Where Coast ensuites come from
1980s and 90s brick veneer at Kincumber, Green Point, Bateau Bay and Berkeley Vale. Master bedrooms gained a small ensuite with a corner shower on a tray, a single vanity and often a sliding door. Thirty-odd years on, tray showers crack and the seals give up.
Estate homes from the 2000s onward at Wadalba, Hamlyn Terrace and Woongarrah. Better sized, but builder-grade fittings, framed screens and fans that were never ducted properly.
Waterfront units at Terrigal and The Entrance. Internal ensuites with no window, stacked above another unit's bathroom, where strata approval and a good membrane both matter.
What a good ensuite does
- A shower you can turn around in. Ideally 900 by 1200 millimetres or larger, with fixed glass and no hob.
- Storage for two people. Drawers rather than doors, a shaving cabinet, and a niche in the shower.
- Somewhere to put things down. A wider vanity top matters more than a second basin in many rooms.
- Air that clears. A ducted fan on a timer, especially where there is no window.
- Privacy from the bedroom. A cavity sliding door or a better-placed swing door, and a toilet out of direct line of sight.
Borrowing space
The quickest way to a bigger ensuite is often to take a slice of the robe next door. Other options:
- Swap a swing door for a cavity slider to free up wall space.
- Replace a shower tray and hob with a tiled level floor to make the shower feel wider.
- Move the toilet to a less prominent wall if the drainage allows.
Upstairs and in units
In two-storey homes the ensuite is often upstairs, and unit ensuites sit above someone else's ceiling. That makes the membrane stage critical — see waterproofing and tiling. In strata buildings, owners corporation approval generally needs to be in hand before the start date is locked in.
Doing two rooms together
If the main bathroom is also due, doing both in one program shares the demolition, plumber visits and waterproofing inspections. The household just needs a plan for the weeks both are unavailable. The main bathroom renovation page covers the bigger room.
Price guide
Most ensuites sit between $15,000 and $26,000 as a 2026 guide. See the full cost breakdown.
Call 02 4307 6205 or pop your bathroom details in the form.
Questions people ask before they commit
Can a small ensuite fit a double vanity?
Sometimes. It needs roughly 1.2 metres or more of clear wall. Where that is not available, a single wide basin with a longer bench and generous drawers often works better than two cramped basins.
Can the ensuite borrow space from the wardrobe?
In many 1980s and 90s homes the walk-in or built-in robe backs onto the ensuite. Moving that wall can give a proper shower. Whether the wall is load-bearing and what services run through it is checked first.
Our ensuite has no window. Is that a problem?
Not if the exhaust fan is right. An internal ensuite needs a fan sized to the room, ducted outside and wired to run on after the light is switched off. Without that, mould is almost guaranteed in the Coast's humidity.
How much does an ensuite renovation cost?
As a 2026 guide, most Central Coast ensuites fall between $15,000 and $26,000. Moving walls, relocating the toilet or choosing premium tiles and tapware increases that.