If you like your purchases and you can scrape the rust off the tub without jeopardizing structural integrity, keep them.
If your architectural plans are not approved and contractor selected by next spring, get rid of them.

I've done the same thing, so I certainly hope it's not hoarding! I'm a believer that if you find the right piece at the right price, jump on it and save it until you're ready to use it... within reason, of course. We bought our house and moved in 2 1/2 years ago, and I've still got a pedestal sink stored in the garage that hasn't been installed yet.

Difference between a hoarder and a project saver is a deadline. Don't keep anything you're not immediately ready to use, or give yourself a deadline by which to use or re-sell them, and stick to it.

As long as you only have ONE bathtub/sink plan/anything at a time, I say go for it! At the point that you start collecting tubs "just in case" you change your mind about the other, you had better stop. I agree that if your plans have not been accepted in a reasonable time period, it is time to give up the dream...

In a word, no. Remember the article recently about storage bins. Don't buy the things to put in the place until you've cleared out your space and have a place to put them. You don't know what you really need or what will work until you have the space to use it in.

I might be worried about what kind of plumbing work might be needed to fit your finds in. Plumbing is expensive, and if you have to do extra work to make refurbished pieces fit (i.e. sometimes the holes for faucets and fixtures create refitting issues) than it may or may not be a cost savings. I would ask a Plumber first.
I think if you are worried about being a hoarder, you are not a hoarder. :-)

If it turns out then you use some of the fixtures next year--then great. If not, you can salvage or sell the ones you don't use or want. If you didn't have a project and a timeframe in mind for their use, I would tell you to get rid of the stuff, but since you are planning to do the bathroom next year, I don't see the harm in planning ahead a bit.

I currently have a pedestal sink in my living room awaiting my bathroom renovation. I got it for practically nothing at Build It Green and it was exactly what I was looking for, so to me worth the slight inconvenience.

I would be careful with the older pieces you have, especially removing the paint. Many of the older fixtures contain lead and old paint certainly does.

I think if you can stop right here and not add more tubs and sinks etc. and have a timeline, then keep them.

But about the tub - if the porcelain has chipped and there's rust around the drain hole it may not be worth keeping. As I understand it, this makes an old tub un-useable. Although, check it out, I'm not an expert.

Collecting items to be used in a future renovation is not unwise. However it is important that you have some concrete ideas of the space dimensions/floorplan and item/fixture locations, with a good understanding of your potential needs before purchasing anything. Storing even cheap items can get expensive over time, especially if your dream items begin impinging on your normal storage. Many a storage facility is crammed with items intended to be used in projects but never were.

Your mention that a floor addition to your home will be needed in order to accommodate your expanded bathroom is an important issue. Before acquiring any further items for the space I strongly suggest you seek the advice of an architect, experienced local contractor, and the city’s zoning code. Adding an addition to the top of an existing building or existing building addition can pose numerous important problems such as structural, plumbing, electrical, foundation, zoning, historic preservation rules, design aesthetic etc. and expose major hidden problems in your fixer-upper home. Know as much as possible about what you’re getting into before spending money. even what appears to be a little money.

Just set a use or sell by deadline and then you are fine.

We did the same thing, only we kept them in the basement, or the bathroom to be reno'ed.

It's a very wise thing to do -- find all the pieces ahead of time, and have them at the ready. That way, when you are actually reno'ing you will have the pieces ready and waiting and won't have to compromise on what you want because you can't find it or get it in time when you need it.

My advice would be to think it through the entire process -- sand off the rust and paint the exterior of the tub, get the claw feet and have them done to match, and hunt around through architectural salvage places for your taps and other bits and pieces.

When we worked on our bathrooms in our first house, we dealt with wonderful vintage architectural brass dealers, and had stunning vintage taps, handrails and so forth.

But even if you want to combine them with modern pieces, get them NOW. Because if it is anything special, it may take a while to come in, and if you leave it to the end, you may have no budget left. And taps really make a difference!

Just don't take years to get this project off the ground -- only do this if it is a matter of months. If it is longer than a few months, you won't be able to live a normal life in your home with all that stuff around.

I've done this. In my case, the taps on the sink I salvaged aren't the greatest, the hot water tap leaks so I just turned it off rather than go through the hassle of replacing it now. It'll happen, just not yet.

My advice would be to find pieces you really love and save them for your reno. Just be realistic while you're salvaging, and don't buy 3 sinks for 1 spot.

Wrap the sink in an old blanket and tuck it into the tub. Cram in whatever else is lying around for later. Stick a piece of plywood over the tub, cover with a piece of cloth, POOF! Magic disappearing act! Keep as long as you need to. As long as the fixtures are actually in good enough shape to use (or can be made so without massive effort) and will actually be used. Or you can put together a wooden box to cover the whole tub. "Early American packing crate" can be quite stylish.

I ripped that exact sink out of my old bathroom, but couldn't bear to part with it completely. I've been keeping it with the thoughts of making an outdoor kitchen area and using it there. As someone who regularly struggles with the "does this make me a hoarder" syndrome, I would say that keeping these things in your parlor might actually incentivize you to do the work sooner - just so you can get the bathtub out of your space.
Have you thought about wrapping the sink in towels or a blanket, and putting it in the tub, to save a bit of room and not look like a salvage yard?

Hee, I've got the same sink in my basement too - waiting for a cottage that may never materialize. A tip for the sink with separate faucets - use one hole for a single-handled faucet, and the other for a soap dispenser (or toothbrush holder, vase, etc).

I have that same sink in my bathroom (original to the house) and I would never get rid of it, I love it! I never understand why people get new fixtures when the old ones are so far superior in every way. And who cares if anyone thinks you are a hoarder, why in the world would you care about that? Buy things that speak to you whenever you see them available (you don't find great stuff every day!) - as long as you are fine with keeping them around for a while and have a purpose in mind, keep them for as long as you need to. Do not feel rushed to get them installed just because someone else has an opinion about it! Think for yourself and do what YOU think is best - you can always sell them later if you change your mind. Happy to see someone valuing old fixtures as much as you do!

@Franscis Fusilli, one reason some of us prefer new fixtures (you did say you "never understand") is because we hate the old ones, regardless of how "well made" they are. (I don't agree about that "well made" business when it comes to porcelain bathroom fixtures, by the way. New sinks are pretty much the same construction as old ones. Metal bathtubs are heavier but I'm not convinced they are "better".) Also, things with working parts do wear out, and newer is more likely to still function. Finally, chipped porcelain on any old fixtures requires repair and effort some of us don't think it worth the trouble... Not to try to say your choices are wrong, because they are, like all design choices, personal and appropriate for you.

I do agree that if you LOVE something and can get it ahead of time at a bargain price, more power to you. On the other hand, if you are JUST trying to save money and you don't love the old stuff, I'd get rid of it, free up the storage space, and watch for a clearance sale on something you do love. (I got all new appliances for my old kitchen that way. Saved literally thousands and got better quality than otherwise, too.)

How heavy is that old tub? Are you going to need a specially reinforced floor to use it as a bathtub?

I think it is fine...no--AWESOME to amass things for a special project. But you've got a to be careful and realistic about 'cheap'. A $70 tub that requires $1000 of rework and $1000 in custom faucet/fixtures isn't much of a bargain. Same goes for the 2-tap sink...I love the look but blending water temp kind of blows...IMHO. If you really love them...get all the architectural plans done with them incorporated/accommodated before you pump money into refinishing. And get multiple quotes/references on the refinishing...as once they are in place--you'd better be very happy with them!

Thank you for all of your advice, you have been very helpful! I am not adding a story to my home to make this bathroom possible, I have a back small mudroom type thing that was added to the house a long time ago, we were going to tear that down and create another back addition that would go one story higher. I have been shopping around for a good licensed contractor, but if you can recommend any in the NYC area who do a good job, please tell. The tub is in perfect condition on the inside save for some slight stains (no rust) and came with fixtures, also we will just sand the outside (with our masks on) and repaint it. I love the look of old fixtures and am excited to design my own bathroom! Thank you, and wish me luck!

Julian, I have an awesome contractor. We used them when we had to essentially remove and rebuild the back wall of our building. A few people use him for other projects during that time. I am using him for my gut renovation and they just finshied asinilar project for another apartment in our building.

They are not the cheapest we looked at, but their work is great and they pay attention to the details. For 3 months they were in and out of my apartment and if it weren't for the fact they leave the toilet seat up, I wouldn't have known they were there. They were particularly careful to make sure my cats didn't escape and learnt all their hiding places when they did the cat headcount everyday. I've had them back for a few smaller jobs and I just leave them keys.

They do everything and have full-time team of plumbers, electricians etc. The guy to contact is Fausto and his email is faulil930 () gmail

You can say you got his details from Clare

ps he rolled his eyes when he saw the sink in my living room and said I would NEVER find the matching toilet (he knows how particular I am about those things), but I did!

I'm in a similar situation: bought a fixer upper, found a couple of fantastic fixtures that I couldn't pass up and, three years later, they're still collecting dust in my garage. I still hope to use the fixtures I've got, but I stopped buying new "deals" three months after I bought the house, and here's why:

Like you, I found a LOT of great deals. After a while, I realized that there's no need to snap up every $10 tub or fireplace surround you find; there will be plenty more when you're ready to take on the project.

@SHERRYBINNH when I say the old fixtures are superior I mean they are beautiful and appropriate to the era of the house, I never said they are more well made than new fixtures. I agree with you that they can be a bit of a challenge when old parts go bad, but if you appreciate the style of original old fixtures they are completely worth the effort to restore. Obviously, if you don't like the style there would be no reason for you to hunt down old fixtures and keep them lying around, but I don't think that is where Julian is coming from - he appreciates the beautiful old home he bought and also appreciates the beautiful old period fixtures. I think Julian has great taste and I can completely relate to wanting to keep with fixtures that go with the period of your house - but that is just my humble opinion. ;)

Should I keep doing this? ABSOLUTELY Does it make me a hoarder? ABSOLUTELY NOT Is this the equivalent of a future bathroom hope chest?! YES

You're ahead of the game. Don't stop now. And please remember to come back here & posts pics when all is said & done. I'll go a happy dance with you.

As long as you have a timeline and budget set, go ahead and start collecting the supplies/fixtures you need. But stick to that timeline. If next November comes and goes and your bathroom fixtures are still not in the bathroom, sell them, or donate them to your local Habitat for Humanity resale shop. (That's also a good place for you to pick up remodeling supplies you still need for cheap!) My family had a kitchen sink that was saved "because someone could use it". It lived under the porch for 20+ years.
Bottom line, if you need it, and have an immediate use for it, buy it. If not, let it go.