I know what you mean about the glass, and have a couple of thoughts. 1st Shower Curtains are a thing of the past. Even really nice ones are going to hide/distract from the rest of the shower remodel, and with what you put into the rest of your house, it will more than likely end up looking cheap. However, there are options that may be worth looking into. Have you thought about a shower without a door or curtain? I have attached some pictures below to give you an idea of what I mean. This tends to look really high end, doesn't cost much more (less than glass) in tile and labor as long as you plan it correctly.

Here are some ideas, can't tell if something like this would work without seeing the bathroom plans but it is a good option. Hope it helps.

Custom Master Bathroom · More Info

Elegant Cochrane Country Home · More Info

No matter the level of your renovation, you will never get the full expense back as added value to your home. Your realtor wants an easy sale with a fully updated house. She doesn't care if those updates cost you more money in the end.

@live_wire_oak I agree and disagree, it is true that you will only get at best 80% dollar per dollar back on doing a bathroom remodel. However, depending on the location and the price of the home not having it done may deter potential home buyers. For example a home upwards of 500k in Texas needs to have updated kitchen and baths, I also know that most homebuyers get stuck in two places when looking for a house, the master suite, and the kitchen. So if you spend the 20-50k on your master bathroom it can change the house value by more than 50 if the rest of the house has been updated already. What you don't get back in initial proffit (listing price) you may get back in the time that the house sits on the market. I know this is not an option for a lot of people because they don't have the upfront money to fix their house before selling, but having just sold a house in 3 days after it went on the market, and having had a house sit on the market for months in the past I can say that I got more than 80% back by updating the house that sold in 3 days. Just one less mortgage payment will get you close to 100% return on investment at three extra house payments your wishing you had done the remodel and start thinking about pulling the house off the market to fix it up then put it back on the market, so there is more to think about other than just appraised value before and after.

Remember that a real estate agent is motivated to sell houses quickly, not to ensure that you make the best financial decision for you. The more you remodel, the faster the house will sell and the more quickly he/she will get on to her next sale.

D. Michael Designs - Thanks for that advice! You know, we've definitely thought about the "open" shower idea. We actually stayed at a hotel in Iceland that had a small-ish bathroom with an "open" shower. I thought it looked very interesting. Definitely modern! The tile flooring sort of had a "slope" towards the drain to ensure that water went in that general area. That is a definitely option we are considering, especially since we were able to find a shorter-length vanity than the one we originally considered purchasing. We have nearly a foot extra to work with because of that, which helps. I greatly appreciate the pics you posted - do you happen to have any examples of this open shower idea in a smaller bathroom? Our bathroom is going to be approx. 5' x 8' with a small alcove for the toilet which will be opposite one end of the vanity (don't worry, we're positioning the mirror higher up so no one will have to look at themselves using the toilet!). Basically, you walk into the bathroom, toilet on right, vanity on the left, shower at the opposite end of the bathroom in front of you - it really is not a big space at all, but functional.

live_wire_oak - Thanks for your input, and I fully understand that we would never get the full expense of our renovation back in a home sale. Would never expect to! That is exactly why I would want our next house, wherever that may be, to be something nicely done from the get-go! We've learned our lesson - we don't mind doing some work, but we need to have something pretty good to work with from the start. If you saw our house, it definitely needed a kitchen. The main bathroom was marginally nicer, but still old. We live in an area that has generally been a buyer's market for a while now, so if we need to sell our house sooner than later, we need to stand out, which, I know we would. If we kept our house exactly as it was 9 years ago, I honestly believe we'd have big issues selling our house. We'd be in a huge hole compared to what we paid for it, and it could take a long, long time to sell.

as for open showers, just be sure you don't shiver in your current setup, as it only gets draftier from there. (I'm a cold body.)

here are a couple examples of economical glass options:

Moselle 48"x35" Frameless Sliding Shower Enclosure w/ Right Base, Stainless · More Info

Shower Enclosures, Frameless, 10mm Clear Tempered Glass, ULTRA-C Collection, Chrome, 56-60"x76"x34.5" · More Info

Shower Enclosures With 2 Panels, Frameless, 12mm Clear Tempered Glass, ULTRA-D, Brushed Nickel, 68-72"x79"x36" · More Info

Note that the one closest to standard is less than $1000!

Here is an example, i will say that if you're going to do any body sprays or handhelds you need to move the plumbing to the wall with the door opening. any water spraying towards that opening has the potential to go thru that opening. as far as the space needed you could do this same thing without the curbless setup. adding a curb or step would prevent you from needing to encroach on the rest of your bathroom as you can tell by this picture it works with a tub/shower conversion, but you will need to add some light in the shower as your loosing most of the light that it used to get. ACM also brings up a valid point, if you're not used to the draft it can be uncomfortable, but I think with a bathroom that size it won't be too much of an issue.

Rozelle Cottage · More Info

The glass tile and penny tile accent may be an area where you could substitute less expensive tile. I suggest classic white tiles instead, no accents. Accent rows are going out of fashion in my area. Glass doors are expected in mid range and up. YMMV.

you could always just do a glass panel, with an opening. much cheaper option, say, 500-800 instead of double for the doors.

i have a large shower we just redid and have left it open. if I do decide on the glass, i'm going to do the panel, and no doors.

so a normal set up, like this, can be had for under 1500. you're going through all the hassle to remodel it, why cut back here?

and just a panel.

I'm one who has a master shower with NO glass, save for a window- easy to clean. It's light, bright (even with the lightest volcanic tile you can get!), comfortable, and engineered to the Nth degree. From the shower positions, all water flows inside, and then down a very long, commercial linear drain. I got what I wanted, for sure.

In a resale, if I had to put in a glass door to satisfy those who think it's great fun sot squeegee every day? Inexpensive and easy. Built for that option, too.

you can spend less on your remodel by not doing a floating vanity (turns out the required structural innards in the wall cost more than a mid priced vanity, do one on feet if you want more visual floor space), stick with a standard sized shower ( i cant see where you specify size) which can use a standard sized surround. skip the rainhead, just do a standard head on a bar. you'll save on the diverter, etc. plain subway tile is the rage, you'll save on it. it will still be the rage in 2 years. chrome plumbing costs less than any other finish and never goes out of style.

once again, i cant see where you've said what size shower you are aiming for. i'd stick with a regular size and a larger vanity, 2 people cant really do anything at a 48" vanity, and rarely do 2 people want to shower at the same time at the expense of elbow room at the sink.

i wouldnt advocate any of these things if it was your bathroom to enjoy. but since its not going to be, go with standard choices and save a bit on every one of them. your listing price would be identical and more buyers would like it.