Inspect your products before installation

Why this matters more than it sounds

The single most expensive sequence in a bathroom renovation is: goods delivered, left boxed in the garage for three weeks, plumber arrives, box opened, basin is chipped. At that point the reporting window has closed, the plumber is on site being paid, and the replacement is days away.

Twenty minutes of unpacking on delivery day avoids all of it.

What to check

• Every carton is present and matches the packing slip.
• Each product is the right model, size and finish — check against your invoice, not your memory.
• No chips, cracks, scratches or finish defects. Run a hand over glazed and stone surfaces.
• Glass panels have no edge chips — hold them to the light.
• All fixings, waste kits, connectors, remotes and instructions are present. Check inside the vanity and inside the pan.
• Stone tops are the right cut-out size and orientation.

Keep the packaging until installation

Original cartons are the only packaging designed for these shapes. Keep them until the item is installed and working. They protect the goods in storage, they are required if anything has to be returned, and they are strong evidence in a transit-damage claim.

Store stone tops and glass on edge, never flat, and never leaning at a shallow angle against a wall.

What your plumber needs from you

• All goods on site and unpacked before the booked day.
• The installation instructions and any templates — do not throw these out with the carton.
• Confirmed set-out and plumbing positions. See the toilet set-out guide.
• A pressure-limiting valve where the mains pressure exceeds the product’s rating — most tapware warranties require it.
• Noggings in place for anything wall-hung.

Download the pre-installation checklist and work through it together before the day.