Small bathroom help shower/bath or shower over bath

[MBJ15]

We are in the process of buying our first property, albeit late in the game…

the bathroom is 2 x 1.8m so it’s pretty tight. Currently it has a large storage area that houses the hot water tank and storage above it - we will be replacing boiler to a combo, so we will get that space back. The bath was removed and a huge shower/sit down mobility type unit is now in its place. It’s actually in good condition, but we don’t have mobility issues!

Our current home has a shower over a bath and it I dislike it, I’d love a lovely walk in shower. Baths tend to happen when the weather is cooler, so I don’t want my decision based on how I feel with all the heat waves we’ve had…

Our children are all older, in fact one is off to uni and one’s moved out, so we will be down to just 3 in the home.

we plan on being here for a long time and so I’m not too worried on the resell issue, after all it’s not put us off.

what worries me is the regret. For context I’m the type of person who loves the romantics of a bath, runs it for an age, gets in for 10 mins and is over stimulated by the heat and has to get out 😂

husband and son don’t mind a bath after football, but also love a good shower…

I really want to achieve a nice spa like feeling, I really thought I could “squeeze” in a shower where boiler currently is, but I think it’ll look and feel cramped. The space is wider than longer.

budget will also be pretty tight as we will be replacing boiler too.

any thoughts 😬

I’d only have a bath if I had little ones now, a walk in shower is so much better

We have an over-bath shower and it's a really good strong shower. Best of both worlds.

Get a fabulous walk in shower. If you miss the bath, be sure to always have one on holiday.

I dont think you have enough space for a separate bath and shower. I think you need to choose shower or shower-over-bath.

Get a great shower. We’re renovating and getting rid of the bath. We never use it and it just wastes so much water. If you like a bath then obviously keep it, but if not I’d go for a luxury spacious shower room instead of cramping everything in.

You could put a japanese soaking tub in? They are squarer and deeper than a normal bath and you sit more upright but you use lots less floorspace. Then you would still have space for a good sized shower.

Our bath swapped out for a walk-in shower, love it. Considering the size of the house and comparing it with similar on the market atm there are a lot more shower room only properties about. Go with what you'd prefer and you could always point out if/when you sell that there used to be a bath and it would be easy to put one back, as the room is big enough?

Get a huge shower, internal shelves, watering can and hand held heads, lovely lighting - we did this in our en-suite, we actually miss it when we go on holiday! The only time the bath gets used in the other bathroom is to rinse colour off my hair (shower over bath) or if the grandchildren are staying.

For me. I'd install a wide, built in soaking bath below a strong, tall rain shower stalk and detachable hand held shower.
I'd use large tiles or glass. Or quality vinyl sheets on walls and floor, if a wet room.

I'd install a mirror with wall storage and a floating vanity cupboard with drawers and an off centre basin.. Towel rails, heated ceiling fan/lights.
But I love a bath.

OP doesn't have space for that in her new home.

Swapped our bath over the shower for a lovely large walk in shower.

Baths were more important when our kids were small but no-one had them but me and that was very occasionally. Like you, I like the idea of them but spend 10 minutes in there, get irritated and get out.

I now appreciate my lovely shower and don't miss the bath one bit.

Saying that, if I go to a Hotel, and there is one in the room, I will use it 'just because' 😂

So if you only bath once in a while, have a cracking shower put in, you won't regret it.

I got rid of my bath for a walk in shower and even though it’s not a huge one, I’ve never regretted it or missed the bath. I think the decision is best based on how much you value having a bath.

"I really want to achieve a nice spa like feeling"

To achieve that then your plumbing is key, that will need an upgrade when you replace your new hot water tank. Focus on the basics, you can spend as much as you want on the best rain/spa/multifunction shower head in the world, but if what's behind the scenes is not invested in and capable of running it you will be disappointed. After that tiling, lighting and fixtures and fittings.

The German brands (eg Hansgrohe) have developed the best rain/waterfall type technology. It's cheaper to get a multifunction hand shower than overhead shower. doesn't mean you should though if the 'spa experience' is what you desire. For that also look at body jets and shoulder showers too.

To create that spa like feeling you do not have space for a bath.

If you do want a bath you can still do a shower over a bath and make it lovely but the room will always feel more cramped and un-spa-like.

I got rid of my bath with a shower over and replaced it with a 2m walk in rainfall shower and I LOVE it!

I did see these actually!! But my budget started creeping up!!

Thanks for these replies. I do seriously love a good shower. I had spinal surgery at the end of last year and could only shower for months and even then I was terrified… probably why I’ve got attached to a good shower. We stayed in a great holiday let we love and often return to, the shower is lush!

This is what I’m thinking, we love a cheeky hotel escape with a huge tub, I won’t be footing the bill to fill it either!!

We removed the bath and put on a walk-in shower due to lack of space. I regret it at times - until I use a bath in a hotel and realise I don’t actually enjoy baths anymore. Showers are more economical, better for the environment and more hygienic. I would just say that if you’re having a new walk-in shower fitted make sure it’s designed so the water doesn’t escape; go for a tray rather that a wet room style.

This is exactly what my sister and Bil do. They used to have a bath so looked for holidays with a shower now they have a lovely large walk in shower which is far more practical and cheaper to run than a bath but when they go on holiday they now look for a bath.

We have a tiny bathroom could only fit a 1400 bath with shower overhead I was the only one in the house that could actually fit in the bath, I injured my back a couple of years ago & could only access the shower with help which really wasn’t great so spurred us on to redesign the space we now have a walk in shower (no shower tray the room was tanked) it’s really spacious as allowed us to use the awkward angled bit of the room where the toilet was the wall hung cabinet/sink & toilet is now situated where the bath was has made such a difference oh & underfloor heating I bloody love my bathroom now.

5 years ago we swapped for a walk in shower and no one misses the bath. Check out digital showers as they are much easier to install and maintain

Haha or the budget 😂

Thanks. I did think on the economical side too! The difference already in electric and water since my eldest moved out 🙈😂 also seen the tray advice and some funny badly installed TikTok examples of those without. (Not very funny for the person affected of course!!)

We love a bath in our house and would feel hard done by without one. But even I only have a bath every so often, I use the shower most of the time.

Don’t worry about resale, it’s becoming more usual to see shower only households and if someone wants a bath they can put one in. You just tell your buyer where the previous one was. As long as you don’t massively reconfigure your bathroom it shouldn’t be a difficult or expensive job.

Thank you for your comment, I had spinal surgery at the end of last year and I don’t seem to enjoy them as much anymore either!!