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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:
diddl · 05/03/2017 13:05

Sounds great to me.

No one here uses the bath, but we are lucky enough to also have a walk in shower in the bathroom.

If it would work, I'd divide up the bathroom, take out the bath & have 2 walk in showers in the house.

scottishdiem · 05/03/2017 13:06

I and DP dont do baths and love a big shower but I do get that others might not like that. If you arent selling for years and might do up the bathroom prior to selling then I think you'd be ok.

Babbaganush · 05/03/2017 13:06

I would not live in a house without a bath!
It would put me off if house hunting - I would have to really love the house to put up with the cost / inconvenience of installing a bath.
If there were similar properties available with a bath I would look at them first, I would expect to pay less for one without a bath.

19lottie82 · 05/03/2017 13:08

I'm pretty shocked at all these people who say they would never buy a house without a bath! You could get a lovely one put back in for £1000-1500 inc tiling, it's not a massive deal.

OP we have just got an amazing walk in, rainforest shower with multi jets and it is AMAZING!!!!! Go for it Grin

Maybe however plan it so it can be removed and replaced with a bath with minimum hassle in case you want to sell.

Trollspoopglitter · 05/03/2017 13:08

I'd happily buy one without a bath but never one without a shower. But if you have a family home, then you are putting off most families with small children. Can you do a walk in shower that can easily be converted to a free standing, spa like bath? I'd have an architect do a little 3D sketch of both options, and if it came time to sell the house, you have the estate agent use the bath 3D image in the advert to show how easily it can be converted back to a bath at minimum costs.

I talked my parents into a walk in shower in their bathroom...they still thank me for it. I think lots of people like the idea of the long soak in the tub but never get around to it much, whereas a luxurious multi jet shower is a thing of joy. I pay extra for hotel rooms with amazing showers and reject ones with free standing baths. Especially open plan/in your bedroom.

frenchfancy · 05/03/2017 13:09

If you have no plans to sell then I think you should make your house the place you want with no thought to future buyers. I hate the idea that our homes are considered as objects to be bought and sold rather than our home.

IvyLeagueUnderTheSea · 05/03/2017 13:10

As others have said, if you are likely to be there for the next 15 years then do it. After that long any potential buyer is likely to want to change it anyway.

AstrantiaMajor · 05/03/2017 13:54

We don't have a bath. If someone buys the house they can put a bath in. I think a luxury shower is wonderful. I would never go back to a bath.

brasty · 05/03/2017 13:55

Do what you want if you are planning to live there long term.
Yes it will affect its resell, but you are living there and need to enjoy your own home.

Man10 · 05/03/2017 13:56

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

If you have 650K, you can probably afford to put a bath in. If you don't have a a spare few thousand, you can just 5-10K off your offer price so you can afford to completely redo the bathroom.

BumWad · 05/03/2017 13:57

Not having a bath would put me off buying a house

bigbluebus · 05/03/2017 13:57

We have 2 bathrooms with baths in and one en-suite shower room. The bathrooms are due to be revamped and we will be removing one of the baths and replacing it with a shower with a base which has the same footprint as a bath. The other bath, however, will be replaced by a new bath with a shower over it - which it has at present. We live in a family home and as such I think the 'family' bathroom should have a bath. Can't imagine what it would be like managing without a bath if you have a baby or toddler. And we are not intending to move in the near future.

If I was looking to move now, a house without a bath wouldn't bother me as I haven't had a bath for years but then I wouldn't be looking to buy a family house - I'd be downsizing.

FormerlyFrikadela01 · 05/03/2017 14:03

You could get a lovely one put back in for £1000-1500 inc tiling, it's not a massive deal.

That entirely depends on the buyers situation. We will be looking to buy once our house sells. We will only have around £5000 to do work on the new house and once you factor in carpets, paint and all the other bits out need it doesn't amount to much. I would therefore only entertain the idea of a house with no bath if the rest of the house didn't need any work or I could knock down the price significantly.

r0tringLover · 05/03/2017 14:03

I have 2-5 baths a week. I wouldn't consider a house without one.

Our house is more than 650k but I wouldn't have moved here without it having a bath. I realise that installing a bath could be done before putting the house on the market but at fair expense, especially when you're tearing oyt a wetroom / walk-in shower to do so.

Sung · 05/03/2017 14:18

We did it - now have a lovely walk in shower - LOVE IT!

We've got no intention of moving, children are now secondary school age and the bath was hardly used anyway.

Really don't see it as a big deal even if we were going to sell - if it was then we would put a bath in when it was going on the market/at the request of the buyers.

Originalfoogirl · 05/03/2017 14:27

If you are planning to sell, it will be harder without a bath. Would be different if it were a professional flat, but for a family home, a bath is a must. Most children will have baths rather than showers.

That said, if you are putting in a full sized walk in shower, replacing it with a bath is easy when you do come to sell. And you'd do it for a lot less than £1500. We got a whole Wetroom done for that price. You can either do it before you sell, or offer it as an incentive to any potential buyer.

BlondeBecky1983 · 05/03/2017 14:32

If you're staying put go for it. When you come to sell, put a bath back in.

honeyroar · 05/03/2017 14:35

I very rarely have baths, but would still prefer to have one. Our new bathroom will have a huge shower and a huge seperate bath. I also prefer a bath in a hotel bathroom, despite virtually never having a bath!

If you're going to live there for years, put in what you want, if you're likely to sell in the next 5 yrs or so, I'd still have a bath.

Mermaidinthesea · 05/03/2017 14:37

I would never ever buy a home with no bath. A shower room is my number one turn off.

DropZoneOne · 05/03/2017 14:38

If you have no plans to sell within the next 10 years, put in what you want. After 10 years, I'd expect a bathroom to look like it would need updating anyway, at which point new owners can put in a bath or you can re-do and add a bath back in.

I would prefer a bath, but if the price was right, I'd buy a house without and put it in myself.

Mermaidinthesea · 05/03/2017 14:39

What I can't understand though is if you are going to replace a bath with a similar sized shower then why not just have a big power shower over the bath? With glass screen doors. What's the difference?

QuitMoaning · 05/03/2017 14:43

I normally have showers but when unwell, or really cold, I love having a deep hot bath, so indulgent. I last had a bath about 3 weeks ago but would be lost without it.

lljkk · 05/03/2017 14:43

A new bath costs maybe ... £200? £500 with fitting/tiling/tiny bit of plumbing. Compared to cost of removals & rest of house purchase it's a pittance. Do buyers not realise they can change the house to how they like.

KC225 · 05/03/2017 14:46

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath and decline to stay at a friend's house because they have no bath.

FedglingFTB · 05/03/2017 14:52

If you'll have a lush modern bathroom at the end of it then why not.

The only reason no bath would put me off a property would be if there's no space to add one.

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