The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Lobster wrote:

I have to say I subscribe to the Gospel according to Sarah Beeny, who
decrees that you should buy a cheapo suite and dress it up with
decent quality taps.

Amen to that. In terms of functionality, I don't think there's any
difference between cheap and expensive porcelain bits.

As the OP pointed out, the bath is the exception. Cheap 3mm fibreglass
baths are just nasty.

But can be stiffened up remarkably with wood, car body filler and so on.

As it happens I'm also in the market for a new suite and have been doing
the rounds of the sheds and specialist shops yesterday and today. I'm
rethinking my advice of yesterday, certainly in terms of the bath.

Had an interesting chat with the proprietor of a bathroom chat who
pointed out that all the skimpy 3mm baths in the sheds nearly all come
with fancy 'decorative' mouldings and shapes, for the only reason that
they need to in order to stiffen the bath. (Often this is at the
expense of functionality, like the lip on the back of a bath I used to
have which prevents water draining back ito the bath!) I certainly much
prefer a bath with simple, clean lines, and for a fibreglass bath, that
means thicker fibreglass. He's probably got a sale out of it; haven't
decided about the loo ands sink yet though.

David