Replacing a shower/bath with a shower
Discussion
Wonder if anyone has any advice, preferably based on personal experience, whether replacing a bath/shower with a shower affects the sale value of a house.
We've got a small 2 bedroomed cottage in a rural area with a large garden (and big workshop/garage
). The bathroom, also small, is looking very tired so as part of an overhaul we're thinking about replacing the bath/shower with a walk-in shower or shower cabinet etc. We very rarely use the bath, so it's just taking up valuable space. As its not a big property it's likely to appeal only to a single person or couple, or at a stretch a couple with 1 kid. I guess if a bath was particularly important a purchaser could always refit one, but I wonder how likely it is to deter them from buying.
Googling the question predictably produces a wide range of advice, from "no, a bath is essential" to "most people prefer a shower anyway" (and everything in between).
So what does the PH collective think? Has anyone done this and what was the reaction from potential purchasers when they viewed the property?
Cheers
We've got a small 2 bedroomed cottage in a rural area with a large garden (and big workshop/garage
). The bathroom, also small, is looking very tired so as part of an overhaul we're thinking about replacing the bath/shower with a walk-in shower or shower cabinet etc. We very rarely use the bath, so it's just taking up valuable space. As its not a big property it's likely to appeal only to a single person or couple, or at a stretch a couple with 1 kid. I guess if a bath was particularly important a purchaser could always refit one, but I wonder how likely it is to deter them from buying. Googling the question predictably produces a wide range of advice, from "no, a bath is essential" to "most people prefer a shower anyway" (and everything in between).
So what does the PH collective think? Has anyone done this and what was the reaction from potential purchasers when they viewed the property?
Cheers
DoubleSix said:
Sounds like a bad idea.
Anyone with kids will require a bath so you're just narrowing your market by removing.
That's what I was going to say, although undoubtedly a few will now be along to say "I had/have kids and havent got a bath" :-DAnyone with kids will require a bath so you're just narrowing your market by removing.
Personally not having a bath would be a big minus point even though I rarely have a bath having a shower instead. If I was comparing 2 identical properties I would go with the one with a bath every time unless the one with a shower was significantly cheaper.
However there are others who would be happy to have no bath.
Is this not the house equivelant of buying a silver car because of expected resale value in three or five years?
Unless you are thinking of selling in the short-term, surely do what you want to do, what suits your family and your lifestyle. There is little emotional value in renovating or decorating your house for the next owner.
I've taken out a bath/shower over and replaced for a large modern shower cubicle because I don't use the bath - I'm not sure why anyone would want to fester in dirty water - eugh! Most people have moved on from the 1960s.
Worst case scenario is that you put a cheap bath back in place before you sell or if the issue is raised, acknowledge the lack of bath and discount the price by a couple of £k so the new owner can put in a suite to their tastes.
Unless you are thinking of selling in the short-term, surely do what you want to do, what suits your family and your lifestyle. There is little emotional value in renovating or decorating your house for the next owner.
I've taken out a bath/shower over and replaced for a large modern shower cubicle because I don't use the bath - I'm not sure why anyone would want to fester in dirty water - eugh! Most people have moved on from the 1960s.
Worst case scenario is that you put a cheap bath back in place before you sell or if the issue is raised, acknowledge the lack of bath and discount the price by a couple of £k so the new owner can put in a suite to their tastes.
I'm planning to do the same, although I have just renovated the other bathroom with a roll-top cast iron bath so have the luxury of the best of both worlds.
Our plan includes a 1700mm shower tray with a 1200mm or 1000mmm full glass screen and a rainshower head.
If you are planning on doing it DIY, make sure you have sufficient pressure and flow to cope with a shower head.
Our plan includes a 1700mm shower tray with a 1200mm or 1000mmm full glass screen and a rainshower head.
If you are planning on doing it DIY, make sure you have sufficient pressure and flow to cope with a shower head.
bumhole said:
Is this not the house equivelant of buying a silver car because of expected resale value in three or five years?
Unless you are thinking of selling in the short-term, surely do what you want to do, what suits your family and your lifestyle. There is little emotional value in renovating or decorating your house for the next owner.
Yeah, this is exactly what we're going through at the moment. We have a dedicated shower room downstairs and a reasonable size bathroom upstairs, but the bathroom isn't quite big enough to comfortably fit a bath, walk-in shower and some storage. We keep thinking 'well, you really need a bath in a family size house for resale value', but we'll be in this house for at least 10 years so why on earth do we need a bath that neither of us will use? In five years at our last place I never had one bath and my GF had about six - and on each occasion I think it took her longer to run the bath than she was in it.Unless you are thinking of selling in the short-term, surely do what you want to do, what suits your family and your lifestyle. There is little emotional value in renovating or decorating your house for the next owner.
It boils down to this: it's your house, so make it as you want it. This is what we've decided to do, anyway.
No second thoughts about replacing our bath with a 1700x800 shower & freeing-up the 720x720 cubicle area of the 6x8 foot room.
The only downside is if a family with small kids want to buy & insist on wanting a bath.
If you're planning to live there for many years & really don't like bathing then it's a no-brainer.
The only downside is if a family with small kids want to buy & insist on wanting a bath.
If you're planning to live there for many years & really don't like bathing then it's a no-brainer.
MarshPhantom said:
I like baths, and I don't think you get as clean showering as having a bathe.
Without wishing to go massively off topic, I never understood this: sitting in a tub full of what is effecitvely dirty water can't be as clean as a constant stream of clean water. I will concede that baths are, however, more relaxing but a shower is far more invigorating!Each to their own!
I did it last year, i had before a shower over the bath. I have lodgers and in the the past 6 or so year the bath has been used maybe 5 or 6 times. I spoke to a friend of mine who is an estate agent about resale with just a shower and he said for the type of property (2 bed flat) the type of person likely to buy very unlikely to be bothered by a lack of bath. It's not a family home so you're not going to be bathing kids etc. People prefer a quick shower now instead of a long soak.
It's now a big enclosure with rain shower.
It's now a big enclosure with rain shower.
bumhole said:
Without wishing to go massively off topic, I never understood this: sitting in a tub full of what is effecitvely dirty water can't be as clean as a constant stream of clean water. I will concede that baths are, however, more relaxing but a shower is far more invigorating!
Each to their own!
And you can take the shower head down to clean your....Each to their own!
Thanks for all the advice and comments, much appreciated.
We're not planning on moving for the next 5-10 years at least and a shower would suit our needs better, so I think we'll go down that route. We could always install a bath/shower unit when we come to sell depending on what advice our agent gives us.
We're not planning on moving for the next 5-10 years at least and a shower would suit our needs better, so I think we'll go down that route. We could always install a bath/shower unit when we come to sell depending on what advice our agent gives us.
I've just done a bathroom refit for a customer where the bath was taken out & a 1200x800 shower put in.
She's quite aware that it will put people off should she ever come to sell, but says if she was that bothered she'd just have a bath put back in.
It was only a small bathroom, but didn't half make it look a lot bigger & brighter!
I'd say go for it OP if it's what you want & you aren't looking to sell at Christmas.
She's quite aware that it will put people off should she ever come to sell, but says if she was that bothered she'd just have a bath put back in.
It was only a small bathroom, but didn't half make it look a lot bigger & brighter!
I'd say go for it OP if it's what you want & you aren't looking to sell at Christmas.
hotchy said:
Depends on the person. I personally will walk away from houses with a bath/shower and not a seperate shower. Im too tall for Bath showers and need a proper shower. I have no kids though, so see both sides.
Same problem with ours which is why I took the risk and just put a shower in. Figure I can swap to bath relatively easily if I had to.northwest monkey said:
I've just done a bathroom refit for a customer where the bath was taken out & a 1200x800 shower put in.
She's quite aware that it will put people off should she ever come to sell, but says if she was that bothered she'd just have a bath put back in.
It was only a small bathroom, but didn't half make it look a lot bigger & brighter!
I'd say go for it OP if it's what you want & you aren't looking to sell at Christmas.
Thanks mate. On a related point, are the walk-in showers any good? Quite fancy one rather than a cabinet style unit.She's quite aware that it will put people off should she ever come to sell, but says if she was that bothered she'd just have a bath put back in.
It was only a small bathroom, but didn't half make it look a lot bigger & brighter!
I'd say go for it OP if it's what you want & you aren't looking to sell at Christmas.
I've asked this question before, around a year ago, and the general consensus back then was due to my house size and type (small 3 bed detached) being the IDEAL family starter home, it would need a bath come resale time and actually the new combi bath/showers with the square sides are pretty good now.
Thinking about it, if I stay here I'm probably only 3 years away from children, and I'd want a bath then too even though I hate them.
Thinking about it, if I stay here I'm probably only 3 years away from children, and I'd want a bath then too even though I hate them.
We did this in our 2 bed semi. After 4 years of living in the house i'd never once had a bath prefering showers and my wife has mobility problems so was finding it difficult to get out the bath and step into it for a shower. We have a tiny bathroom as well so fitted a 1200 x 800 shower tray instead. Room now for a cupboard at the end of the shower and makes the bathroom look bigger. We have no plans to move anytime soon so wanted the house best for us as it's our home.
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