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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to not want a bath?

169 replies

LouLou789 · 03/08/2020 20:50

Twelve years ago we had our bath taken out and a high quality shower cubicle installed. The room is fully tiled. It also enabled us to put a loo in the bathroom (there’s already a loo in an adjacent room)

It is still immaculate as we’ve maintained it well and replaced the shower head and unit as needed.

House now on the market, it’s a 3 bed semi In a quiet cul de sac and would appeal to a couple wanting a family home to bring up their kids. It’s had plenty of viewings (been on the market 5 weeks) but no offers and several people have mentioned the lack of a bath as a problem.

Of course we are looking for a new home ourselves, but we fully accept we will have to do at least some work on any new house to make it right for us, including changing a bath to a shower room. We’ve had a plumber round to our current house tonight and it would cost 2k to reverse the conversion and the work would take a week. We intend to make this info available to potential purchasers and would therefore fully expect them to knock this amount off any offer. Our agent, however, thinks people won’t want the upheaval of the work and might ask us to install it ourselves as a condition of sale. What do you all think?

YABU = Just put a bath in, and get on with it

YANBU = Leave it as it is, you’re panicking

OP posts:

FudgeBrownie2019 · 03/08/2020 20:58

I don't think many families with young DC would buy a house without a bath. YANBU to leave it that way, but it might limit the number of people interested.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 03/08/2020 20:58

I had no problem selling my flat after I took out the bath and put a big shower in.
I can't wait to do the same in this place !

GrumpyHoonMain · 03/08/2020 21:01

I think the people viewing it probably aren’t interested because of other reasons and the bath is the easiest thing to put down as fb.

PregnantAndTiredMum · 03/08/2020 21:02

I'd do the work if I were you. I wouldn't buy a home without a bath.

PregnantAndTiredMum · 03/08/2020 21:04

I had no problem selling my flat after I took out the bath and put a big shower in.
I can't wait to do the same in this place

Was it a family home or a single/couples flat though? I think that's probably the difference.
Or it could have been well priced in a great location so would definitely sell anyway. A lack of bath in a family home would be a problem for every young family I know.

TheHighestSardine · 03/08/2020 21:04

We sold our last place without a bath, large shower instead, it was never mentioned. Also quiet cul de sac with a garden.

PurBal · 03/08/2020 21:04

I agree with @FudgeBrownie

Toilenstripes · 03/08/2020 21:13

I would never buy a house without a bath.

Clangerschick · 03/08/2020 21:14

We’ve got children and are in the process of moving. Not having a bath would really have put me off and yes you could knock the price off a bit to take replacing the bath into account but I’d rather choose a house without the hassle of getting the work done.

CoffeeWithMyOxygen · 03/08/2020 21:16

I wouldn’t even view a house without a bath, I have young DC and disabilities which soaking in hot water helps with. Unless your house is very special or in a highly sought after area I’d skip it and go for somewhere that didn’t immediately need 2k of work putting in.

SteelyPanther · 03/08/2020 21:20

I also wouldn’t buy a house without a bath, but if I loved the house I’d be happy to do the work myself.

Footlooseandfancy · 03/08/2020 21:25

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath and having previously put a new bathroom in, wouldn't want that level of upheaval again.

Tinyhumansurvivalist · 03/08/2020 21:25

You can't sell it as a family home without a bath. No one with very young children or those planning to have a baby will touch it. Sorry.

You don't have to do the work but it will limit the number of people who would be interested.

And 2k to for a bath...ludicrous. you are being had

What does your EA suggest?

AnnaSW1 · 03/08/2020 21:27

I'd put a bath in. You'll be quids in over all. I have toddlers. I wouldn't view a house without a bath even though I hate them myself!

Original poster

LouLou789 · 03/08/2020 21:32

Thank you for all your replies so far. I did want to ask you as many of you have young families (we are about to retire)

@Tinyhumansurvivalist, the EA thinks “be willing to do the work if a purchaser wants it”. The 2k is to complete the tiling of walls and floor to match everything, but I hear what you’re saying, thank you!

OP posts:

MsSquiz · 03/08/2020 21:33

We bought our house 2 years before having DD, and it had no bath. We asked the previous owner and he advised it was capped off under the floorboards and would be straight forward to install.
We bought the house because we loved everything else about it and that was the only work we would need to do to it, for it to be "perfect"

That said, I could see it might put people off who already have kids and don't need/want the hassle of redoing the bathroom

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 03/08/2020 21:36

Are you doing the viewings yourself?

If so, I'd casually mention "I'm aware some people may want a bath - we've had the work quoted at 2k to swap in a t7b and make good the tiling. We would, of course, be willing to meet halfway on that if any buyers would plan on installing a bath"

Then you are gently suggesting they can offer 1k less than they would in return for them doing the work.

katy1213 · 03/08/2020 21:37

You might find an older buyer who can't manage a bath.

BubblyBarbara · 03/08/2020 21:37

It wouldn’t bother me to be honest, though I tend to buy a hot tub so I don’t use the bath very often except in mid winter

HerNameWasEliza · 03/08/2020 21:39

I'd not buy a house without a bath. I would do the work though if it cost 2K i'd expect a lot more than that off as there is a lot of upheaval too - probably expect 4-5K less than a similar house with a bath.

Each to their own though. You can just hold out for a fellow shower lover?

nocoolnamesleft · 03/08/2020 21:41

I wouldn't buy without a bath. Wouldn't want the hassle (and trying to get the time off work) to replace it.

Kaiserin · 03/08/2020 21:41

It's up to you OP, but I think not having a bath will limit the number of offers you get.

123th · 03/08/2020 21:43

I've got a baby and toddler and would happily buy a house with just a shower. Far easier to shower them anyway. Just leave it, might take longer but there's always someone who would be happy with it or happy to change it themselves

MrsFezziwig · 03/08/2020 21:43

I wouldn't buy a home without a bath.

I would (and indeed did). I do appreciate that families with small children would probably want a bath though.

Also, I would prefer to have the money knocked off and get the work done myself so it would be as I wanted it rather than it being someone else’s idea of a nice shower (and tile design).

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 03/08/2020 21:43

We’re just had our bathrooms redone now (we already had a bath and are keeping it) and the plumber asked why we wanted a bath. We pointed in the direction of our 6yo and then to my enormously pregnant stomach.

Not having a bath would be a deal breaker for me. Moving into a house without a bath and with young children wouldn’t work because I would want the bath immediately for them. It would take a few months to sort out myself.

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