The idea
I bought my first apartment in 2023, and it was only missing one thing: a bathtub. Well, also space for a bathtub. And to make space for a bathtub, I’d have to make a bigger bathroom. And to make a bigger bathroom…
This turned into a massive renovation in the year 2024, which introduced an extension, gutting the entire place, replacing the electrical, heating, and plumbing, and basically building my dream home. I worked with a contractor for the most part, and DIYed some.
Check it out
I don’t yet know if/how I want to share pictures of my reno, you know how people are with identifying where people live. But if you want you can message me (see footer for my contact info) and ask me about it!
Making it
This consumed my life for a good year. Towards the end, I was showering at the gym for 6 weeks because my bathroom wasn’t ready and the heating wasn’t on.
But some resources and advice I can share:
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Floorplanner - especially if you’re buying in the Netherlands on Funda.nl, you can upload your floorplan from there and fill it in. Credits to this reddit thread for the tip!
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My woodworker Tijs Louman who was an absolute joy to work with.
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If you’re a woman, be prepared for a lot of sexism. If you think people are dismissive upon meeting them, don’t work with them, it will really get in the way.
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Take yourself seriously! I wish I had done this more towards the beginning. This is your home, you’re spending more money than you probably ever will, and you have spent dozens of hours thinking about it - whereas for everyone else you’re working with, this is just a project among many. Nobody else cares about this as much as you do. So when you’re meeting with professionals, feel free to come with drawings you made - to scale! -, clear opinions, documented ideas, and expect to understand everything that is discussed.
What’s next
This is an ongoing project. I think I will share more about smaller improvements as I am making them over time!
But if there’s one thing I could say: this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done and my proudest achievement. Living inside this apartment is, very literally, a dream come true. Blood, sweat and tears, and all that. Very thankful.