Bathroom and Kitchen Renovation
Renovating a kitchen or bathroom in a Portuguese house is almost never just "new tiles and a few cabinets". Pipes run in odd places, the wiring has disappeared under a layer of plaster, and the existing waterproofing either does not exist or stopped doing its job a decade ago. We handle the finishing work from start to finish — tear-out, impermeabilização (waterproofing), tiling, cabinets and finishing. The plumbing and electrical work (water and waste pipes, connections, wiring) is carried out by a qualified plumber and a TRIE electrician, who we can arrange and schedule for you so the whole job runs as one coordinated programme.
Service area: Fundão (base), Covilhã, Castelo Branco, Belmonte, Oleiros and Guarda. Registered as a trabalhador independente (self-employed) in Portugal — NIF 309729211.
What you get from us
First a site visit with measurements and photos. Then a written quote in English with the line items you would expect: tear-out, waste removal, waterproofing, tiling, cabinets and finishing. The plumbing and electrical work appears separately on the quote as the qualified plumber's and TRIE electrician's line items, so you can see exactly what we do and what the specialist trades do. No lump sum where you cannot tell what the tiler costs and what the plumber is doing. During the work you get photos of whatever appears behind the old tiles and plaster — older houses tend to surprise us, and we discuss any surprises before any extra costs are added.
Typical bathroom scope
- Strip — everything out: tiles, old sanitary ware, old pipes, ceiling if it is shot.
- Rough-in — the qualified plumber runs new water and waste pipes in the right place for the new layout, the TRIE electrician fits sockets at the right height for washing machine or hairdryer and any underfloor heating. We schedule this and make sure it dovetails with the tiling.
- Impermeabilização — a waterproof membrane on the floor and shower walls before tiling. Cheap renovations skip this, which is why you see mould or a wet patch on the downstairs neighbour's ceiling two years later. Ours always includes it.
- Tiling — tiles you have picked yourself (we advise on what is realistic) laid by us; the plumber fits the WC, basin, shower or bath and connects the ventilation.
- Finishing — grout, silicone, door rehung, snag list walked.
Typical kitchen scope
Similar pattern, but with more decisions up front. Cabinet fronts can come from Leroy Merlin (fast, affordable, limited sizing), IKEA (modular, ordered online with a delivery date), or made by a Portuguese joinery shop (fully custom, beautiful finish, longer lead time, higher price). We help you pick based on budget and timeline. Worktops in granite, wood, composite or basic laminate — each has a different price point and maintenance story. Extraction is vented outside, not recirculating, because recirculating filters do not work in a Portuguese house with shutters closed against the heat.
Lead time and budget
A simple 4 to 6 m² bathroom usually lands between €6,500 and €11,000 including mid-range sanitary ware and tiles. A kitchen of similar size with IKEA cabinets runs €9,000 to €16,000 including appliances. Lead time 3 to 6 weeks depending on cabinet and tile delivery dates. We flag up front which materials are critical to the schedule so you are not living in a half-stripped kitchen waiting on a worktop coming from Lisbon.
Why Gerardus Koetje?
- Dutch, English & Portuguese
- Registered as a sole trader (trabalhador independente) in Portugal — NIF 309729211
- Years of experience in Central Portugal
- Honest and transparent — no surprises
Photos of our work
What our clients say
Service area
- Fundão
- Covilhã
- Castelo Branco
- Belmonte
- Penamacor
- Idanha-a-Nova
- Sertã
- Oleiros
- Guarda
- Sabugal