Short answer: a regrouting makeover gives you a fresh, modern-looking bathroom — new grout, a sealed shower, deep-cleaned tiles, often a new screen and tapware — for a fraction of what a full renovation costs. After 26 years on the tools across Sydney, this “soft makeover” is how I tell people to get a good few more years out of a dated bathroom before they spend $40,000 tearing it apart.
What a Regrouting Makeover Includes
It’s more than just new grout. A typical makeover pulls a few jobs together so the whole room lifts at once:
- Replacing cracked, mouldy cement grout with epoxy grout in any colour you like.
- Deep-cleaning the tiles so they look like new.
- Fixing shower leaks and resealing the wet area.
- Optionally fitting a new shower screen at the same time.
- Optionally upgrading tapware and fixtures while we’re in there.
What It Costs vs a Full Renovation
The bathroom is the smallest room in the house and the most expensive to renovate per square metre — a full reno runs anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 and up. A makeover keeps the bones and refreshes the surfaces, so the numbers look very different:
| Element | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Shower regrout (epoxy, floor & walls) | $1,400–$2,500 |
| New shower screen (framed to frameless) | $800–$2,000 + $200–$500 install |
| New tapware | $100–$500+ (plus plumber) |
| Full bathroom renovation (for comparison) | $25,000–$50,000+ |
Pick and choose what your bathroom actually needs. Most makeovers come in at a tiny fraction of a renovation because you’re refreshing what’s there rather than ripping it out.
Is Your Bathroom a Good Candidate?
Start by looking honestly at the room. If the layout works and the bathroom is just looking dated — tired grout, a grubby shower, an aging screen — then you’re exactly who a makeover suits. If you want to move the toilet, shift the vanity or change the footprint, that’s a renovation, because the moment you start moving plumbing the cost climbs fast. A makeover keeps everything where it is and makes it look new again.
The Shower Is Usually What Lets a Bathroom Down
Nine times out of ten it’s the shower dragging the whole room down — mould, chipped grout and a screen that’s impossible to keep clean. When we regrout, the old cement grout that chips, leaks and harbours mould is completely removed and replaced with epoxy (here’s why epoxy beats cement). If you’re replacing the screen too, we work in with a local glazier so the screen and the regrout happen together — the shower’s only out of action for about two days and it comes back like new.
Fixtures, Screens & Vanities — Keeping It Cost-Effective
The trick to a makeover staying cost-effective is replacing like-for-like rather than moving anything. Swap an old showerhead and tapware for shiny new water-saving fixtures and the room instantly feels modern. If the vanity is freestanding you can often pick up a great-value replacement — just make sure the taps stay in the same position, because the expense starts the moment a plumber has to relocate fittings. We work closely with a trusted plumber who quotes upfront and handles the plumbing side for most of our customers.
When You Need a Renovation Instead
I’ll never sell you a makeover that won’t hold. If the waterproofing membrane behind the tiles has been compromised, no amount of regrouting or sealing will fix it — the tiles have to come off and the membrane re-laid, and at that point you’re into a renovation. A proper assessment up front tells us which camp your bathroom is in, so you’re never paying for a fix that was never going to work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a regrouting makeover cost?
It depends what you include, but a shower regrout in epoxy typically runs $1,400–$2,500, with a new screen and tapware on top if you want them. Even a full makeover comes in at a small fraction of a $25,000–$50,000 renovation.
How long is my bathroom out of action?
A regrout is a one-day job, and if we’re fitting a new screen at the same time the shower is usually only out of use for around two days while everything dries and cures. The rest of the bathroom stays usable throughout.
Can you fix a leaking shower as part of the makeover?
Yes — resealing and regrouting fixes the most common leaks, which come through chipped grout or perished silicone around the screen. The one exception is a failed waterproofing membrane, which needs the tiles removed; we’ll tell you straight if that’s what we find.
Will it really look like a new bathroom?
Fresh epoxy grout in the right colour, clean tiles, a sealed shower and a new screen transform a room far more than most people expect — it’s the difference between “we should renovate” and “this feels brand new.”
Put the big renovation on hold and do a makeover instead. We service the Hills District, the North Shore and Western Sydney — get in touch for a free quote.
About Leaking Showers Sealed
Leaking Showers Sealed is owned and run by Andreas Jagle, who has spent more than 26 years sealing, regrouting and repairing showers across Sydney. Andreas is Ardex Academy trained and works to Australian Standard AS3740-2010 for waterproofing wet areas, so every job is done the way it should be — not the quick way. We service the Hills District, the North Shore and Western Sydney. Every quote is free, honest and upfront.
