i'm having a new shower, sink and toilet installed. Do I need a plumber or should i trust a competent handyman?

I'd hire a plumber. The smallest leak can cost you thousands in repairs.

I've done this a few times and was not that hard. A couple of things to watch out for are that if the shower is electric you will need a new power supply from the fuse board for it, and the toilet has to have an overflow. You can also choose what type of fill valve you get on the toilet depending on if you want long life with no bother or a quiet fill but needs servicing every few years.

Whatever you opt for - get them to fit service valves on the supply pipes. This makes it easy to turn the water off to replace bits and only costs a couple of pounds for the valves. These are the ones you turn with a screwdriver.

I was quoted £400 to plumb in a suite - after I had stripped out the old one and positioned the new one!

Just ask the handyman if he has done this before. It's not that hard.

The key word is 'competent' , be it a handyman or plumber.

Get references on the individual doing the work. A plumbing company may have 15 plumbers, which 9 might be good and 6 might be hacks.

Also, what ever way you go, make sure that the person who starts the job, also is the one who finishes it.

I'm a part time handyman .

I would suggest you get references from whoever you want to hire where they have done similar installations. Sinks and commodes are relatively straight forward but showers can be a little more involved.

Get a qualified plumber.