When it comes to buying a bathroom suite, ifyou have a small space you could certainly do worse than consider ashower suite - especially for a second bathroom where a bath may beavailable elsewhere in the home.

A shower can be practical for the morning rush as well as to relaxyou in the evening, and if you don't have young children to batheand aren't particularly fond of a long soak yourself, you may aswell make the most of the space you have by accommodating featuresthat you will use.

Many bathroom suppliers, aware of the shortage of space in ourmodern homes, have made available the option to buy a shower suiterather than a traditional bathroom suite with a bath. This meansthat you get the highly practical package of toilet, basin andshower at a fixed price.

Would you prefer...

a) A square, rectangular, or curved enclosure?

b) Sliding doors; pivot/bi-fold doors; no doors?

Your choice between angles and curves may seem to be a stylechoice, and while this is undoubtedly important, you'll find thatcurved (or quadrant) shower enclosures do also save a little floorspace over their square or rectangular equivalents, seeminglywithout compromising too much on interior space. So if you've got asmall bathroom, a quadrant or offset quadrant shower may be bestfor you.

While a walk-in shower enclosure exudes a sense of luxury and suitsa minimalist style, it does have to be a certain size to avoidspray from the shower coming straight out of the entryway. This iswhy most walk in shower enclosures have long rectangular shapes. Ifyou only have room for a smaller shower, bi-fold and pivot doorsoffer good access without requiring a space in the bathroom for thedoors to open into. Sliding doors are popular as they don't intrudeon your space at all, and double sliding doors offer good ease ofaccess.

You'll also need to choose a basin and toilet to complete yourbathroom shower suite. With a range of options encompassingtraditional and contemporary styles and wall hung or floor standingdesigns, as well as the option of integrated bathroom furnituresuch as a WC unit and vanity unit, there's plenty of scope toselect the perfect bathroom suite for you. Remember that yourbathroom suite will cost less to install if you avoid moving yourplumbing pipework around; try to select a toilet with the same'rough in' as your existing toilet to keep things simple when itcomes to fitting.

You'll find that, typically, a shower enclosure - whether it's soldas part of a bathroom suite or on its own - is sold as a singleitem. Some enclosures may be sold complete with shower tray, butoften they are not; they are usually not sold with a shower waste,and more rarely still with a shower system.

Once you've chosen your ideal bathroom suite, then, you'll need toconsider the following points:

1. Would I prefer a low profile shower tray? Is my bathroom floorcompatible with this type? (ie: do you have a wooden floor, underwhich pipes can be laid, or a concrete floor, meaning they must belaid over the top)

2. What type of water system do I have? Is it low pressure (thiscould limit you in your choice of shower)?

3. What kind of shower system will best suit my bathroom suiteaesthetically? If you have chosen a traditional suite, atraditional fixed riser shower with exposed pipework andtraditionally styled taps would be ideal; if you've chosen acontemporary suite, concealed pipework, a modern shower head and adigital thermostat might be for you.

Once you've made all your choices, your new bathroom shower suiteshould last you for many years - so do make sure you choose itemsfor their quality as well as their price, and pick a look you'll behappy to live with long term.