Resale value - Master bath w/o tub

[LisaR]

The homes in our subdivision have the dumbest master bathrooms I have ever seen. I have yet to talk to anyone in our subdivision that likes theirs.

At first glance, they are nice enough. They are HUGE! But there is so much wasted space it is ridiculous. The shower stall is small and there is the world's smallest soaking tub.


We want to rip out both the tub and shower and put in a really nice glass block shower stall. It would have built in benches and the nice shower heads.

There is another full bath in the house. What do you think? Would it hurt the resale value?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Not sure what you mean by "hurt" by resale?

If the question is will you eat the cost of this remodel, the answer is probably yes, you are not going to "gain" anything financially.

However it will be a nice selling point of the house if you do plan to sell down the road.

 

[beavismom]

You might be able to get away with it if it is a starter home neighborhood, but otherwise I wouldn't do it. Is there any way to keep the tub and shower but still rearrange? That might be a tipping point for a sale even if you don't recover the actual money.

 

[LisaR]

Not sure what you mean by "hurt" by resale?

If the question is will you eat the cost of this remodel, the answer is probably yes, you are not going to "gain" anything financially.

However it will be a nice selling point of the house if you do plan to sell down the road.

My fear is that people will walk into the master bath, not see a tub and decide they don't want it because of that. Is a tub in the master bath important to most buyers?

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I don't think it would hurt the resale. What you are planning on doing sounds great! Since there is another tub in the house, you should be ok. Of course, everyone has different tastes.

 

[LuLuO]

My fear is that people will walk into the master bath, not see a tub and decide they don't want it because of that. Is a tub in the master bath important to most buyers?

I would say the answer is yes. If the bathroom has a lot of wasted space, could things be rearranged so that a larger tub could be put in?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My fear is that people will walk into the master bath, not see a tub and decide they don't want it because of that. Is a tub in the master bath important to most buyers?

Oh I see, you want to take out the tub completely. I misunderstood your post.

Are you planning on selling soon?

Yes, people expect a tub in a master bath.

And yes it will hurt resale since you are reducing your bathroom to just a shower. It is no longer is a master bath then.

 

[lovetoscrap]

I would say it probably depends on your area. Where I am, shower only in the Master Bath seems to be the norm. I was very frustrated by the fact that we couldn't find houses with a MB tub and finally just had to suck it up and buy one with no tub. I haven't had a bath in over 5 years! (I refuse to go in my kids bathroom! )

You might talk to the realtor that you bought the house with, or if you are friendly with any and see what they think. When we were looking our realtor just kept saying that is the way it is around here.

 

[erincon23]

I've been thinking about doing the same thing -- we have a smaller (not horribly tiny, but a little cramped) shower, and a decent-sized whirlpool tub, but in 11 years, I can count on both hands the number of times it's been used (except for washing the dog, which we can do somewhere else). My problem is that even though the bathroom is huge, there's no linen closet -- I'd like to tear out the shower, make that the linen closet, and turn the tub area into a luxury shower. I've worried about the resale too! Maybe I'll ask my realtor boss. I'll let you know what she says.

 

[Suellen]

It would hurt the value if I were looking at it.

Then it is not important to everyone.

I'd think a larger tub keeping the small shower would be better for resale value.

 

[disykat]

So they say. However, everyone I know with a soaking tub talks about having to dust it.

I am also considering eventually taking out our master tub and putting in a deluxe shower. I would put a separate sink area where the current shower is and take one of the current sinks out for extra vanity space and more storage.

 

[clh2]

We have a decent sized master bath. The counter is 8 feet long (although for WHATEVER reason, there is only one sink). We have a linen closet in our bath, and in the counter - 4-drawers and 5 cabinets.

We only have a shower. It is a bigger shower, but we do not have a bath. Nor do we have a jacuzzi/spa tub or whatever you want to call it.

I do not miss having a tub at all. And I prefer having a shower I can turn around in. FWIW - we've been in our house 17 years. (And - I don't think I've taken a single bath since we've been her.) Even DD, who is now 16, hasn't taken a bath since she was about 5.

For us, it would have been something else to dust.

In our subdivision - I know that in one house - they took out a spa tub, and made it a "meditation space". And, I know one other house renovated their master bath and made a gorgeous larger shower (but they never had a tub.)

Hope this helps!

 

[quentina]

We built our house 5 years ago and we did not put a tub in the master. Instead, I put a HUGE linen closet. I was told that as long as there was a tub in the house, resale in our area, has not been affected.

I had a big whirlpool tub in my last house, never used it, waste of space.

 

[diznygirl]

It's your house. Build the bathroom that you want. You'll be happy living with it.

And if and when you sell, the right person will buy your house or change things to their taste. Why worry about them?

 

[LisaR]

I would say the answer is yes. If the bathroom has a lot of wasted space, could things be rearranged so that a larger tub could be put in?

Nope, there isn't any other way of rearranging things. My husband is very talented but he refuses to move drains. There wouldn't be any other place to move/arrange the tub or shower unfortunately.

I didn't think about contacting a realtor. We don't intend on moving for at least six years but I have been swearing everyday when I shower for the past seven years so DH is ready to rip it all out.

 

[disykat]

Another point to consider. Someone said first time buyers might be willing to not have a tub. I see it the other way, that young buyers are the ones who want a tub. Buyers who've already had one don't care so much.

In my case, we have a one story home in an area where two stories are common. A large shower would be another selling point to empty nesters who are looking for a retirement friendly home.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It's your house. Build the bathroom that you want. You'll be happy living with it.

And if and when you sell, the right person will buy your house or change things to their taste. Why worry about them?

Well, I would not do it if you are going to sell the house in the near future.

Like this house, we are doing what we need to to sell and then HOPEFULLY the next house is the last house.

 

[RitaZ.]

It's your house. Build the bathroom that you want. You'll be happy living with it.

And if and when you sell, the right person will buy your house or change things to their taste. Why worry about them?

Exactly!

We have updated 99.9% of our home since we bought it in 1996. The only item that hasn't been replaced is the garage door. Everything we have had done or done ourselves has been for OUR enjoyment. I couldn't care less what potential buyers will think or want the day that we decide to sell it.

 

[RachaelA]

Our master now doesn't have a tub and we bought it that way (in 09). It just has a shower. We are remodeling it and we still aren't putting in a tub. We are just putting in a super nice frameless glass shower.

I don't see why you need a tub in the master if there is another in the house. That would never turn me away from buying a house unless the master bathroom was huge and there was a giant space for a tub.

I don't agree with the poster who said its not a master bathroom without the tub. That doesn't make any sense. What is it then???

 

[Pakey]

I would not buy a house that did not have a tub in the master bath. However I believe that you do in your home what makes you happy living in it. All decisions shouldn't have to be what's best for resale.