A "vanity" in Israeli apartments is almost always a ready-made set: cabinet + sink + mirror + light. Bought at IKEA, Ace, Home Center, or from specialized furniture shops. On paper — assemble and hang; in practice there are a dozen gotchas that make customers call a technician.
What a standard set includes
- The cabinet — floor-standing or wall-mounted, often with compartments for the trap and shelves.
- The sink — either integrated into the cabinet's top or a vessel-type sitting on the upper surface.
- The faucet — separate; it is rarely part of the "set".
- The mirror — with or without lighting, mounted on the wall above the cabinet.
- The light — often an LED panel around the mirror, wired to a socket or to the lighting line.
- Accessories — hooks, soap dishes, towel rails. Installed last.
What the technician does
1. Layout and assembly
First step — assemble the cabinet (if it comes flat-packed) and offer it up against the wall. Often it turns out the supply point is "slightly off": a bit too low, a bit too far right. This gets adjusted before any drilling.
2. Drilling and mounting
- A wall-mounted cabinet hangs from a mounting rail (usually supplied) — 2–4 holes are drilled into the wall and anchors installed.
- In Israel bathroom walls are concrete, which means a hammer drill and proper load-rated anchors (the cabinet weighs 30–50 kg before anything goes in).
- Floor-standing cabinets usually sit on adjustable feet — wall drilling may not be needed, but leveling is still required.
3. Sink and faucet installation
- The faucet is fitted to the sink before the cabinet is finally positioned — working from below afterward is awkward.
- The sink is secured to the cabinet top with clips and silicone.
- Flexible hot and cold supplies and the trap are connected.
4. Mirror and light
- A lit mirror needs a separate socket or a feed. If no socket exists, either chase a new one (with an electrician) or run a visible cable in a raceway.
- Usually the mirror is centered over the cabinet, at a height comfortable for someone 170+ cm tall. Confirm with the technician — best to check in place before drilling.
5. Sealing and testing
Silicone around the sink perimeter and between the cabinet and the wall. A 10–15 minute water test to check the trap and supply for leaks.
How long it takes
- A simple IKEA set without electrics — 3–4 hours.
- With a lit mirror (no electrical work) — 4–5 hours.
- With a new socket or supply relocation — a full working day (6–8 hours), sometimes with a separate electrician.
What it costs in Israel
- Standard vanity install (assembly + mounting + hookup + mirror) — 700–1,400 ILS
- With a non-standard vessel sink — 900–1,600 ILS
- Supply relocation ±30 cm — +400–800 ILS plus plaster
- New socket for the light — +200–500 ILS (if an electrician is on site, otherwise a separate call-out)
- Replacing an old vanity with a new one (with removal and haul-away) — +300–500 ILS on top of the install
What to buy and check before the technician arrives
- The complete set on site — cabinet, sink, faucet, mirror, trap. If the faucet or trap is missing, the technician will run to the store at your expense.
- The manufacturer's instructions — usually in the box and sometimes genuinely useful.
- Clear space — where the old vanity used to stand (if any) needs to be cleared out.
- An electrical point — if the mirror has a light, know where to power it from. Old Israeli bathrooms often have no sockets at all — a separate conversation with the electrician is needed.
- Silicone and consumables — sometimes the technician brings their own, sometimes they ask you to buy them (confirm).
Typical mistakes and surprises
- Supply and cabinet dimensions do not match. The trap does not fit into the cabinet "like in the catalog photo" — often a piece of the back panel is cut out or a compact trap is sourced.
- Uneven wall. In older apartments the wall drifts vertically — a gap opens between the wall-mounted cabinet and the sink, which gets filled with silicone.
- Light socket ends up behind the cabinet. Fixed with an extension cord or by relocating the socket.
- Mirror too heavy for drywall. Needs toggle anchors (hawks) or fixing through the drywall into a solid wall.
Frequently asked
Will the technician assemble the IKEA vanity, or do I need a separate assembler?
Most plumbers in Israel assemble this kind of furniture themselves — it is part of the standard job. If the set contains a complex cabinet with unusual assembly (e.g. from Italian furniture makers), a cabinet specialist is sometimes brought in while the plumber does the hookup.
Is a lit mirror a plumber's job or an electrician's?
Mounting the mirror on the wall — plumber. Connecting to the mains: if there is an existing socket — the plumber plugs it in; if a new one is needed — an electrician. On KABLAY you can line up both specialists in one request, or ask a plumber who works "in tandem" with a trusted electrician.
Can the sink be replaced alone, keeping the old cabinet?
In theory yes, if dimensions match. In practice it is rare — the cutouts in the countertop and sink are usually specific to a model. If you plan to do it, measure the old cabinet (width, depth, mounting positions) in advance and show the numbers in the store.
How long does a vanity last in an Israeli bathroom?
Depends on material and humidity. Laminated MDF — 5–8 years, then the edges start to swell. PVC and plastic — 10+ years. Solid wood with varnish — 15+ with proper care. The key enemy is water seeping under the silicone. Refresh the sealing every 2–3 years.