I think the expectation is to have at least one tub in the house for resale, if it is someone with a child they are going to want or need an bathtub. If it is a house you are looking to be in for a very long time then do what works best for you, but in my experience there is an expectation of one tube in the house and if that is the only bathroom then I would go tub and shower combo.

IMO all houses need at least one tub and a 32” wide shower really is no better than a tub/ shower for space

Removing a tub to gain usable space makes sense if it's part of a complete remodel. In my experience most small home buyers will accept a "shower only bath" if the room has better than basic bath storage. Post a floor plan with measurements / location of toilet, door, window / where located (upper floor, ground level) / slab, crawl or basement.

I normally would agree and say that having one tub in the house is standard, however, I think more information is needed on this. Where are you located - college town, suburbs, urban, rural? How many bedrooms? How much longer are you planning on living there? If you have a 2 bedroom 1 bath house in a college town then I don't think either option would negatively impact your resale value. If this is a long term living arrangement, I would consider your quality of lifestyle over the benefit of the projected/potential resale value.

Thank you all for your input. To clarify, this home is temporary for us, 3-5 years. It is a 3 bedroom, 1 full bath and 1 half bath (toilet and sink). We are located in the SE corner of Washington state. So our improvements need to be cost effective and sale-able. I have always be in the mindset that at least 1 tub is needed. However, nowadays i'm learning that fewer people prefer showering over bathing.

Older People yes, children, no. people with babies, toddlers, young kids, all prefer a bathtub.

Now if this place was a seniors only development, no tub wouldn't be a big deal. But it's probably not.

if you want to redo it, just get a larger tub that lets you have a bigger shower.

Agree with above -- at least one tub in the house.

Thanks @Tyler for the additional information. I'm not entirely aware of the demographics in that area, but I would still lean towards a tub/shower combo. That house seems like it would be a great fit for young couples or small families and a tub would be an important feature for them when considering a home purchase. If you decide to go shower only, I would strongly recommend tile base and walls with a bench seat; a fiberglass shower would likely hurt you on resale.

There are a slew of threads on this subject on this forum - do a search and you can find extensive posts arguing pros and cons.

My personal opinion is that there is a very short window in which even children need a tub - and even with a shower - especially a large shower, there are workarounds.

Do what makes sense for your family now - a great shower is much nicer than the standard tub/shower combination.

I do agree that if you go with a shower, you should really upgrade the bathroom so it is really desirable - beautiful shower - great vanity - lots of storage etc. I think there are just as many potential home buyers who would want a great bathroom with a great shower because they don't take baths nor does anybody in their family do so it becomes a positive.

Also, at least for me - a tub/shower has a bit of an ick factor in terms of actually using it as a tub because I wouldn't like the idea of parking my tush on a tub that others had showered in without my then actually cleaning the tub before using it to take a bath. And I am not a particularly fastidious person :-).

In terms of my personal decision, I recently remodeled and got rid of the crappy shower/tub combo and now have a beautiful relatively large shower in the master which follows the footprint of the original tub. Every time I take a shower in it I am so glad that I no longer have to shower in a tub.

Just my experience. Insisting that small homes must have a tub must be regional. Today, most parents of children under age 6 are employed full-time. The last thing a tired parent wants to do is bend over a tub. The days of letting toddlers "play" in the tub are long gone.

As a buyer, I would balk at a house that didn't have a tub (unless it was lakefront property; then I wouldn't really care as much).

Chiflipper - How much real life experience with bathing/showering children under the age of 6? If you have a one year old and just a shower usually you have a kiddie pool or a large rubbermaid tote or some other container in your shower to put the baby in to bath it. Then instead of sitting on the edge of the tub you have to be on your knees in the shower stall. Showering with a baby is great except that they get slippery when all soaped up and they need tepid water. So you get a nice tepid shower with your child, then get to take a second shower after you get them dried and dressed and fed and put down for the night. If they are in one of those squirmy stages you have to either have them in a shower net or wrapped in a towel so they don't squirm out of your grip. Soaking wet towels to wash just adds to the joy of motherhood.

I do not know a mom of kids under the age of 6 that would prefer a shower to a tub for their kids. Even though moms and dads are busy, most of the parents I know enjoy baby bath time and don't mind their kids playing in the tub. If they aren't doing bath time play it is replaced with other play activities. Most wish they had more than the two hours between dinner and bedtime to interact and play with their kids.

Quite a bit of experience...I'm a mom. When they could sit up unaided a Rubbermaid "storage box" allows them to splash but, they can't "fall over". Small foldable stool is a comfortable perch for the adult. All of mine were showering (with lots of assistance) by age 3 1/2. By themselves at age 5, with me supervising.

Hi there. Interesting question. I have a small bathroom so I decided to have only a shower. It would be interesting to see some examples of how to combine a tub and shower in a small room space.

Max Thompson

We would need the dimensions of your room to determine if a conventional tub could fit.

You probably need to have at least 5' x 5' to accommodate a conventional tub, toilet and sink without getting pretty creative. Tub on back wall, toilet and sink next to tub across from each other,

Some walk in tubs are made to fit into a standard shower stall area, so you sit on a seat in a deep tub vs laying in a longer tub.

I did see a tiny house where the tub was placed under the floor in front of the toilet and you lifted a hatch door to take a bath, The tub itself was a galvanized livestock feeder, so a bit shorter and narrower than a conventional tub, but nice and deep. The sink for the bathroom was on top of the toilet tank and next to the toilet under the lowest part of a sloped roof were a few shelves

This is all just conjecture without a floor plan and more information about the demographics of your target market. That said, if the replacement shower is only 32" deep, that will be too narrow once the glass is set on the curb. Also, 3 years is a very short window for this kind of investment. What kind of condition is the rest of the house in?

I'm with the majority:

- A house should have at least one tub.

- If the bathroom has a shower only, that shower should be larger /nicer than average. Otherwise, it's better to go with a standard shower-over-tub.

I used to live in a small home with only one bathroom. Even after my children started showering , I was still grateful for that tub. I used it for things like soaking and cleaning large items like blinds, waste bins, door mats, and for bathing pets. And once, to my chagrin, my husband iced a whole hog overnight in the tub before a big cookout! I think if you have, or can install, an xl utility sink, you could consider doing away with a tub.

The tub vs shower question appears here frequently. Contact your Realtor and have him/her run the comps for 1000 sf homes with only a shower and comps with a tub/shower combo in and around your neighborhood. This will give you an idea of the hit you may or may not take financially when you decide to sell in the future. Naturally, it will be a totally different market when you sell so the differences you see today may not hold for 5 years down the road (as an example). Find out from the agent if it takes longer to sell a house with only a shower and not a tub/shower combo. They can tell you average DOM for each of the types of baths. If there are no homes that have sold without a tub - that's your answer.

I noticed you said in your post 4 people occupy the property now. Are there 4 adults or a combo of adults and children? This information may change the answer to your question.

I know that in my market a shower is typically preferred over a tub/shower combo; however, when the family has young children they do want a tub for the kids (typically). I normally say just put in the shower, but if you have children or your neighborhood is a child-friendly neighborhood and the next family is likely to have young children, I would strongly consider a tub/shower combo in your bath since you only have one. Make it a very nice tub/shower combo.

A standard bathroom is 5x8. Not 5x5. Each plumbing fixture needs a minimum of 30” devoted to it. That’s code. 5x5 is a powder room only.

If you are in any sort of hurricane alley, tub is great to have to fill up before a storm comes through. Definitely check with an agent if you plan on selling the house soon. I would think a tub would be beneficial. We are in a 1100 sq ft house and have 1.5 baths. We do have a shower tub combo and I’m so glad to have had it while raising our three kids.

mackdolan

30"+30"=60" 60"=5'

I believe this layout meets code, is a full bath and is 5'x5'

Yikes, that is small! What kind of shower enclosure were you thinking of? If glass, how are you going to get into the tub. If a shower curtain, it will seem more normal with a tub/shower. That must be one tiny sink. Do you have the required 21" between the toilet and the sink?

Bottom line: that bathroom is not going to help sell your house in the future whether you renovate it or not because it is just soooooo small. Are you sure it's worthwhile to spend money on it if you are only going to be there for a little as 3 years? Cosmetic changes would be my recommendation unless you can change the footprint and enlarge it. As mackdolan pointed out, a standard bathroom is 5'x8' not 5'x5'.

Nope. You must have minimum required physical clearances in front of the fixtures too. Not just horizontal free space clearances. That is not a legal layout. Not even close. Not even with a wall hung toilet and a shallower than standard 18” deep vanity. There’s no required clear access to the tub fixtures. Nor is there sufficient clearance in front of the vanity or toilet. A full bath simply is not doable in 5x5. Basic math.

mackdolan - code is typically 24" in front of a toilet and 21" in front of a vanity and 21" in front of a tub. There is nothing that states that these clearances cannot be met by the same open space area. If you have 24" between the toilet and the vanity and 30 inches between the tub and the door you are within code.

They make 12" deep sinks

Standard toilets are 28" deep, but can be as little as 22" deep.

So please explain to me what math is not working? I am not saying that this is ideal, far from it, but it does meet building code.

This is considered a luxury tiny home bath = pretty damn close to my design.

How long will you be living in the house? If it's more than 5 years, do what you want.

That’s ^ 66”. Even a very compact toilet is 25” in depth. (And expensive) A compact pedestal is 18. (Also not cheap.) The 17” left over doesn’t come close to satisfying the clearance requirements. Add the 6” of that 66” space, and it just barely squeaks by at 22”. But it also shorts access to the tub controls and makes that awkward. It’s also horribly uncomfortable, unless you’re a skinny 10 year old. Add another 6”, and a 5’x 6’ bath begins to be minimally useful and compliant with both codes and design recommendations. But with unused and inaccessible space left over. It still feels like a cramped public restroom too. Which is why a 5’x 8’ inline hall bathroom is still the design standard. It also allows the use of standard stock sized off the shelf components, making it the less expensive choice as well.

Max Thompson asked how you could fit a bathtub in a small space.

I said minimum necessary would be 5'x5'.

I didn't say it was the most functional or least expensive or that it was design standard.

You most certainly can fit a tub in a 5'x5' bathroom and meet all code requirements.

A quick google search and

here is a 12" deep sink.

Here is a super compact toilet - only 18.25" deep.

Therefore - I stand by my original response - the minimum space required to fit a bathtub is probably 5'x5'.

I’m sorry, but this has gone Through the Looking Glass. :-) Parsing seconds and fractions to “technically” make something work doesn’t make it a usable, or a mainstream practical solution. Only a Tiny House devotee would lIve with a 60”x 60” bath with a 12” sink and $900 macerating toilet which requires adding an electrical outlet, and doesn’t use conventional sewer plumbing.

For a small house especially that you only plan on being in for a few years keep a combo. Mainly because your target would be first time home buyers with new families. Most adults would be happy with just a nice big shower but families with small children need a bath

The toilet shown upthread at 18.5" is described as a "self-contained" toilet. That's for an RV, not a house. They don't have plumbing.... They often are "composting" toilets.

I second the idea of asking local realtors what their thoughts are. I don't have a tub in my bathroom (thank goodness, 'cos I hate tubs), but shower-only bathrooms get listed as 3/4 bathrooms on for sale specifications. It might not be a good thing for your house not to have a "full bath", i.e. on defined as having a tub.

Used to be that having a tub was a must. Not so much anymore, IMO.

1000 sq ft is typically a starter home in much of the country. Young cohabitating/ just marrieds, no kids.

Now, there are a increasing number of singletons in the market. As well as middle aged divorcees. Older kids or divorced empty nesters. So I don't think that having a shower only in a home narrows the potential buyer market as much as is commonly thought.

Your call.

If this was a 2 bedroom house, I would definitely go with just a shower.

3 bedrooms, your call.

So much safer to just step into the shower vs having to climb into it. Easier to clean, too.

Do keep in mind, too, that going from a tub to a shower will probably require upsizing the drain. If the house is on a slab, the cost could be significant and would be a significant factor in your decision process. Just a tub requires 1.5" drain; a shower requires a 2" drain.