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jac_choo

Bathtub in a house?

6 years ago

We are drawing plans for our house built and want some opinion of bathtubs in the house.

is it a value add for resale? or they just dust collectors?

Comments (25)

  • 6 years ago

    I think if you don't have one--the house will struggle to sell.

  • 6 years ago

    I'm thinking you mean in the master bath? As long as you have a tub somewhere else for kids, it's ok if you have a very nice shower. I personally want a nice tub in the master but if I loved everything else about the house, I might be swayed.

    .

  • 6 years ago

    Your post uses bathtubs plural. I would say definitely yes to one tub, but that is all that would be necessary for resale

  • PRO
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Do you use a tub in the master if so do one if not as long as one bathroom has a tub that is all you need.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    If you have kids or sell to a family with kids a bathtub will be a plus.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I have it on good authority that it's better to have a tub in the house rather than outside.

  • 6 years ago

    Lol, But Virgil, wouldn’t you just love having an old copper bathtub and shower hidden in the garden somewhere?


    So some of the answers are a little unclear to me—Is it necessary to have a tub in addition to the master tub? I ‘m wondering if a dog washing tub might fill the need for an extra tub?

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Dog washing tub?


    --What if there is no dog?

    --Who can fit in a dog-sized tub?

    --Who wants to try to use the tub after a dog washing?


    Perhaps not a good idea for people--only dogs.

  • 6 years ago

    We didn't put in a master tub because we don't use it. We did put a tub in the second bath just to make sure we had a tub in the house.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    @Jaccco C, this question comes up fairly frequently here on Houzz. There are different markets where a tub in the master is not required or even desired. It is seen as a waste of space and a dust catcher for a large percentage of the buyers. Some buyers won't buy a home without a tub in the master, but I've notice in my market (S Florida) that that number of buyers wanting a large tub in the master is shrinking to a very small percentage.

    Having said that, they do want a tub somewhere in the house for kids/dogs etc. Just not a huge tub in the Master Bath. Have you checked with your Realtor to see how your neighborhood market is segmented regarding tubs in the Master or tubs in the house?

  • 6 years ago

    You need at least 1 tub in the house. Mainly kids, or even if you break your arm or something, way easier to keep cast try in a bath than wrapping a garbage bag over it to keep it dry


    As far as a master, that depends if you personally like using a tub or not. My wife uses ours quite a bit, but I don't. I also think at a certain price point and/or size of house, they do become expected. But it's hardly black and white

  • 6 years ago

    thanks guys I should have been more clear! was wanting to know if having a bathtub is important in a house vs not having one.. as we are tossing between the decision to sacrifice that for a double vanity and larger walk in shower instead

    but the general consensus is that for resale value in the future particularly for family with young kids its very much preferred.

  • 6 years ago

    I think what people are trying to say is that you can get by without a tub in the MASTER bathroom as long as there is a tub in another bathroom in the house. I would not sacrifice a double vanity and larger walk-in shower for a tub and therefore, our master bathroom in our current new build will not have a tub. However, there will be tubs in three other bathrooms in the house. We are using one piece tub/shower units because they are easy to clean and are economical choices for bathrooms used primarily by kids.

  • 6 years ago

    We went from a 3 1/2 bathrooms, to/in the new build, a shower in the main bath room and a freestanding tub in the ensuite. as stated, would do a bath somewhere in the house.

  • 6 years ago

    I‘m wondering if a dog washing tub might fill the need for an extra tub?

    Can the dog washing tub accommodate a 150-pound Leonberger (for reference, it's a breed similar to St. Bernard, lol)? If so, I *might* consider it... Maybe....

    Seriously, though, I'd have to reject a house that didn't have a bathtub at all. My kids have sensory issues, and many of them refuse to use the shower. I don't see them outgrowing that particular quirk, so I'll always need a tub. ;-)

  • 6 years ago

    We redid all three bathrooms when we bought our townhouse last year. Couldn't rip the useless '80s garden tub out of the master fast enough. We used the extra space to make a larger shower, which is way more practical. Our hall bathroom still has a tub if anyone wants a bath. And for that one tub I recommend the Kohler Archer--it's super deep for when you want to soak with some bubbles! I think for resale, one tub is sufficient--and preferably in a bathroom that is potentially used for kids.

  • 6 years ago

    as much as I want to enlarge my shower I wouldn't sacrifice my tub for it. I was fine with a shower over our 80s garden tub and wouldn't buy a house without a tub in the master bath. I may not soak daily but when I do I don't want to soak in the kids' bath.

  • 6 years ago

    I'm the opposite. I dislike a tub taking up valuable space in the master. Give me a good shower every time. A tub in a secondary bathroom is probably a good idea, though.

  • 6 years ago

    We have a 5.5 bathroom house. Three of those have tubs. One is a shared kid bath. One is by our guest bedroom. One is in the suite. Our master has a huge walk in shower and no bath and my son has a lovely shower and no bath. We easily could have had no bath in the guest room but it was cheap to throw one in.

  • 6 years ago

    I think a lot depends on the size of the house and the potential market for the house. Obviously, we're at a much later stage in life than A S, and don't have kids at home. I think, were we to market our house, its size and location (its a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2000 sq ft house, located walking distance from shops) would make it more likely to attract empty-nesters than families, so a bath isn't really essential. Our guest room has been used frequently over the 5 years we've lived here, but the bath has been used twice. But definitely, if you have a house that's going to be marketed to families, a bath would be a selling point.

  • 6 years ago

    I'm a shower person and never take baths, however I think houses that have multiple bathrooms and that are going to be put on the market from time to time should have at least one tub. They are handy for bathing small children and for soaking away aches and pains if you're able to get in and out of them.

  • 6 years ago

    I have never known anyone who wouldn't buy a house because it had a bathtub, but I know plenty who would pass if the house did not have a tub.

  • PRO
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    My private commissions usually have one bathtub in a bath for the regular bedrooms or in an ensuite guest room. Almost never in the Master Baths. In speculative houses, Master Baths always get them, but I suspect they are seldom used.

  • 6 years ago

    Ask a local real estate agent. It depends on where you live, and what kind of house you are building. We have no idea about either of these things.

    It really doesn't matter whether we, personally, would pay more for a house with a tub.