WWYD - bathroom

[MrsBillyhargrove]

Id like opinions please!

I am buying a house which has quite a small bathroom, which is the only bathroom in the house. Bathroom consists of toilet, sink and a bath with an overhead shower. The room is all tiled.

Bathroom is small: 6'3" x 5'5" (1.90m x 1.65m)

I was thinking about ripping the bath out and putting in a walk in shower, but DH said that it is more sellable with a bath.

What do you think? I love showers (currently have a separate shower unit in my house, as well as a separate bath) but I don’t like the thought of people standing in my bath to have a shower (don’t ask me why!).

Yes a house is more saleable with a bath but if you plan to be there long term make it comfortable for you and worry about the lack of bath later.

You should have what you want, you are using it.
Baths are good for kids, showers for older people. But you’re not selling the house, you are living in it.

You might be able to fit large enclosed shower and a Japanese soaking tub in. That would give you the best of both worlds.

https://www.omnitub.co.uk/

If you are not selling, why would it be an issue to have what YOU actually want?

When you come to sell, as long as a standard bath will fit any potential buyer can budget a few hundred£ to fit a bath when they own the house. I would certainly not live in my house always thinking what a future buyer may or may not want.🤔

Personally, I'd want a bath ... but unless you are actually doing up the house to sell, ignore everyone else. If it's your house to live in, do it up to suit you.

How long are you thinking you will live there? Is it a family house, or likely to be a house bought be a couple?

If you have no plans to upsize in 2 years, put in what you want.

If you are planning on flipping a 4 bed house that will sell to a family with kids, put in a bath.

Depends on how likely you are to sell in the next few years, and whether your market would include parents of small children.

Also what does DH want for his own sake? Does he like baths?

I bought a small terrace last year with a small bathroom and only a shower.

I was worried I would miss the bath and frankly now I love my shower! nice water pressure, quick/easy to clean and it makes reducing water bills easier so I have changed my mind and won't put a bath back in.

Plus I have noticed that my skin is not as dry as it used to be with regular warm baths!

Instead I focused on redoing the flooring in that bathroom and removing the old cupboards and mirrors that were way too big to create a sense of space.

I would say do what you think will make it more enjoyable for you to live in this house.

If you sell people can always put the bath back if they wish.

We recently sold my mums three bed semi which only had a shower in. Despite the market being fairly quiet, we had an offer within a week at the asking price. I don’t think there was an issue with the shower although the buyers did check that there was room to install a downstairs toilet.

Exactly this

I have a similar dilemma - I live in a tiny terraced cottage with a very small, fully tiled bathroom and keep thinking I'd have so much more space if I lost the bath and just had a shower cubicle. I've vacillated back and forth so many times...

I would just add that I had a quote to remove the bath and make the over-bath shower into a cubicle, and it was over £4.5k because all the tiling would need to be removed and redone, so that might be of some use to you.

Thanks all! It definitely is food for thought - my DH is fine with the bathroom as is (shower over bath) but I think we would have so much more space with a large shower. I have DC (10yo) and they prefer showers so from that perspective they would cope fine without a bath.

On saying that, I’ve been told by friends and family that baths are more appealing to buyers rather than a shower.

Thank you @Vroomfondleswaistcoat - I was wondering about costs (we are yet to move into the house and haven’t had a proper chance to put figures together). We only intend on staying a couple of years at the new house so I need to come aider if it’s best just to hang fire with what we have already there. Hope all goes well with your bathroom Reno (if you choose to do so) 🙂

No bath in a newly renovated bathroom would be a deal breaker for me.