Perhaps the budget wasn’t such a shock after all. Perhaps all the warnings and hype we had been fed over the last few weeks had prepared us for the worst. But the immediate reaction from the Bathroom Manufacturers Association is that the next six months could well be a busy period for bathroom manufacturers, retailers and builders merchants. Yvonne Orgill, chief executive of the BMA explains.

“Bathrooms are big ticket items so if consumers were planning on buying a new bathroom then now is the time for them to get their skates on and make their final decision. With VAT going up by a whopping 2.5% to 20% from 4th January 2011 would-be bathroom buyers would be wise to place their order now in order to avoid the price hike. Members of the BMA are forecasting a busy time between now and the end of the year.”

A good quality bathroom from a reputable branded manufacturer, together with all the trimmings of tiling, flooring, lighting, decoration and accessories can quite easily fetch £10,000. The 2.5% jump in VAT would increase the total cost of this bathroom by £250.
Wise buyers will be rushing to the showrooms.