Resale value - Master bath w/o tub

[emma'smom]

This is what we are thinking too. I mean really, we use our shower every day....the whirlpool tub...the kids use it a few times a year. It's a waste of space.

I would totally buy a house with a luxury shower over a dinky shower and a waste of space whirl pool tub.

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.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

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???

It is a 3/4 bath and not a full bath. A full bath is shower and tub.

Basically a "true master" has the "soaking tub". If you listed the house as a "master bath" and did not have a tub in it, you irritate your home buyers.

Now you can do whatever you want and then let the chips fall where they may of course.

And also I am sure it depends on the area where you live.

 

[pearlieq]

I wouldn't care as a buyer. I've never used the tub in my master bath. I would say the people who don't care probably outnumber the people for whom this is a dealbreaker.

Almost all I ever hear about those big tubs is that they never get used and that they take up too much water. I would much rather have a nice shower, some open space, and maybe a good sized linen closet.

That being said the "glass block" thing worries me a little. It sounds kind of 70's. Are they standard to your area?

 

[pearlieq]

Basically a "true master" has the "soaking tub". If you listed the house as a "master bath" and did not have a tub in it, you irritate your home buyers.

Hmm...for me "master bath" always just meant "the en-suite bath in the master bedroom". Aside from it implying it was some kind of full bath, I never thought it implied anything about what it contained.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

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?

If I were house hunting and your house were one of 3 or so that I really liked, you would've just sold your house with that lovely shower and no tub. (Unless I saw some SERIOUS problem with the house, like, I don't know, an evil demonic spirit living in the basement. Even then, we'd probably just ask for evidence of a good exorcism. . .)

Seriously. DH and I never take tub baths. It is our dream to rip out the master bath in our house and put in a nice big, walk-in shower. I bet there are a LOT of people who feel the same way.

 

[Pakey]

Hmm...for me "master bath" always just meant "the en-suite bath in the master bedroom". Aside from it implying it was some kind of full bath, I never thought it implied anything about what it contained.

A master bath to me would also have a large tub with separate shower. Where I live, even small homes have master baths with tubs.

 

[Disney Doll]

In our house, we had a full bath including tub on the 1st floor. Removed the tub and put in a big shower stall that basically was the size of the tub. In the event that the next people who buy my house need a tub on the main level, all they need to do is remove the shower and put a tub back in. The same space is still there.

We added a master bath about 9 years ago which includes a shower stall, a toilet, a sink with vanity and a bubble tub. In 9 years we have used that tub maybe 9 times. I'm not a bather. If I do use the tub to do a "relax" bath, I follow it up with a shower because I feel likeI have been sitting in my dirty water and need to clean off.

From my personal perspective, I wouldn't care if I had a tub in the house at at all. I think the suggestion to ask a local realtor what is the "norm" or expectation in your area is a good idea.

 

[simba20]

My in-laws did this in their house a few years ago, of course they are nearing retirement and don't plan on selling the house (they keep refinancing and getting shorter loans trying to pay it off early), and were thinking about the future and growing old and accessability issues when they did it.

They had a single stall shower and large garden tub that they hardly used. They took out the single stall shower, made that a linen closet, and then took the space where the garden tub was and made that into a double sized shower.

They actually did it with perfect timing. They went to Las Vegas a few years ago, and while out at the Hoover Dam or somethign away from Vegas, my FIL fell and broke his ankle. Their last day/night in Vegas was spent in the hospital. Over the next few years, FIL has had two falls, yet again hurting his ankle and requiring surgery. They were thankful they had the double sized shower, as FIL needed assistance after the surgery with showering. They have small benches built in, but they also have been able to fit a handicapped accessible chair in there for when FIL has needed it.

In all they did a total reahul of the bathroom. They took out the double vanity and had two pedastal sinks installed, a kitchen pantry cabinet acts as storage between the two sinks, a new higher seated toilet was put in, as well as tile flooring.

 

[clutter]

It is a 3/4 bath and not a full bath. A full bath is shower and tub.

Basically a "true master" has the "soaking tub". If you listed the house as a "master bath" and did not have a tub in it, you irritate your home buyers.

Now you can do whatever you want and then let the chips fall where they may of course.

And also I am sure it depends on the area where you live.

I'm in my third house with just a shower in the master. Never in all my years of buying and selling houses have I heard of a 3/4 bath or not being a master if it didn't have a soaking tub. Of course, I bought my first house before soaking tubs existed. All of my homes were built in the 70s or 80s. I worked in homebuilding in the mid-80s and then soaking tubs were optional upgrades. Before and after my homebuilding stint I worked in apartment development/management. I've never in all of my years of real estate experience heard of the term 'true master.' If it was attached to the master, had a tub or shower, it was a master bath.

 

[LisaR]

I wouldn't care as a buyer. I've never used the tub in my master bath. I would say the people who don't care probably outnumber the people for whom this is a dealbreaker.

Almost all I ever hear about those big tubs is that they never get used and that they take up too much water. I would much rather have a nice shower, some open space, and maybe a good sized linen closet.

That being said the "glass block" thing worries me a little. It sounds kind of 70's. Are they standard to your area?

I thought the same thing until we stayed in a house with this type of shower stall and absolutely loved it. We have since been looking at examples online and most are so nice; not what I remember from the '70's. We won't do the glass block if we keep the tub and do the same size small shower stall that we currently have because I don't think it will look good at all. If we get rid of the tub, we are pretty confident that the glass block will enhance the look.

 

[pospisil]

We've been seriously considering taking out the whirlpool tub in our master bath, and putting in a large shower, too. I do use the tub once a month or so, but really only because the shower is so small! And I read an article last week that said that more people are requesting large showers with no tubs in the master when they have new homes built, so we're not alone. You should go for it!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I'm in my third house with just a shower in the master. Never in all my years of buying and selling houses have I heard of a 3/4 bath or not being a master if it didn't have a soaking tub. Of course, I bought my first house before soaking tubs existed. All of my homes were built in the 70s or 80s. I worked in homebuilding in the mid-80s and then soaking tubs were optional upgrades. Before and after my homebuilding stint I worked in apartment development/management. I've never in all of my years of real estate experience heard of the term 'true master.' If it was attached to the master, had a tub or shower, it was a master bath.

I am in new home builds that expect a "true master bath". It is expected.

Age of home build is certainly part of it. If I were in an older home the definition would certainly be different.

But if you are competing with newer homes a "master bath" has the soaking tub around here.

I am in house #4.

 

[RachaelA]

It is a 3/4 bath and not a full bath. A full bath is shower and tub.

Basically a "true master" has the "soaking tub". If you listed the house as a "master bath" and did not have a tub in it, you irritate your home buyers.

Now you can do whatever you want and then let the chips fall where they may of course.

And also I am sure it depends on the area where you live.

Yeah it is technically a 3/4 bath. But if its attached to the master bedroom with no other entrance anywhere else what are you supposed call it? Just a regular bathroom?

We looked at 100+ houses last year and I would say more than 75% of them did not have tubs in the master and they were all called master bathrooms. I guess it just didn't bother me. So OP, your bathroom would be fine by me

 

[si-am]

Personally, I probably would not buy a house without a tub in the master bath.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yeah it is technically a 3/4 bath. But if its attached to the master bedroom with no other entrance anywhere else what are you supposed call it? Just a regular bathroom?

We looked at 100+ houses last year and I would say more than 75% of them did not have tubs in the master and they were all called master bathrooms. I guess it just didn't bother me. So OP, your bathroom would be fine by me

You can call it a "master bath" of course. It really does depend on age of home and area.

The last 3 homes I had/have were new model homes & one build and it was expected to have a soaking tub.
Not sure what we will do for our last house.

We do want the zero entry shower like the OP wants to put in. I can't say I blame her. I hate this shower I have now. Too small.

 

[JayhawkMomma]

We just built our house a year ago, it was a spec home, there were 4 floor plans to choose from in our subdivision. 3 of the floor plans had a soaker tub with a tiny shower stall, one had a nice big shower with dual shower heads and no tub. We picked the one floor plan with the fancy shower and no master bath tub. If you look at our subdivision, it's by far the most popular model being sold. Our 2nd bathroom does have a tub, so if I ever really felt the need to take a bath, I could. I haven't taken a bath in at least 7 years, neither has my husband.

Some people will be turned off, sure. But if you're not planning on selling anytime soon, who cares? It's becoming more and more common to have just a fancy shower. Do what you like.

 

[LilyWDW]

There is no "requirement" that a master bath must have a tub of any sort. Some people may prefer it that way, but you do not need a tub to call it a "master bathroom" or a "master suite". It is simply personal preference.

BTW, I am an interior designer and took many classes on kitchen/bath design because that is what I love in residential design (though I prefer restaurant design overall).

No matter what choice you make, you will lose buyers. Some people "have" to have that tub no matter what. Some people don't really care one way or the other. Some people wish they never have to clean a tub they will never use anyways. Personally, I would pay more for a large shower (especially stone) with multiple shower heads and a built in bunch. I HATE tubs because I don't use them. I can't stand taking baths because you just sit in that water as it gets dirty... *shivers*

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We just built our house a year ago, it was a spec home, there were 4 floor plans to choose from in our subdivision. 3 of the floor plans had a soaker tub with a tiny shower stall, one had a nice big shower with dual shower heads and no tub. We picked the one floor plan with the fancy shower and no master bath tub. If you look at our subdivision, it's by far the most popular model being sold. Our 2nd bathroom does have a tub, so if I ever really felt the need to take a bath, I could. I haven't taken a bath in at least 7 years, neither has my husband.

Some people will be turned off, sure. But if you're not planning on selling anytime soon, who cares? It's becoming more and more common to have just a fancy shower. Do what you like.

That is good to hear.

Now will they finally get rid of the fireplace in the family room as well? That drives me up a wall.

Do I like a fireplace? Sure I do, just NOT where my TV should be.

 

[minniecarousel]

We will be house-hunting soon (in fact we were out "looking" today). I'd prefer a large shower stall to a tiny shower and a tub. As long as there is a bathtub in the hose, I'd be fine without a tub in the Master Bath.

My sis has a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom townhome and she put in one of those "shower/theraputic tubs". She needed a shower with easy access as she was awaiting a hip & then a knee replacement. Lifting her leg over the tub was almost impossible. She plans on living in the house forever, so she didn't care about resale value. It's still a tub, but you couldn't bath a child in it.

 

[Kirby]

When we built our house 16 years ago, my husband insisted that we put in a gigantic tub and a gigantic shower. The tub just collects dust, it's been used less than 10 times. My kids would swim in it occasionally. I actually float in it because it's so big.

What we want to do now is rip out the tub and move his sink (currently by the shower) in it's place and make the rest a sitting/changing area. Then we want to tear out the existing shower and change it to a zero entry shower.

All houses have to have at least one tub. Not having a tub in the master bathroom would not be a deal breaker for me. I love the new large zero entry showers I've been seeing.