Bath or shower

[pscot]

We want redo a guest bathroom that contains a tub. In the 20 years we've lived here the tub has been used once and I think we should replace it with a shower stall. My wife argues that taking the tub out will make it harder to sell the house because people expect to have a bathtub. Thoughts?

[Thyla]

1. Just add an extra shower line to the set up

and then you have both bath and a shower. That's what ours is like.

[hermetic]

2. Seems to me

that if you have a tub in your master bath then no need for another in the guest room. I would not buy a house that didn't have any bathtub. Good luck with your project!

[pscot]

7. I think my project has just shrunk

I yield to the consensus and the superior wisdom of my spouse.

[Sedona]

3. I'm licensed for real estate in three states....

take my word for it, leave the bathtub.

Replace it if necessary but not with a shower.

[Ohiogal]

4. If you sell your house

to a family with small children, they will need a bathtub, believe me. I raised 3 kids.

[braddy]

5. Keep the tub.

[rgbecker]

6. Keep the tub.

Cost is essentially the same and the options for use are legion. You'll end up needing a door for a shower with all it's problems, wet floor etc. I like being able to step back out of the shower sometimes and the length of the tub gives plenty of room for that and room to bend over etc. To get that space in a shower requires at least 4 feet in one direction. Nothing more claustrophobic than a 30 or 36 inch shower. If someone shows up as a guest with babies or toddlers they will appreciate the tub. You can fill the tub when expecting a power outage and use the water for flushing toilets. Maybe you're dog will tangle with a skunk and you'll need to give her a bath and you can always use the tub to cool off if you're AC quits.

If you have a space problem, trying to squeeze a bathroom into a tight space or something, that would be a good time to consider a shower only....but it sounds like you've got a tub already so......

That's what I think and what I always recommend to my clients.

[Binkie The Clown]

8. It's a matter of personal preference.

Personally, I prefer a shower because I don't care to marinate in my own dirt.

[Phentex]

9. No tub is a deal breaker for me but

I am a bath tub user on a regular basis. My dream tub would be a giant soaking tub. However, I live in a tear down and am too frugal to let my husband mess with the bathroom. He redid the master bath (which is teeny tiny by today's standards) and took out the tub. It's now a beautiful walk in shower. If I were not an actual tub user, I'd do the same in the hall bath because who cares about resale at this point?

In your case, if you plan to sell, keep the tub.

[Ovens1986]

10. Take bath and shower

Both. I shower to get fresh, but I take a bath to reduce the pressure.