Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Is no bath really such a problem?

128 replies

MassiveSalad22 · 15/10/2022 17:52

We have kids 7, 5 and 6 months and we wouldn’t mind no bath, but thinking of if we sell the house?

The 2 youngest do enjoy a bath admittedly but the bathroom is tiny and I’m desperate for more space! Could get a deep shower tray for the baby to splash around in. Or get a tiny bath, but to me those would be more off putting than no bath?

OP posts:
CentralLondonLife · 15/10/2022 19:40

My ensuite is a bathroom- no shower. I love it.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 15/10/2022 19:42

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath and my kids are in double figures now.

bettbburg · 15/10/2022 19:46

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath or with the only bathroom downstairs.

AnotherEmma · 15/10/2022 20:01

BemusedBrenda · 15/10/2022 18:50

I've seen a few of these threads on MN, and I honestly think MN just attracts an odd, bath-loving demographic. In real life I only know of two people who enjoy baths. i think they're a bit of an old fashioned legacy item for the vast majority of people who shower daily. We replaced the only bath in our current house with a luxurious walk in shower, and if we ever moved again I'd certainly be stripping the bath out of any new house because they're a waste of space and as PP noted, need cleaning whether you use then or not.

Well a lot of mumsnetters have young children.
And most people with 4 bed houses (which OP will have once her renovations are finished) would want 2 bathrooms - you certainly don't need a bath in both but I think a bath in 1 is ideal.
Surely they're not a waste of space if used regularly - which they often are if you have young
children. Also, I'd have more baths myself if mine was more comfortable.

Gardenerboo · 15/10/2022 20:04

I thought I’d never buy a house without a bath. Moved into my perfect cottage which only had a shower, with 2 kids aged 4 and 6 and we’ve honestly never missed the bath.

Low water and electricity bills too.

Ponderingwindow · 15/10/2022 20:05

I love taking baths. When our bath was being repaired my mental health suffered because it is my primary method of self care. I would not move into a home without a good bath unless I was desperate.

MarieCondom · 15/10/2022 20:06

I wouldn't want a house with no bath, as I love baths. I would buy one without, but only as a doer-upper or with obvious space to put one.

OP, would you consider (or would it even be possible? I obviously don't know the exact layout of your house) to make the box room and bathroom into one bigger bathroom with a bath and walk-in shower? I'm guessing the layout wouldn't accommodate that; you'd also lose a bedroom - but then you'd end up with three double bedrooms, an en suite and a decent sized house bathroom.

NoParticularPattern · 15/10/2022 20:07

It presumably depends on the property and the general target market. 1/2 bed properties aimed at single people/child free couples are less likely to “need” a bath in comparison to a typical 3/4+ bed family home. I don’t think anyone with a family (especially very small children) would want a house without a bath. All of my kids have hated a shower until they were at least 3. Plus I can run one shallow bath for he kids and wash them all at once. It’s annoying if you’re short on space and a shower would fix that problem, but I think you probably do need a bath.

Bouledeneige · 15/10/2022 20:10

I wouldn't buy a house without a bath. My DD, DS and I love them and having a bath was a very calming part of their bedtime routine. Showers on the other hand seem more about waking you up rather than relaxing. But that's just my view.

mondaytosunday · 15/10/2022 20:14

You need a bath in a family house. It would be a deal breaker for many.

FruitPastilleNut · 15/10/2022 20:15

We rarely use the bath. We moved into a house with no bath and I thought it would be fine and I wouldn't miss it.

We hated it. Although I might only bath twice a year, on the rare occasion I want one I REALLY want one. We found it a huge pita. DH pulled his back once and not having a bath was awful for him. He'd never suffered with his back before, just bad luck.

Luckily it was only a temporary stop gap and we were there for 9 months. But I'd never consider a house with no bath now and I'd factor the cost of having to put a bath back in into my offer.

Starseeking · 15/10/2022 20:17

My DC are both under 7, one with additional needs who has lots of hair that I have to wash regularly.

I wouldn't consider a house without a bath as I'd have to factor in the cost of doing the work to put one back in, and the time it would take to do it. No thanks.

SuperCamp · 15/10/2022 23:10

No one in our family had had a bath in about 10 years. When I redo our bathroom I will not bother with a bath. But there will be space for one, and if there is space and conducive plumbing a bath can be put in really cheaply.

Kite22 · 15/10/2022 23:31

Dragonsbe · 15/10/2022 19:28

I don't understand what the big deal is - putting in a bath is surely as easy and cheap as putting in a wardrobe when you buy a house? I have one, never use it, and would like to replace with a shower and bidet. If the next buyer didn'n like that set up they could just put a bath back in?

Eh?
How is either carrying a wardrobe in to a bedroom or building a flat pack in any way comparable with refitting a bathroom ? Confused
Cost wise, or skill set wise, or amount of time it takes.

I've seen a few of these threads on MN, and I honestly think MN just attracts an odd, bath-loving demographic. In real life I only know of two people who enjoy baths. i think they're a bit of an old fashioned legacy item for the vast majority of people who shower daily.

Well, as a pp said, overwhelmingly people with small children want a bath for them
Then there are plenty of (not odd) people who just enjoy a bath
Then many people that play sports like to soak in hot water to ease aching muscles
Then people who have injuries
Then people who have physical jobs might also want to soak muscles.
Plus, as many people say on these threads, people like to have a lie in the bath to relax sometimes.

TattiePants · 15/10/2022 23:36

I wouldn’t consider a house without a bath unless it was a complete doer-upper and priced accordingly. I spend hours in the bath every week and couldn’t do without one.

OceanbreezeSun · 15/10/2022 23:38

I’m personally not fussed about a bath, I’d rather use the space to have a fancy, large walk in shower like you get at nice hotels, dh feels the same. He’s tall and doesn’t fit in a standard bath. I just find them abit boring and probably have one 2/3 times a year, when I’ve got fancy bath bombs to use!

Our toddler dc really enjoys her baths, so that’s the only reason we keep one. Having said that , the showers with the deep shower trays can work well for children. My parents have one and whenever we stop over, we use that to bath dd and she’s just as happy.

lobsterkiller · 16/10/2022 07:15

I've just ripped the bath out and had a wet room installed. A lot of my neighbours have done this too.

BretonBlue · 16/10/2022 07:18

It’s completely irrelevant if future buyers want a bath if your children who actually live there now want one.

freesia86 · 16/10/2022 07:19

I grew up in a house with no bath so I wouldn’t be particularly fussed.

olivehater · 16/10/2022 07:20

I would be out of a house without a bath. My kids bath all the time. My eldest needs baths as he has eczema and showers dry him out. I also like an occasional bath.

olivehater · 16/10/2022 07:24

I wouldn’t buy I mean.

Devo1818 · 16/10/2022 07:25

I wouldn't buy somewhere without a bath.

Theraffarian · 16/10/2022 07:26

Definitely would rule out buying a house without a bath . I wouldn’t want the expense and time of putting one back in as soon as I moved in . Love a soak in the bath with a good book , as did our children while they were growing up . A family member recently had the choice of buying two houses in the same street and a major factor for picking the one they did was the bath as the other had ripped theirs out.

berksandbeyond · 16/10/2022 07:26

I wouldn't have bought a house without a bath. In-laws took out the bath in their house and replaced with a shower and I do think in a family sized home they will have limited their buyers

Bathtubbathing · 16/10/2022 07:27

I rented a house with a wet room. I didn't realise how much I missed a bath until I couldn't have one.

Needless to say, I bought a house with a bath.