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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get rid of my bath

168 replies

Harveypuss · 05/03/2017 12:44

Posting here for traffic really.

We have decided to revamp the main bathroom in our house. We also have two small shower rooms in the house, which are used regularly.

We are considering ripping out the bath (with shower overhead) and replacing it with a large walk-in shower. It would look great, I'm sure and nobody in our family (us & two teenage kids) ever use the bath. I think the last time the bath was used was when our kids were babies.

However, I've had people tell me having no bath in the house at all would cause problems if we wanted to sell the house in the future (no plans currently, but you never know).

I'm now questioning my decision. What do you think? Do any of you only have showers in your properties? My husband thinks we should just go with it and doesn't see the point in paying out for a revamp and installing a bath that will just not get used, whereas a large walk-in shower would.

Would welcome your views! Many thanks.

OP posts:

TheStoic · 05/03/2017 12:46

My 2 cents: I would never buy a house without a bath.

But if you intend to live there for years and years, do what works for your lifestyle.

PeaFaceMcgee · 05/03/2017 12:46

YANBU, do what you like. If you do sell in future, emphasise that there used to be a bath there and is space etc... It wouldn't put me off a house if it could be modified easily.

VeryBitchyRestingFace · 05/03/2017 12:46

However, I've had people tell me having no bath in the house at all would cause problems if we wanted to sell the house in the future (no plans currently, but you never know).

I don't even look at properties on Rightmove that don't have baths.

But I'm maybe a bit hardcore.

barinatxe · 05/03/2017 12:47

Go with what you want to have in your bathroom, don't second-guess what potential purchasers might be looking for in the future. You are the ones living there now.

For what it's worth, my criteria when moving where "shower obligatory, bath nice but optional." I think most people would prefer a nice, well maintained and aesthetically pleasing walk-in shower to a poorly maintained knackered old bath.

honeylulu · 05/03/2017 12:47

I would never buy a house without a bath.

Doodlebug5 · 05/03/2017 12:48

On the otherside I'd buy a house without a bath

Mungobungo · 05/03/2017 12:49

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath either as it's a total pain to have to rip out an old shower/tiling to put one in. Plus expensive too.

However, it really depends whether you intend to stay in your home indefinitely - in which case do what suits you - or whether you're planning to sell in the future when the DC move out, in which case a bath may be a good selling point.

TheNewSchmoo · 05/03/2017 12:49

I ripped mine out, I never use it and it's my home. I'll worry about future saleability when I want to sell it. My walk in shower base is the size of a bath, so conversion would be easy if it became a problem.

flowery · 05/03/2017 12:50

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath. There's one in our town which has been on the market for a year, for £650k. It's a lovely house but has no bath, which I think is a big reason it's not selling.

DanGleballs · 05/03/2017 12:50

People who are planning babies or with young children might be put off. Also people like me who like a good soak every now and then. You are limiting your market if you decide to sell.

Coldilox · 05/03/2017 12:51

Last house move I rejected an otherwise good property as there was no bath. Had no budget for a new bathroom. Others may not be so concerned but it's a deal breaker for me.

Oysterbabe · 05/03/2017 12:51

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath due to small children and no desire to have to redo the bathroom.

PickAChew · 05/03/2017 12:51

I would only buy a house with no bath if it was obviously priced as a doer upper, in the first place. We can manage with shabby decor and a dated kitchen, but lack of bath is something that would need to be fixed immediately as the kids have sn, one is doubly incontinent and neither is able to just hop in the shower and clean themselves up.

VeryBitchyRestingFace · 05/03/2017 12:51

If I was whacking £650k big ones on a house, I'd want a bloody bath!

And several other things besides indoor beach.

flowery · 05/03/2017 12:53

"If I was whacking £650k big ones on a house, I'd want a bloody bath!"

Well quite!

TheProblemOfSusan · 05/03/2017 12:53

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath. I'd live in the bath if it wasn't likely to cause permanent wrinkling.

PavlovianLunge · 05/03/2017 12:54

We had an en-suite bathroom and a 'family' shower-room, and couldn't sell our place. Converted a small bedroom to an additional bathroom and sold it.

Most people shower, but not having a bath does put some people off, and on that basis, I'd say don't do it.

beargrass · 05/03/2017 12:54

Depends on your market and how much you're prepared to chip off the asking price. We bought a house without a bath in the only bathroom and chipped the price for that reason. If you're staying a long time / don't care about the resale value, then crack on!

exLtEveDallas · 05/03/2017 12:56

If I had the money I'd happily buy a house without a bath. I hate baths. I especially hate our bath. I'm trying to persuade DH to rip it out now, but he is having the same concerns.

(Our is a whirlpool. It's fucking horrible and never used. It a big arse ugly old thing and I'll be there with a sledgehammer if DH ever agrees)

ChatEnOeuf · 05/03/2017 12:57

I reject houses out of hand if they have no bath. Hotels too. They are my pain relief and my quiet space and DD is terrified of the shower.

DH, on the other hand, would never consider a house without a shower.

NeedMoreSleepOrSugar · 05/03/2017 12:57

I'd buy a house without a bath, but would reflect the cost of putting one in in my bid. If I was taking the bath out of my current house (and may well do so when dc are older) I'd put one in again when I came to sell it.

irregularegular · 05/03/2017 13:01

If you have no intention of selling any time soon, then I really wouldn't worry about it.

Worst case scenario, you can always put one back in!

And to the rest of you - it seems crazy to totally discount a house without a bath provided it is possible to put in a bath and the price/other features make up for it. It's not exactly that hard to change when put against things like location/garden/floor space.

CorporalNobbyNobbs · 05/03/2017 13:01

Why is a bath so important? Genuine question, I haven't had a bath in about 30 years! Is it for kids?

TheStoic · 05/03/2017 13:02

Why is a bath so important? Genuine question, I haven't had a bath in about 30 years!

If you have to ask, you won't understand the answer.

harderandharder2breathe · 05/03/2017 13:03

My mum went from having a knackered old bath and no shower to only having a decent sized shower. The bathroom is a thousand times nicer (she redid the whole room)

If you're planning to live there for a long time don't be put off by the potential fussiness of hypothetical buyers. If you're planning to sell in the next few years then you probably should consider them as one of the factors but not the only one. Also, if you're in a highly desirable area/property people are more likely to compromise on a bath than if you're in a more difficult to market area/property.

I rent and don't care if the property has a bath (my current one does... I've used it once). If I was buying I also wouldn't care but I have no children and don't plan to.

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