and where.

The single biggest change most people make is taking out the bath and putting in a level-access shower. No step, no tray lip to catch a foot, and enough space to use a shower seat or have someone help. That can be a full wet room, where the whole floor is waterproofed and falls to a drain, or a very low-profile shower tray set flush with the floor.

Upstairs and in tenement flats this means building the floor properly over timber joists and tanking the area so it never leaks below. A fold-down shower seat, a thermostatic shower that keeps the temperature steady, and controls placed where you can reach them from sitting down all make a big difference. A thermostatic valve that limits the maximum temperature is a sensible safety step against scalding.

Grab rails only help if they're in the right place and fixed into something solid. In stud walls and old lath-and-plaster that means planning backing boards before the tiles go on, not hoping a plug holds later. We'll position rails by the toilet, in the shower and at the basin based on how you actually move, and we're happy to add backing in extra places so rails can be added later if needs change.

A comfort-height toilet, a little taller than standard, makes sitting and standing easier. A basin mounted at the right height, with space underneath if a wheelchair or seat needs to get close, helps too. Lever taps are easier than twist taps for stiff hands. Slip-resistant floor tiles are a must, and a colour contrast between floor, walls and fittings helps anyone whose eyesight isn't what it was.

If a wheelchair or walking frame needs to get in, the door and turning space matter as much as the fittings. We can often widen a doorway, rehang a door to open outwards (so it can be opened if someone falls against it), or fit a sliding door. In small Southside bathrooms, losing the bath is often what frees up the space to turn.

We'll also think about the route to the bathroom and the light. Good, even lighting with switches easy to find at night is simple to add while the room is stripped out, and it's a lot harder to add afterwards.

If the bathroom being adapted is the only one in the house, tell us at the survey. For someone with limited mobility, even a few days without a usable toilet or shower is a real problem, so we'll plan the order of work to keep the toilet working wherever we can and give you clear dates in advance so you can arrange help or a short stay elsewhere.

In Scotland, councils can offer help with adaptations under the Scheme of Assistance, usually after an occupational therapy assessment. What's available depends on your circumstances and your council, whether that's Glasgow City Council or East Renfrewshire, so it's worth asking before work starts.

Some building work to adapt a bathroom for a disabled person can also qualify for VAT relief. HMRC's rules on this are specific, so ask us and we'll help you check whether your job qualifies. We'll write the quote clearly so that whatever route you take, the paperwork is straightforward.