How often do you take a bath? Most adults are too busy to sit and enjoy a relaxing soak, so the big question is whether you need a bathtub in the master bathroom? The challenge is homeowners who don't take baths might prefer a larger shower … but wonder how the lack of a second bathtub (we'll assume a 3 bedroom house has a second bathroom with a bathtub for the kids) might impact the sale of their home.
Unfortunately there isn't a right or wrong answer to having a bathtub in your master bathroom. This article explores various opinions about keeping or letting go of the bathtub in a master bathroom dialog online, to help you make your own decision.
What Folks are Saying About Master Bathrooms and Bathtubs
The web is an incredible place where people can share opinions about anything, and readers get to pick what to read although at times it can be challenging to find the best information on your specific question or topic. Here is just a sampling of what people have said about keeping or letting go of a bathtub in the master bathroom.
What an amazing experiment as I obviously have my personal opinion on this topic or I wouldn't be writing about it. I learned quite a few things here so the quick summary:
- Every home needs one bathtub for children, i.e. you might have overnight guests.
- There appear to be regional differences, i.e. California likes showers and the southeast wants a master bathtub. The best advice was to check out your neighborhood and be consistent with your competition.
- While bathtubs help sell a home, an aging population needs wheelchair accessible showers so … make your shower (size and entrance) support a wheelchair and turn this into a feature that sells your home, versus worrying about the missing bathtub.
Charly in Canberra, Austrailia said “… a large, easy to access shower is also great for young children when you want to get in there with them. This is especially helpful when you're small and trying to maneuver around the kids and all the paraphernalia for fun and getting clean.”
- Make your decision based on how long you expect to be in your home, i.e. for 5 or more years, do what you want. If you move every few years, don't invest in home improvements that might not help sell your home.
| Keep | Let-Go | Ideas & Recommendations |
| 90% | 10% | Katie & Kelly in Florida, “If it's the second bathroom I'd say let go of the bathtub but 9 times out of 10, people want a tub in their master bathroom.” |
| 100% | Mark Freeman, a realtor in Raleigh, NC said “… Great idea, as long as that larger shower includes a seat.” | |
| 80% | 20% | Melissa Stanley, a real estate broker in Chicago, IL gave this advice “… If you have other bathrooms and you're putting in a really nice, large shower it might be ok. Buyers like bathtubs and I've had people walk away from a place with no tub. If there are lots of seniors in your market, ie Florida, it is a better idea to keep the bathtub.” |
| 100% | Geordy Rostad, a realtor in Seattle WA said “… in Seattle people want their bathtubs in the master bathroom. Removing the tub would pretty much be resale suicide.” | |
| 80% | 20% | Anonymous said “…I want/need a bathtub but it does not have to be in the master bath. If building a home, I'd do a stand alone, walk-in shower and a separate bath as I'm getting older and have concerns about the safety of stepping over and into a bath tub to take a shower. When thinking of reselling, I'd consider the person looking to buy who may have children, and children need bathtubs. |
| 80% | 20% | Milo Elkins, a contractor in Portland, OR said “… As a remodeling contractor I've found the majority of customers having their bathrooms remodeled want to keep a tub in at least one bathroom.” |
| 100% | Julie Keelan, a real estate broker in Wake Forest, NC said “… I have been showing clients homes & they say we never use the tub but I wouldn't buy a home without one in the master. Somehow it is just hard wired that there should be a tub in the master bath. I don't believe everything you do in your home should be based on resale. The large shower in the master is all the rage right now but I would not eliminate the tub feature.” | |
| 100% | Anonymous in CA … “On almost every remodel we do here in Silicon Valley, we take the tub/shower out of the master bathroom and install a full shower, as long as there is still a tub in the hall bath. Most people just don't like stepping into a bath tub to take a shower.” | |
| 100% | Amy McAllister, a realtor in Hood River OR shared this fascinating story. “… I sold a home with only a tub in the master bath. The buyers hired my contractor husband to remove the tub, install a wall w/pocket door and replace the tub with a walk in shower with custom glass door. The bathroom is much more user friendly now.” | |
| 100% | Nathan Wolf, a broker in Charlotte NC wisely said “… In your particular neighborhood, if most masters have a tub, you'd better stick with what the competition is doing.” Nathan also shared that while he prefers showers, he “… talked myself out of removing it and instead used a cast iron tub by Kohler to replace my tub.” | |
| 20% | 80% | Sue Ellen Ewing in California said it all “… I think it's better to have a sparkling new, beautiful, stylish bathroom, tub or not, than a shitty old 50's bathroom that has a tub. If you don't expect to sell within the next five years or so, I'd vote for doing whatever you want. Doing things strictly for resale can be unsatisfying because the resale-ability is not all in your control, anyway. Enjoy yourself! |
| 20% | 80% | Green advocates will tell you that a 5 minute shower uses 10 to 15 gallons of water. The US Geological Survey says a bath uses 50 gallons of water while a shower only uses 2.5 gallons per minute. You do the math as the length of time we spend in the shower varies. Remember it's not just the amount of water but also the energy used to heat the water! |
Thanks to Zillow.com for some of the ideas shared here, with the question: Is eliminating the tub in the master bath, for a large shower a good or bad idea?
These are some great tips for modelling the bathroom. I think shower with a sitting arrangement can be a good option. The elders can sit and enjoy a long shower if you are not considering bathtub as a option.
You’re absolutely right that a seat is a nice compromise, and shame on me for not remembering this as I have put seats in a few bathrooms. The important thing is to have it slope gently so the water drains off the seat, to avoid any problems.
You’re absolutely right that a seat is a nice compromise, and shame on me for not remembering this as I have put seats in a few bathrooms. The important thing is to have it slope gently so the water drains off the seat, to avoid any problems.
Thanks for the great advice. I definitely think it is prudent to think about what effects you remodels can have on selling your home in the future. I think you’re right that people in different regions prefer different things. For
Austin bathroom remodeling, it is appropriate to have a shower for the second bathroom and a bath for the master too.