Is replacing a Bath with a Shower a good idea?

[jerryps78]

We have a standard-ish sized bathroom for our 3bed detached house, ie it contains a standard 1700mm bath, loo and sink, with just enough room for a mirror above the radiator and also a small cabinet.

We want to get rid of the horrible 80's green suite and have a nice simple white one instead. We use the shower, that is fitted above the bath, more in a week than the bath is used in a year!

No matter what options we come up with we cannot fit a shower cubicle, bath, loo and sink in. Even using space-saver bath (1200mm), loo and sink does not leave enough space to dry yourself off or do the other usual things that one does in a bathroom.

Of course, if we did away with the bath we could have a wonderful huge shower cubicle! But my girlfriend reckons it will be so much harder to sell the house without a bath in. And I can certainly see her point, especially a house that it's main audience is a family with 2.4 children.

An obvious alternative is to put a shower en-suite to our main bedroom, but the built-in wardrobe is just not big enough.

Is the post-nuclear family still dependant on baths rather than showers?

 

[2scoops0406]

The general concensus is that taking a bath out will slightly devalue your house. Although from a practical point of view, I can entirely see your point.

 

[fp]

Hi Jerry. I had the same problem and I took the bath out, and in with a large shower cubical and a double bathroom unit. It suited it's purpose , we use less water and very quick and convenante. Sure it might have a slight disadvantge when selling the house, but it's what your comfortable with now. I say go for it.

 

[summergirl]

We thought about this too. However, knowing how contrary I am, I knew as soon as the bath was out, I would of course then want a nice long soak!!
Left it alone in the end.

On the issue of resale value of your house, - I guess it depends how long you envisage living there.

L

 

[masona]

Are you sure the shower cannot go somewhere else ? such as making the hall area smaller or the second bedroom or downstairs etc...

 

[TexMex]

It depends how soon you want to sell your home. There is a steady sea change amoung Brits to have showers instead of baths. Whereas years ago it seemed standard practice to have a bath quite regularly, most people nowadays enjoy a shower every morning instead.

Personally, if I were looking for a house, one of the first things I'd look for in a bathroom is a decent shower. I recon, given another few years, the bath could become, just another luxury item that anyone can forego, while a decent shower will be considered an absolute necessity.

You're not alone in prefering the shower to a bath. This is becoming the norm nowadays. Most people that I know, can live without a bath, but if their shower goes up the wall, it's a disaster. Given a choice of decent shower, or bath only, I'd chose the shower every time and, as I say, this is a growing trend that is only going to get more prevalent in years to come.

 

[AdamW]

This is a conundrum I puzzled with myself for a good many weeks. I never take a bath but I shower at least once a day, often twice a day (gym goer).

So, in the practical side of things, most people are fine without a bath.

However, as 1st world dwellers, we love choice. Think about it. If you were buying a house, and it had no bath, wouldn't you think "Hmmmm, no bath".

My parents bought a house at a few thousand less than it would have been WITH a bath... It had come to be known amongst the employees of the estate agent as "the house without a bath".

When I was puzzling over it, I ended up doing some market research by asking several friends of mine "would you buy a flat with a really nice wetroom shower, or would you rather buy the same flat but with a nice bathroom?". They all said, "bath". So, I bought a bath suit and installed a powerful shower pump.

I am being terribly assumptive and guessing that you are a man... Well, whereas us chaps like to get in, get holes drilled in our head by a powerful shower and get out, many girls like to soak. It's good for the nails and hair, apparently.

 

[TexMex]

Just a slight off the subject. My wife and daughter both complain like hell that, I leave the shower head too high! I can do what I like with the toilet seat with no comeback.

I do like to stand under the shower, not in front of it.Since my daughter is the same hight as me, and my wife only one inch shorter, It makes me wonder, where the heck, they are directing the jets.

It's probably a similar phenomenon to Horse Riding being more popular with the fairer sex.

 

[Studders]

I took the bath out and put good shower in. I was slightly hestitant on the resale effect but I did it in such a way that putting the bath back would be a simple job.
I've not regretted it in the three years I've had it though, as one person mentioned, I do sometimes miss a good soak in the bath. In compensation I can have a shower whenver I want, which is nice.

 

[TexMex]

Oh dear.
After all my encouragement to go ahead, I have, just this evening, heard that, my sister in law wants me to go around and rip out her shower and put a new bath in. (ie reverting back to what she had a few years ago). I don't know her reasons, as the message has been passed down to me, through the family.
(btw, I didn't do the original conversion so, if it's a dodgy installation, not my fault).

Since she's a single girl living in a three bedroomed house, I'll probably suggest that she re-installs the shower to make an "en suit" in one of her existing bedrooms.

Womans perogative I suppose.

 

[salem2000]

Couldn't you use a Showerbath, as pictured HERE

Fitted one with a curved glass screen (not B&Q) at inlaws. Not cheap but looks the business.

 

[david and julie]

A neighbour of mine (newer house) recently took months to sell his house because it had no bath. It was fitted with shower rooms only(from new).

Every woman pulled a face at the lack of a bath, it didn't seem to bother the blokes.

It did eventually sell, but the lack of a bath definately lenghthened the process.

 

[AdamW]

Just a slight off the subject. My wife and daughter both complain like hell that, I leave the shower head too high! I can do what I like with the toilet seat with no comeback.

I do like to stand under the shower, not in front of it.Since my daughter is the same hight as me, and my wife only one inch shorter, It makes me wonder, where the heck, they are directing the jets.

It's probably a similar phenomenon to Horse Riding being more popular with the fairer sex.

My family's (formerly) bathless house was lived in by a troop of circus midgets (I suspect). We are all a little bit taller than average, yet none of us could get UNDER the showerhead without stooping. My poor bro virtually had to kneel!

 

[jerryps78]

I had hoped someone would have a compelling reason that I could convince my girlfriend with, but she wins due to the increased likelihood of being able to sell the house easier with a bath.

Happy soaking!

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

It's down to a question of choice isn't it.

Just got back from a weeks camping holiday in Braunton (very nice place too!)

Lovely showers at the site... but we all really missed having a bath.

Shower in the morning to awaken yourself and nice soak in the evening to relax and ease the aching joints!

I would personally want to have the option of both and not be forced into choosing.

Oh and babies can't shower...