Fit isolating valves first, then change whatever annoys you daily. A pair of angle valves under the basin costs a few euros and turns every future job from “drain the building” into “twenty minutes with a bucket”. Everything else gets easier once they are there.
The order that works
- Angle valves, if the basin does not already have them. They are what makes the next four items possible without a plumber.
- The aerator on a tap that has gone weak or sprays sideways. It unscrews, it costs two euros, and it is the cause far more often than the tap is.
- The hand shower, if the shower is disappointing. It is the cheapest part of a shower to change and the one that changes it most.
- The trap, if there is a smell with no leak. A deeper water seal fixes what no amount of drain cleaner will.
- The toilet seat, which is the single most-replaced fitting in a bathroom and the easiest to get wrong by not measuring.
What to leave for later
Anything that needs the wall opened, and anything volumetric — a bath, a tray, an enclosure. Those are a renovation, not a change, and the fittings above will still be right afterwards.
What not to buy first
A new tap, when the aerator or the cartridge is what has failed. Both are spare parts, both are cheap, and both restore a tap that looked finished.
Questions people actually ask
Do I need a plumber to fit angle valves?
It depends entirely on what is behind your wall and on your own confidence. The valve itself screws onto a threaded outlet, but the water has to be off at the main first, and an old outlet can be corroded. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, and if the thread does not turn cleanly, stop.
Which single change makes the most difference for the money?
On a shower, the hand shower. On a basin, the aerator. Both are under twenty euros, both are reversible, and both address the complaint people usually blame the tap for.
Last reviewed 5 September 2026