Where the small bathrooms are
Fibro and weatherboard cottages on the Woy Woy peninsula, Ettalong, Davistown, Long Jetty and Toukley. Many started life as weekenders and were extended bit by bit. Bathrooms are narrow, often lined with old sheeting, and sometimes added onto a back verandah.
Second bathrooms and powder rooms in 1980s and 90s family homes. Small, lightly used, and usually still original.
Units from the 1970s walk-ups in Gosford to the beachside blocks at Terrigal and The Entrance. Compact rooms, limited ventilation, and strata rules about noise and working hours.
Tricks that make a small room feel bigger
- Lose the hob and the track. One continuous floor surface in and out of the shower.
- Float the vanity. Seeing floor underneath makes the room look deeper.
- Go large with tiles. Fewer grout lines calm the walls down. Stacked or vertical layouts can make a low ceiling feel taller.
- Tile to the ceiling in the shower zone at least.
- Recess the storage. A shower niche and a shaving cabinet set into the wall instead of sticking out.
- Use a wall-hung toilet with an in-wall cistern where there is framing depth.
- Swap the door. A cavity slider or an outward-opening door frees a surprising amount of space.
- Light it well. A mirror with an integrated light and a bright ceiling fitting beat one yellowing bulb.
Cottage realities
Older peninsula homes come with a few predictable extras. The floor under the shower may have rotted, the walls may be asbestos sheeting, and old wiring may need upgrading to meet current rules once the walls are open. None of that is a reason not to renovate, but it should be priced honestly at the start rather than discovered on day two.
Units and strata
Most owners corporations require approval for bathroom work involving waterproofing, and some also want to see the membrane certificate afterwards. Allow a few weeks for approval, and check the by-laws for permitted working hours, lift bookings and where waste can be stored.
Keep the bath or not?
If there is no other bath in the house and there are young kids around, keep one — a shorter or compact bath is available. Otherwise, a full-width shower almost always makes a small room more useful.
Price guide
Small bathrooms usually fall between $14,000 and $23,000 as a 2026 guide. See the full cost page, or compare with a full main bathroom renovation.
Call 02 4307 6205 or pop your bathroom details in the form.
Questions people ask before they commit
Is a small bathroom cheaper to renovate?
A little, but not in proportion to its size. The plumber, electrician, waterproofer and tiler still need to attend, and fittings cost the same. As a 2026 guide, most small Central Coast bathrooms land between $14,000 and $23,000.
What is the best shower for a tiny bathroom?
Usually a walk-in shower with one fixed glass panel and a floor that falls to a linear drain. With no hob or track, the floor reads as one surface and the room looks wider.
Can we combine the toilet and bathroom?
In many older Coast homes the toilet sits in its own tiny room beside the bathroom. Removing the wall between them often creates one comfortable room. It is less suitable if it is the only toilet for a large household.
Do cottages on the peninsula have asbestos?
Fibro homes built before about 1990 commonly used asbestos cement sheeting, including in wet areas. A sample is tested before demolition, and any removal is done by a licensed asbestos removalist.