there is no question that they will replace the splashback, I was thinking about the other damage to sink and cooktop, whilst superficial im really annoyed. Do you think it is pendantic to ask them to replace them? If I had wanted a product that looked like a 'seconds' I would have got one . But I didn't I spent good money on new ones

ideally you have an alternative bathroom to use during construction which can take from a few days spread over weeks or months depending on what you need to do ...managing a bathroom reno is a juggling act to have all the trades arrive in sequence as well as making all the decisions about choosing and ordering all the tiles, taps and fixtures etc and, despite having built and renovated numerous bathrooms, we've found that it can be a relief to use a professional bathroom company or builder to organise the sequence of work because you need all the trades to come and go several times for different stages and renovations often uncover surprises that may cause extra delays (asbestos removal or damaged framing or rearranging walls or problems with supplies or trades held up on other jobs) so you could need a carpenter, asbestos remover, demolition and removal teams with suitable transport and equipment, plumber, electrician, waterproofer, tiler, plasterer, renderer, gyprocker, painter and bricklayer and all these tradespeople depend on their next job and are more likely to be ready to work with a familiar professional than a one off home owner....luckily we now have our group of dependable tradespeople (who will also identify and recommend others) and we usually start with having the plumber, electrician and tiler inspect the scope of the work and discuss options, calculate quantities, brands and styles and agree on who will organise supplies and a rough timetable and prices and we make sure that we have all the supplies on site before we have the plumber disconnect the water, electrician make wiring safe and then arrange the necessary demolition and removal of rubbish and then all the trades come back several times in sequence depending on each job and we always keep simple diary notes and send emails to confirm agreements, prices and especially any changes and we also confirm all the trades' white cards and double check our public liabilty and household insurance during construction...so many details to cover but very rewarding when it all comes together

assuming that you will be painting the walls i would allow at least equal to a large living area for co st of varnish and materials to do the stairs..it will be a fiddly job and to get the best result takes extra time and would be a shame to compromise on the quality of the finish although would n't be that difficult to DIY but would need lots of time for preparation for filling nails holes and sanding in between coats with at least two coats of varnish and i would allow at least 3-days labour and a there are numerous wardrobe companies in Melbourne so unless you want a high end custom finish a few quote will provide a base line to consider and/or test some of the online wardrobe systems eg IKEA or Kaboodle for price of materials and then add several days labour for assembly and installation and your builder should be able to suggest suitable options as it's often cheaper for them to organise these extras than to pay for them separately

I quite like the tiles. The grout looks sound, although it’s hard to tell from a real estate pic. If it’s in good condition overall you can use a grout pen on it to colour it. Bunnings has them. Bunnings also has grout remover tools. You don’t want to fully dig out the grout because you may damage the waterproofing. Just remove enough so you can top coat with fresh grout. Removing grout is tedious but not difficult. The silicon can be removed with a paint scrapper and WD40 or a hairdryer. You can also buy silicon remover at Bunnings. You can then reapply silicon (make sure you get one with mould inhibitor) with a tube and gun - watch YouTube. It’s not difficult if you take your time. You may find it difficult to find a tradie to do it, and you’ll certainly find it difficult to find one to fit with a tight timeline unless you already have connections. Exciting time for you.