Would this put you off when viewing houses?

[aredrosegrewup]

We're about to redo our bathroom and we're not planning on moving any time soon, so we want to do what works for us here and now.

Our house is a 192s's semi which was extended to the side before we bought it. We have a lovely big master bedroom with dressing room attached (old en suite) and we have a small tubby tub bath in our bedroom (controversial I know, but it works for us as the room is also a quirky lay out).

However, the main original bathroom is teeny tiny. There are options in the future to convert the loft etc... but we've been renovating for a couple of years now and would like a break from it, the bathroom is the last big job to be done. Potential in the future if we don't move, to shuffle about layout when doing the loft.

Anyway, would you as a buyer be put off by only a shower in the main bathroom. We have a downstairs loo in the utility room, our bedroom bath and then the main bathroom. Plan is to have a pony wall shower, loo and sink.

We're both on board with the plan, this isn't to settle an argument, just for the opinion of others.

We've been here 3.5 years and have done all of the main renovating (new kitchen, walls knocked down, all that good stuff) whilst living here so we're definitely ready for the bathroom to just be done and to have a break for a while. If we decided to do the loft I think it would be a good 4-5 years before we did it/actually needed it. I think we'll be here at least another 5 years, potentially 10. We love it and the area, but it is a small house. We've managed to open it up in a nice way downstairs, add a utility and make a lovely master bedroom with dressing room so we'll only move when we absolutely need to and to a house that ticks all the boxes

If you are planning to have kids, keep a bath....

It would put me off (as tbh would a bath in the bedroom!) but if you aren't planning on selling for years then I think you need to do what suits you and your family best not what some mythical future buyer may prefer

What’s a pony shower?

I think it would put off young families as they would need a bath (and probably don't fancy splashy toddlers in the bedroom!) and are more likely to not want to do any work. Do you think that's the group your house would appeal too? If it's less of a family home and more for a couple or older family it probably wouldn't be an issue.

I'd prefer showers over a bath so it wouldn't put me off at all. I almost didn't move into my current flat as it had a bath but the landlord agreed to let my apply for a grant to turn the bathroom into a wet room.

There are plenty like me who would see this as a positive thing so you shouldn't have any issues selling in the long run.

A style of wall and glass around the shower. Knee to hip height wall and glass above to keep it light and airy, but also works as a bit of a divider in small bathrooms

This, have a bath somewhere if you plan on dc. And I say this as someone who took theirs out (when dc were teenagers though). I don't regret it. We have two shower rooms and it works for us. In the main bathroom I've got a shower tray the size of the bath and all pipework is under tray so could easily be reverted back.

I'd be put off by the bath in the bedroom much more than an absence of any bath

Raised a child without a bath, not an issue for me.

It's dead easy to remove if we needed to, all pipework is under the floorboards, you wouldn't known it had been there.

Imo do what works for you and your family don't think about the next owner, it kind of takes the fun out of choosing everything , future house fashions/tastes/needs are pretty hard to predict.
Again this is just my thoughts on it .
I thought this house would be my forever home but life happens and things change I'm considering a bungalow in a less perfect area than I'm in now but that would be around 360-400k & needing work judging by what's come on the housing market in the last year.

I think I agree overall. Its easy to overthink everything too. Good luck with finding your next house!

I agree with keeping the layout and plumbing so that it could be switched back, it’s good that the bedroom one can be removed too. I hardly ever have baths, but there are times when I do really want one and wouldn’t want to be without (and would hate having one in the bedroom).

We are bath people. But it wouldn’t put me off - I’d just factor in the cost of installing one. Do what works for you.

Took our bath out fifteen years ago. Never regretted it. We have a top of the range shower that’s instantly ready whenever we need it. No filling up tubs of very expensive hot water any more.
TBH, if I viewed a house with a bath in it, it would put me off. It’s your choice OP, do what you want in your house and don’t worry about possibly selling it on.

@aredrosegrewup I just agreed to buy a house on Saturday that has no bath, it's not ideal as I have a little one but willing to add one myself, it didn't put me off viewing or buying. My SIL bought a house without a bath last year, she enjoyed a bath when we went away at Christmas but said when she had a bath at home she only used it max 4 times a year, so not a huge loss.

I'd not mind that much. But in an ideal world it's not great. But wouldn't be keen on the bath in bedroom. I'd definitely prefer a bathroom with shower and bath.

It would be a no from me unless there was room to quickly install a bath in the room

We (couple with two older teens) recently moved in to a flat with this configuration. As its a conversion there are various quirky things, but it works for us as four adults (ish) living together. There is a bath in our ensuite (only dh out of all of us has baths anyway) and a shower in our “main” bathroom which is tiny. If the kids were younger we’d just have bathed them in the ensuite.

I like a bath, both for occasional prolonged, indulgent lingering, and as a practical washing space for household things and blasting them with the power shower above. I use the shower over the bath for regular functional washing, and favour it over the newer en-suite shower unit because it's easier for shaving and doesn't have an overflow risk.

For buying a house, I look at potential for what I can make work for me. We bought our house for its potential, not because it was perfect as it was. The potential to put a bath and shower into a tired bathroom is fine for me. I wouldn't want a home with only a shower and no potential for a bath.

If you're in a home with an intention to stay long term, do what makes you happy and enhances the way you function rather than worrying about resale. By that stage a new buyer will have different preferences swayed by fashion and trends and will want to update to their preferences.

Not having a shower would put me off more than not having a bath.

Can always put a little paddling pool in the bottom of a shower for littles. A plastic plug on shower over a bath is rubbish.

Yes, it would put me off. It looks wrong to me, and it also looks cheapskate. People do it to make the bathroom look bigger sometimes but it just draws attention to the size IMO. I have children and they have baths, plus a bath is useful to soak things, wash the dog, etc etc.

I don’t remember the last time I had a bath (some years ago, at least) but it would put me off a house not to have a bath in the main bathroom.

I had the bath taken out in my ensuite and a bath sized shower put in and I love it. Its screened at the "wet" end and open at the dry end. I have duff knees and can't bath so for me its ideal. There is a bath in the main bathroom. Its never used.
More importantly, one of the worst decisions we ever made was choosing a higher mid price kitchen based on what a buyer would like. That was some 12 years ago. My circs changed and we never moved and I HATE the kitchen. Honestly unless you are doing it up to put on the market now, and provided what you do won't affect the structural integrity of the house, then do what you want, have what you want.

This is good to know, thank you!