Not a good business decision .. but I like it! Opinions welcome

This is the kitchen btw .. not in the house, but in the showroom!

I would go with a nicer design as the property will have a perceived higher standard and though it may not fetch you more rent it will be easier to let.

I would however go with cheaper and easier to fit tiles than the mosiacs.

The tiles you have chosen are lovely, but they look too expensive for a rental property. In my (own) house we used solid tiles with grooves cut in that you then grouted up. The end result was a mosaic finish for much less cost (£20sqm), and because they were intended as floor tiles, they were ultra hard-wearing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flissy666/1549285413/in/set-72157616581977323/

We also dispensed with pelmets and cornices to the kitchen, because it was our first house and couldn't afford it!

In your shoes, I would strike a balance. You want it to be cheap, but at the same time, attract good quality tenants to a good quality property. Perhaps you could use plain cheap tiles, with a small tile border (not mosaics, but those colourful moroccan style 3x3 type ones - crap description). If you did this, would it come within the claim? I'd also be tempted to minimise the amount of grouting required, as it'll be a lot to cut out and replace if your tenants are a bit grimy.

Not what you are asking but I think the kitchen will be all very beige. Mind you, I have a thing about beige at the moment due to my beige hair ? I think a colour more along the lines of the one in the kitchen picture would work, so a neutral tone without being really, matchy, matchy.

I also don't like the round mosaics with the square tiles. I'd stick to square mosaics. Just personal choice but i don't think either warrant the extra money.

Sorry, I should have explained that the gap between the worktop and the top cupboards allow for 2 large tiles (sideways) with 3 rows of the mosaic tiles inbetween as an accent. A bit like the bathroom design, but the big tiles are going the other way (portrait if you like) in that shot.

Yes, I agree, it does look expensive for a rental property, but the way I'm thinking is I have to compete with all the new-build apartments that are springing up and being snapped up by buy-to-let landlords. My property has more character (IMHO!), but they 18-30s tend to go for new, new, new all the time.

So, in my thinking, if it's spot on inside, with nice finishings and furniture, I'm upping my game in the now very competitive market.

The kitchen you have chosen is very similar to my current kitchen... and I used the fake mosaics again in that (which are very similar to the ones in the showroom pic):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flissy666/1658500836/in/set-72157616581977323/

I'm biased, but I think it works and doesn't look too samey. It's make the rental space feel bright and airy too.

The kitchen you have chosen is very similar to my current kitchen... and I used the fake mosaics again in that (which are very similar to the ones in the showroom pic):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flissy666/1658500836/in/set-72157616581977323/

I'm biased, but I think it works and doesn't look too samey. It'll make the rental space feel bright and airy too.

You, me, both. Hence choosing these to begin with.

But both the builder's wife and the tile man (who has been in the business since before I was born!) both said 'everyone' had square, and the round, when grouted will be different and 'nicer'. I was swayed at that moment as I was up to here (reaches way above my head) with having to make decisions on every tiny aspect of every tiny thing! Had to make a decision and that was it.

I love your kitchen! Very tasteful, and great soda streams!

I can't go with all mosaics. a) it's too expensive, but more importantly, b) there is too much grout for fat/grease/dirt to get in and not be cleaned properly (until I go in with my marigolds as even paying cleaners to do it doesn't get the job done to "my" standards!) [insert I'm becoming my Mum icon] <wail>

I think they need to realise that sometimes everyone has things for a reason. Beat them with a stick next time you see them ? I am very OCD though and it does freak me out slightly.

You can get a good effect from using cheaper materials. I'll have a look and see if I have any photos of a couple of our places.

Not quite the same thing as this is a really cheap flat but here's a (poor quality) photo of a bathroom we needed to tart up for letting. It already had 3 courses of really cheap white tiles so I used some nice, but inexpensive, mosiac tiles as a border and then tiled to the ceiling with more cheap white tiles (something like 20 for £5!). It made a big difference to the bathroom and we did similar for the kitchen.

Before:
After:

These were another option for the bathroom (as a border, not a whole), but they're a bit wishy-washy I thought?

Emma, that look nice, and the sort of effect I was looking for.

Pooch, perhaps I should beat them with a stick lol. I'm also not convinced the accents should be blue in the bathroom.

Thank you I can see why the grout is an issue - ugh, the grease! I actually picked these fake mosaics up for £9sqm as they were the end of a line. Tile Depot often has good bargains like that, if you can get to one.

I'm limited to where the builders get their tiles from as they have huge trade discounts with places, hence being able to buy something more expensive looking but within the budget for the claim.

The GBP300 is for fitting of them, not the actual cost of them.

Thanks Peaches, this flat was one we really didn't want to spend money on and I think I spent about £60 in total on the bathroom!

It sounds as though you've got a lot to do so I would be keeping things simple. Here's another I've found which is probably more of the spec you are going for. These tiles were about £15 psm.

Before:
After:

We sold this house for over the asking price so we must have done something right on it! I've got some kitchen photos somewhere...

You're right Emma .. lots to do! Did you look at the rest of the photos? You'll see some of the pictures taken when I was there last week after the builders had removed the wall-paper (and in many places, the plaster too!)

The bathroom above looks great! Nice one in getting over the asking price. #60 on tiles did you mean? (sorry, no pound sign and my 'insert special characters isn't working, dammit)

Can I just ask why you didn't tile round the sink between the bath and shower? Looks fine, but I guess I would have if it were mine.

£300 for fitting... I've been had! I've only ever been paid in cups of tea and the odd Twix for my efforts

I'll send you loads of tea and biscuits if you fit mine then!! ?

(did you use a spoon to grout?!)

? How much are you having? Shame I'm not near, I'd only charge £100. ? If they are charging that much of a premium to fit the mosiacs then I would ditch the mosiacs and start looking at proper tiles. This is business.

This is the kitchen for the house we sold. I wasn't totally happy as it turned out a bit beige and with hindsight I would have put my foot down and had different coloured wall tiles.

Before:
After

Actually this photo shows the floor and wall tiles better.

Flissy, your kitchen is lovely! Chic but homely, just gorgeous. I think I have kitchen envy.

Yes I know, extortionate! When I picked myself off the floor, they told me it was because the kitchen has so many angles (which it does), so it's a day's work for the tiler in there alone, but the price includes the bathroom accents too.

I do want them, just don't want to pay the 300, but I'll be cross with myself afterwards. I've managed to screw the builders down in price for most other things, so I'm getting my money's worth out of them - apart from here. I'll try again!

Emma, kitchen does look beige, but once it's got a fruit bowl, a kettle, bits and pieces and pictures it'll be fine. Besides, you've sold it now, so who cares?! ? Far better than the before, that's for sure!

I've just looked at the rest of the photos and you definitely have some work to do. Is this a property that you have just bought or an existing one that has become fire damaged? either way it's hard work. It is very similar to my last project. I'll see if I can find a couple of pics of that as it was quite a transformation.

It cost £60 in total to do the first bathroom. The tiles were about £40, new bath panel £10, paint about £10. I did the work myself so no labour charge (I'm a bit handy ?).

I didn't have around the sink tiled for a reason. You can't see the lrest of the room in the photo but it was only tiled around the shower and the bath and the rest was left bare. Partly for design purposes (you can't really tell in the photo but it was quite striking) and partly due to cost as we would need to double the amount of wall tiles. It it was for rental I would have had it tiled around the sink.

That confuses me, how did you go for a blue bathroom suite to a white one on £60?

It was a property I was leasing as an HMO which was broken into and then set alight on the 23rd December last year - by some random by all accounts. Thanks very much whoever you were (witnesses saw an Eastern European both hanging around the property and then later dumping one of my tenant's handbags behind some commercial dustbins). Totally ruined Christmas for us, and made 4 people homeless.

Sadly the e-fit and forensics brought nothing up, so the case has been closed.

Yes, it is all hard work, and especially hard when I'm here in the States, and the house is in the UK - hence getting on a 'plane last week to go and sort things out.

This is my last project.

Kitchen before:

During:

I think the bargain of the year was the 60cm x 60cm porcelain floor tiles as they are just £7.99 psm from B&Q!

This kitchen is obviously a different/higher spec and cost than what you need but shows how different things can be.

I used a foam grout float as the grout needed spreading over the entire tile to pick up the mosaic-y bits. I then... ahem... used my fingertips to smooth it in. And they bled for days after 4sqm of tiny little squares ?

The first bathroom was white. The second bathroom was blue :-) Actually when I replaced the blue one I haggled with a guy in B&Q and got the white suite (bath sink and loo including taps) for £200.

I'm quite good at this getting a bargain lark.

Awww I've done that before. I then I found you can buy a special rubber 'finger' in any DIY store for sealants and this type of thing.

Emma, your before and during pictures are corrupt, so we can't see ☹️

Are you a developer?

The b*stard! Just what you and the tenants needed for Christmas. I can imagine how stressful it is for you. It's bad enough when there is a problem at a flat an hour from me let alone a plane ride away.

Are you now doing the place up as one property or still to be a HMO? If a HMO I definitely wouldn't be using expensive tiles.

Oh I see, so they aren't before and after shots of the "same" bathroom? The after one, already had the white suite?

Pooch, my first post has two photos in it - a before and after of the same bathroom with the same white suite but it has been cleaned decorated and has additional tiling.

My second post was a different bathroom altogether - the first photo with the blue suite and tiles is the before and the second one is replaced with a white suite and beige tiles.