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Author Topic: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?  (Read 2786 times)

Offline Palermo

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Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« on: September 05, 2015, 06:57:32 AM »
We will shortly be renovating our bathroom and we've been juggling and playing this issue back and forth so long.

We both love the idea of a walk-in shower and neither of us is the type to take baths.  I almost can't really see a day that we leave unless there is a serious life changer going on, but we have to be mindful of the day we leave.  I've read enough on the net about how its dicey to have no tub in a one bath flat.  Is the impact on the re-sale value that much?  If it is pertinent, we live on the first floor of a walk up (Linden Court) and perhaps first floor+shower stall=good for retirees?  I dunno.  I'd love to hear from buyers, perspective buyers and those in the business on this matter. 
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Offline Minimal4me

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Re: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2015, 08:42:33 AM »
In general I think people should renovate to fit the way they live and use their space unless you are certain you are moving in the near future.

I once renovated a small kitchen to suit myself and the only place for an oven was an over the range convection/microwave. A lot of people advised me that I was limiting my perspective buyer pool by not having a "real" oven. But I had no trouble selling that garden apartment in Carroll Gardens. I got multiple bids the first open house. The guy who got it was young, single, and didn't cook.

How many BRs do you have?

If it is a 1BR, I myself would take the chance that many others feel the same as you and like showers. (I'm the opposite and wouldn't buy a place that doesn't have a tub unless I could easily put one in. )

Is it a 2br? That is, will perspective buyers be parents? Parents usually want a tub.

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Offline iheartbigass

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Re: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2015, 09:11:25 AM »
My personal opinion is that unless you bought a home with the intention to flip it immediately, you should renovate exactly how you want it. When you do decide to sell, there will be people just like you who prefer/don't mind a shower over a bathtub.

That being said, do you live in a 1 bedroom? Whenever I see this discussion brought up on-line, the "tub people" always mention kids as the reason to needing a bathtub. If you live in a 1 bedroom, I think this will already eliminate many families with kids.

Lastly, what about those hybrid bathtubs that have the bulbous area for showering (http://www.artweger.at/en/equipment/twinline_32#categorydetail). Maybe something like that is a good solution for you?
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Offline Palermo

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Re: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2015, 06:16:43 AM »
Thanks for the input and the link.  We had thought about the hybrid tub, but if we were to go the walk in shower route, we were hoping to do something with a bit of a sitting area in it.

We do live in a 2 bedroom.
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Offline CaptainFlannel

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Re: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2015, 05:58:46 PM »
The only thing I'd add for kids/1 bedrooms is to think about how many couples you know who started out in a one bedroom, stayed in a one-bedroom when baby #1 came along, and only really started to think about a bigger place when baby #1 got big enough to need more space or baby #2 came along. (And I've also known some NYC natives who grew up in a one bedroom apartment)

But if you plan on staying awhile and don't see yourself selling in a couple of years go for it. I'm not a bath person either, but I've never been bothered enough by stepping in to a tub to want to pay to replace a tub. l
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Offline Ed

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Re: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2015, 02:55:29 PM »
I'm glad I don't have to choose. Shower stall is great for day to day, I hate climbing, standing in, avoiding the shower curtain in a bathtub, LOVE my shower stall. But it's a luxury to have a big soaking tub for those times that you just need to have a therapeutic soak. Or as a necessity; when we had the blackout I walked home from work (roadway and Prince at the time) to 34th between 86th and 87th, climbed the stairs to our 6th floor apartment and promptly clambered into a bathtub full of cold water. It made that hot August night livable....
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Offline Warren

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Re: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2015, 08:55:06 AM »
I have this same concern.  I have 3.5 baths in a private house (all on diff floors)..and want to renovate the master and get rid of the tub.

There are two BRs and the master bath on the second floor and I felt that if there was a child, a parent would have to go to the third floor to bathe the child and it could limit potential buyers since most would likely be families.
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Offline CaptainFlannel

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Re: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2015, 06:15:14 PM »
^I kind of think if parents have young kids, they aren't going to mind going up two flights of stairs. Young kids who need supervision in the bathroom usually have younger parents. My gut feeling is if when you go to sell the house its in good condition, a walk in shower on the second floor isn't going to be a deal breaker for families with small kids. (And frankly, if they can afford a three story single family home, I doubt the the cost of putting a tub back in if it really bothers them is going to be a deterent. Plus, it's a 3.5 bathroom house, so even a bathroom remodel isn't going to be the kind of hassle a remodel is when you only have one bathroom.)
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Offline Minimal4me

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Re: Bathtub or Walk-in Shower?
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2015, 08:03:33 AM »
Warren, in your case I would go for it since there will still be a bathtub in the house.
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