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Original poster

Get rid of the bath???

117 replies

YouknowIknowbest · 08/08/2024 07:11

We live in a modest 3 bedroom house (me, DH, DS 17 and DD13).
For context, the house was a small starter home when DH and I moved in back in 2002 and the intention was always to move once we had a family. The financial crisis in 2007 hit us hard and we decided to stay and extend instead, which gave us an en-suite, a bigger master bedroom and a generous “box” room. We’ve toyed with moving over the years but in all honesty we’re all happy here and have no intention of moving unless we win big on the lottery so we can get a house with a pool 😂

So now we’re ready to re-decorate our main bathroom which is approximately 2m x 2.5m and DH and DS want the bath removing and replacing so it becomes a shower room as the queue for the en-suite shower is ridiculous every day.

I’d like to keep the bath, but feel it’s a selfish ask as no one else in the house uses it except me…and this is the clincher, I only use it on average 2/3 times a YEAR!

We’ve looked at L shaped baths and fancy showers over baths, but the boys would like to have this as a shower room for them and us girls keep the en-suite, so it’s a simple: Bath or Shower?

WWYD? Has anyone else got rid of their only bath and regretted it or was it the best thing you ever did?

OP posts:
Cinders0403 · 08/08/2024 07:48

I'm a vote for Keep the Bath! Those 2-3 baths a year are probably heaven, just get a great shower installed above.

soupfiend · 08/08/2024 07:51

I would get rid of the electric shower, they're useless, we had our replaced by a lovely massive chrome rainfall shower head, with chrome levers built into the wall

Maelil01 · 08/08/2024 07:52

Our bathroom is a similar size and we’ve both bath and walk-in shower. I’d not be keen on a house without a bath, what do you do with babies and kids?
Speak to the people in a bathroom showroom, they might come up with a cleave design for you.

stepfordwifey · 08/08/2024 07:53

Good point about grandchildren. I rarely bath but like the option and realised that we do rely on it for the little ones.

There's nothing cuter than having them stay over and being able to watch them splash and have fun. Much harder to shower a reluctant toddler than plonk them in the bath with lots of bubbles! Helps settle them for sleep too.
Keep the bath.

maggiesleapp · 08/08/2024 07:56

When we renovated we took out the bath, put in a walk in shower and love it. Previously the bath was only used to wash the dog! Absolutely love it but we dont have any little ones any more. I would go for a fancy shower.

LindaDawn · 08/08/2024 07:57

LindaDawn · 08/08/2024 07:48

Got rid of our only bath 3 years ago so now have an en suite and bathroom with and it’s only the 2 of us. No regrets whatsoever. Last time I had a bath was 34 years ago after the birth of 2nd baby. So Hubby and I each have our own shower room effectively. No regrets whatsoever. Our neighbours and brother has done it too.

Forgot to add that previous we had a separate shower and a corner bath in our bathroom but the corner bath felt old fashioned and as I had never used it when our bathroom was due for a refit we then got a big walk in shower. The bathroom looks so much more luxurious and spacious now.

GradGirl · 08/08/2024 07:59

I kept my bath when redoing the main bathroom. My teenager loves a bath, spends four hours a week in there 😂.

I only have a bath when I’m ill/under the weather but I’m glad it’s available.

UnimaginableWindBird · 08/08/2024 08:02

I would want to keep the bath, but ours is used several times a week.

midgetastic · 08/08/2024 08:04

Keep the bath and put a shower over

Ds is 17 - he may be gone soon

You like a bath - your feelings count

Resale value / ease also

MrsStottlemeyer · 08/08/2024 08:07

We had exactly the same argument.
I was the only one who wanted to keep the bath and I only used it about once a year. Everyone said it was ridiculous to have a bath just for hypothetical grandchildren or future owners.
So we got rid of the bath and there's been no regrets.
I have the classic Mumsnet 6 foot plus teenage boys and a shower over a bath isn't great for them. The shower we put in is huge. Plenty of room for them and all DD's 'essential' products. You are kinder than me letting your DD use the en-suite, no way would this work in our house. Not least because she often gets in from work at 2am.
The compromise was that we got a hot tub which is much more relaxing and gets used way more than a bath ever would have done.

CheeseWisely · 08/08/2024 08:09

We're in the process of getting rid of our bath and replacing with a walk in shower, but we're planning to sell in the next year. In a forever home I'd like the option of a bath.

You talk of the queue for the en-suite shower; do you not have a shower over the bath too? If not, put one in.

GOODCAT · 08/08/2024 08:10

We only have a shower in a three bed house. No way would I put a bath in, ours is just a wet room and I wouldn't want to go back to the faff of climbing in and out of a bath to shower. At our old house we rarely used the bath and don't miss it.

CheeseWisely · 08/08/2024 08:10

Had missed your update; get the shower over the bath upgraded and working. Problem solved.

Original poster
YouknowIknowbest · 08/08/2024 08:13

MrsStottlemeyer · 08/08/2024 08:07

We had exactly the same argument.
I was the only one who wanted to keep the bath and I only used it about once a year. Everyone said it was ridiculous to have a bath just for hypothetical grandchildren or future owners.
So we got rid of the bath and there's been no regrets.
I have the classic Mumsnet 6 foot plus teenage boys and a shower over a bath isn't great for them. The shower we put in is huge. Plenty of room for them and all DD's 'essential' products. You are kinder than me letting your DD use the en-suite, no way would this work in our house. Not least because she often gets in from work at 2am.
The compromise was that we got a hot tub which is much more relaxing and gets used way more than a bath ever would have done.

I should have added that into my original post, the shower over the bath solution is not ideal as I am 5ft 9, DH is 6ft, DS is already 6ft 2 and DD is currently 5ft 6

OP posts:
dbeuowlxb173939 · 08/08/2024 08:16

Don't get rid of the bath, you'll put off lots of buyers if you ever want to sell. Shower over bath is the way I'd go

Zimunya · 08/08/2024 08:17

My opinion should be taken with a pinch of salt as I have never understood the attraction of bathing over showering, so if it was me I would lose the bath in a heart beat. What I would say is that make the decision based on what you and DH decide. It's lovely to be democratic with the kids, but in the scheme of things, it is not long until they are both out of the house.

ooooohnoooooo · 08/08/2024 08:18

We have a tiny bathroom and just refitted it. Found a tiny but deep tub that has over bath shower. It's absolutely brilliant. The bath is so deep that you bob up and down in it. And the bath is wider than normal so when you shower in it you have full width to stand in it.

Everyone loves it and DCs mates come over just to have a bath sometimes for the floating novelty 😂😂😂

Omnitub.co.uk.

Not cheap but wonderful quality. And made in Britain too. Bonus.

ooooohnoooooo · 08/08/2024 08:20

Just seen that you have a tall family. The young man who makes omnibus is 6foot 4 and posts films of him getting his lanky frame into the baths. It's brilliant. 😄

He is fully clothed I might add 😳

ElaineMBenes · 08/08/2024 08:20

I would never get rid of a bath and wouldn't buy a house without one.

Sounds like a compromise would be to upgrade the shower over the bath.

mydogisthebest · 08/08/2024 08:21

We took out the bath and pathetic tiny shower and put in a big walk in shower. It's great.

I really dislike showers over baths and would not even stay in a hotel or Airbnb that had that. Also as you get older it is more difficult/awkward getting in and out of the bath to use the shower.

The houses on our estate have fairly small bathrooms and quite a few have only showers. There never seems to be a problem with them selling even to families with children.

I believe you can get fold up baths for children or, of course, you could wash the in the shower. Quite a few European countries don't really have baths and, obviously, they have children!

TooMuchRedMaybe · 08/08/2024 08:25

I haven't had a bath since the 90s so would have no problem getting rid of the bath. I am also tall and hate showers over baths as there is no headspace left to actually shower under. I wouldn't keep a bath for potential grandchildren either, especially since your kids are still very young adults. You could easily be waiting 20 years for these children to come along and in the meantime you have been crouching under a shower and climbing in and out of a bathtub when you could have had a large and comfortable walk-in shower all along.

A hot tub outside might be a good compromise though. I don't personally like them, as I don't like baths, but that sounds much nicer than a bath inside a small bathroom.

CaramelEmporium · 08/08/2024 08:29

We got rid of the bath in our new house. We have 2 en-suites and a main bathroom and the space in the main bathroom to have kept the bath but taking it out meant we could have a big walk in shower. No regrets. I used to have to dust our bath 🤣 But we've never been bath people and once our DD got to about 5 she preferred showering too.

ForGreyKoala · 08/08/2024 08:33

I've just had the bath removed from my (rented) flat and I'm dancing the dance of joy!! I HATE baths, but you still have to clean the damn thing even when it isn't used. My bathroom is tiny, but it is so much better now with the bath gone and it's a pleasure showering now. (The fact that I overbalanced and hit my ribs on the bath a few months ago could have something to do with my happiness 😃)

ForGreyKoala · 08/08/2024 08:35

dbeuowlxb173939 · 08/08/2024 08:16

Don't get rid of the bath, you'll put off lots of buyers if you ever want to sell. Shower over bath is the way I'd go

If I was buying I would be put off by a bath and would only consider buying if the price was low enough for me to renovate and get rid of it. Lots of people here (not UK) only have showers.

AndyPandyismyhero · 08/08/2024 08:38

We got rid of our bath when we had our bathroom done last year. Our bathroom is slightly smaller than yours so not enough space for both and as neither of us had had a bath in over 20 years, we decided to have a large shower instead. We've just come home from a break in a hotel that had the shower over the bath arrangement. It was awful! The shower was fine, but getting in and out with arthritic knees, was so difficult and painful. It completely confirmed our decision was right for us. Our young dgcs love coming to stay and using Nannie's shower! It's big enough for them both to use together. We don't intend on moving from hey, so any selling issues will be down to our dcs when dh and I are gone. By then, I expect the bathroom will be about ready for the next update, so hopefully won't be too much of an issue. X