Tub/Shower Combo

[joy]

My husband and I are redoing our bathroom (HUZZAH).  It's a small room and the only bathroom in the house.  But, we're taking it down the studs and rebuilding it in a way that makes sense, updates it, and gives us more function (y'know, like having storage and not having the ugliest glass box window in creation).

Vote on our shower situation.

HOWEVER.  IF YOU VOTE TUB/SHOWER COMBO THEN YOU NEED TO SHOW ME A PICTURE OF ONE THAT DOESN'T SUCK.

I clearly want the slightly larger shower stall with two showerheads.  Some people this weekend started crying "What about the chiiiiildreeeeeeeeeeeen?" and trying to tell me that we need a tub/shower combo.  I loathe everything about this idea.  So, if we need it, please provide a picture of a great one to help me picture my pretty bathroom.

Sidenote: Our home is small and will never house a litter of children.  We plan to hold on to it for many years and rent it.  The people who rent will most likely be single or a young couple, perhaps a young couple with a small child.  This is based off current knowledge of the neighborhood and homes here.  Granted, this could change somewhat over the years.

[notthedroids]

I voted no tub. I think it's totally doable with just a shower. We have one of those tubs with jets and it NEVER gets used. We plan on ripping it out and expanding our shower so I'm super jealous that you may be doing that.

[swivelchair5]

I find bathtubs useless, so I voted for the shower with 2 showerheads. My dream bathroom would have a shower that doesn't require a door or curtain, it is just around the corner or something.

[joy]

Well, wow. I'm loving you guys!!

We tried to tell people this weekend that no tub with a small kid wasn't exactly a terrible thing and we got A LOT of looks like "Psh. You guys know nothing."

[ironbaby]

Meh. I vote huge shower. We want to do the same thing. Granted, we do have another bathroom with a small tub that would be sufficient for children. The master bath will one day be ripped out and replaced with the most glorious walk-in shower.

Good luck!

[joy]

May 27, 2015 14:53:44 GMT -5 @mrsjohnmarston said:

I hope this isn't giant. I'm mobile.

I also am not a fan of shower/tub combos. But I love the look of a claw foot with a shower.

Ironically, we are removing our clawfoot.  I HATE IT.  It's too big for the space, doesn't fit well, that shower curtain holder is atrocious, etc.

Would you like ours?  Good price!

[rablissful]

May 27, 2015 14:50:20 GMT -5 swivelchair5 said:

I find bathtubs useless, so I voted for the shower with 2 showerheads. My dream bathroom would have a shower that doesn't require a door or curtain, it is just around the corner or something.

So much this. But I want a huge claw foot soaker tub eventually too. Someday...

The need for a tub depends on if YOU like to take baths. Obviously if you're thinking of doing a shower only then it's not a big deal to you.

Anecdote about the child part of this: My sister has an almost 3 year old. She HATES not having a tub. Hates it. Said 3 year old is old enough to take a shower with a parent, but she LOVES baths (she gets them at nana's house) and it is so much easier to bathe a child in a bath than a shower. Can my sister get by without a tub? Yes. Is she happy doing so? Absolutely not. If she hadn't already been living there when she GKU she would have NEVER chosen that place to live due to the lack of tub.

[icaughtfire]

Go for the shower stall. You can bathe your kid in the sink for quite awhile. Once your kid is old enough to stand steadily you can bathe them in a shower.

[jags8]

I can't imagine not having a tub. It's my private relaxing time. Plus an extremely hot bath is the only thing that relieves my excruciating menstrual cramps. I know you said you want to hold onto this house for a while, but I just wonder how hard it will be to sell someday without a tub.

Sorry I can't figure out how to add pics, mobile or PC.

[joy]

May 27, 2015 15:03:13 GMT -5 jags8 said:

, but I just wonder how hard it will be to sell someday without a tub.

I addressed this at the end of my post.  The house is very small and will never have four children running around.  I would imagine that it will sell to a single person, a couple or a young couple with a very small child.  Again, I'm basing this on current trends in our neighborhood, which could change.

I got the recommendation to ask a realtor in our area what they think and I really like that one!  All the homes on our side of the street are exactly the same layout so I'm curious to know what other people have done with their bathrooms and how they sold.

I'm biased because I never take baths and luuuuurve showers.  We'll do the tub if we have to, obviously, though.

[PepperPottsJ]

We have 2 tubs we hate... Such a waste of space, the guest tub was storage for a while. The only person to ever take a bath in our apartment is my niece, and I was kinda pissed when SIL said no more baby tub - incidentally if you have visitors coming, this was what I had for her (http://www.diapers.com/p/primo-euro-bath-white-1137966?sku=RP-015) and she loved it.

[mugster]

Our realtor said that it lowers the resale potential of a house if you do not have any bathtubs. But, I love the dual shower head idea and think the right buyer wouldn't be phased. If you plan to live there yourself for 5-10 more years, do what you love. If you plan to rent it out or sell it in 2-3 years, think resale value.

[madamewaffles]

Shower stall!!! FWIW I spent my infant/early childhood years in a tub-less home. When I was old enough, my mom just got one of those giant plastic bins from Target, set it in the stall during bathtime, put me in it and filled it appropriately with water and bubbles. It was great till I was able to use the shower myself.

[mishy2010]

We have one full bath with a tub/shower combo. I hate it and want to knock down the wall to combine our en suite half bath to the full bath (they share a wall) and do a nice fancy shower. DD is 2 and I just bring her in the shower with me instead of baths. We washed her in the kitchen before she was big enough to sit up on her own. I don't know why people get hung up on baths for children.

[becwheat]

**trigger: Child and I am about to play my "former single mom" card here....

As a former single mother who spent a lot of time figuring out the most convenient ways to care for a small child by myself I can tell you a actual bath tub is not needed.

I showered with my baby to save time and because it was easier. When I needed a tub I used a baby bath tub. EVERYONE uses a baby tub that you put in the existing tub anyway!! So, the baby/toddler is supported and safer! Now that my kid is almost 5 I HATE giving her a bath. She just sits in the filth of the day.. gross. I LOVE giving her a 5 min shower with the removable shower head. Spray her, soap her, rinse her, dry her... BOOM!

I love soaking in a tub myself, but I am just as happy in a double(or more) headed shower. Go for the fancy shower, just make sure you have at least one removable shower head.

[butlerfan]

I love baths so I would like both and it was a turn off when looking for rentals that only had the shower. However, the one's that only had the shower also had no storage space and looked cobbled together as well. If you just do the shower stall I agree-larger is better. One of our bathroom's have the shower stall only and it has a seat on each side. If it was a bigger shower I think it would work but the one we have needs to be bigger. I love the two showerhead idea though.

ETA: kids don't need a bathtub-can use a sink, etc like PP have stated.

[joy]

May 27, 2015 15:47:38 GMT -5 hippo said:

I voted for the large shower stall. I love my tub, but I would love a large shower with dual shower heads even more.

In regards to resale, large shower stalls are definitely becoming very popular.

I spend far too much time on Houzz looking at bathrooms, and dreaming of a shower similar to this:

Enter the Houzz rabbit hole

Andplusalso, you don't need a tub to have clean kids.

I WANT THAT.

Except, no rain showerheads. 

[requiressnacks]

I've never taking a bath in my house and have no desire to. Shower stall all the way!

[joy]

May 27, 2015 16:01:11 GMT -5 hippo said:

May 27, 2015 15:49:28 GMT -5 joy said:

I WANT THAT.

Except, no rain showerheads. 

You know the little "cut-outs" that they have for shampoo, etc?  Make sure if you go with this style that they put a couple smaller ones closer to the bottom so that you can have a spot to rest your foot when you're shaving your legs.


Clearly I have thought about this way too much. lol 

I like where your head's at.

[longhornwino0907]

Damn it hippo, now I'm never going to get any work done at work! Instead, I shall spend my day dreaming of one day remodeling our home (you know, with all that spare money we have just hanging out under the mattress)

[Andrea]

Team giant shower!!!!!

[thelittleredm]

I can't vote because I'm mobile, but personally, I would hate taking my son into the shower with me all the time. He hates water running into his face, I hate making sure he doesn't slip (I can't stand those bathtub non slip things), and he's harder to hold onto when both of us are wet. It's something that only happens if we're short on time. Plus, he loves stretching out in the bathtub and practice swimming and I have to have my baths.

But really, none of that matters if it isn't something you want. My brother does custom bathrooms and he's been getting more and more people asking for the doorless showers that he designs and they forego the bathtub completely. He's added a bathroom onto his own rental and is putting in a doorless shower as well. Big showers are getting more popular and if you're target buyer/renter is a couple with no kids or is single, you'll probably be fine without the tub.

[pismoduo]

+1 for Team Big Shower. I like to occasionally take hot baths, but it really sounds like a bigger shower is better for your space.

I do agree with asking a realtor, though. I think if there's no tub the bathroom gets classified as a 3/4 bath instead of a full bath, which could impact your appraisal and/or make it harder to sell. But if others in your area are similar, it shouldn't matter as much.

[joy]

May 27, 2015 16:58:20 GMT -5 pismoduo said:

+1 for Team Big Shower. I like to occasionally take hot baths, but it really sounds like a bigger shower is better for your space.

I do agree with asking a realtor, though. I think if there's no tub the bathroom gets classified as a 3/4 bath instead of a full bath, which could impact your appraisal and/or make it harder to sell. But if others in your area are similar, it shouldn't matter as much.

Oh, interesting point. Thank you!

[squeakyduck]

I don't think a bathtub is necessary for kids, but I think a bathtub is necessary for me. I love soaking in a bath with a book.

Ask the realtor. I wouldn't want a house with no tub, but I'm sure plenty of people wouldn't mind. Larger shower for sure though if you pass on the tub. Tiny showers suck.

[jags8]

May 27, 2015 15:12:28 GMT -5 joy said:

May 27, 2015 15:03:13 GMT -5 jags8 said:

, but I just wonder how hard it will be to sell someday without a tub.

I addressed this at the end of my post.  The house is very small and will never have four children running around.  I would imagine that it will sell to a single person, a couple or a young couple with a very small child.  Again, I'm basing this on current trends in our neighborhood, which could change.

I got the recommendation to ask a realtor in our area what they think and I really like that one!  All the homes on our side of the street are exactly the same layout so I'm curious to know what other people have done with their bathrooms and how they sold.

I'm biased because I never take baths and luuuuurve showers.  We'll do the tub if we have to, obviously, though.

But some adults like baths too But that's why I literally wondered how it would affect selling it in the future. Maybe I'm in the minority of adults who like baths, and it will be no problem at all to re-sell! Speaking to a realtor in the area is brilliant, as they will know the market.

[jags8]

Oh but also, shower > clawfoot tub. Those creep me out for some reason.

[TheEleventhHour]

We currently have two bathrooms - one with a small stall shower and one with a tub/shower combo. I hate both! We never use the tub (never understood people who HAVE to have a tub for kids definitely not necessary) and I would LOVE a larger shower with two heads. That would be amazing.

I do love the look of a large, deep claw foot tub but it wouldn't make sense because I don't take baths enough to need one in my house.

[helloerrbody]

Since you included in your post that you don't plan to stay in this house forever, I definitely vote no tub! Have fun with the reno - that's so exciting!!

[Sammich_Cat]

Our kid outgrew the sink then the inflatable duck bath tub very quickly and I can't imagine not having a tub for him. He loves his baths.
Seems like I'm in the minority here.

I myself never take baths. Damn water gets cold too quickly.

But you could always move out and rent it to a couple without kids(if they care)-as you mentioned- if you decide you can't live without one for your kids.