So it’s time to renovate the family home bathroom and ensuite, and you’re undecided as to whether to keep the bath or not.
After all, you hardly use it, and it takes up so much space! But what if the next potential owner wants a bath, and you’ve pulled it out? Will it affect the resale of your home in the future? What if a family with small children wants to move in?
All of these are important questions worth time and consideration if you’re going to make the most out of your investment.
Should you install a bath?
To help ensure the best use of your new bathroom space, here are the main things I suggest people consider before tossing the bath out with the bathwater:
How long are you planning on staying at this house?
If the answer is 5-10+ years, renovate the bathroom to suit your own wants and needs, not the possible wants of a future buyer. Real estate owners love to tell people they need a bath to sell a house, which is a common misconception, as most people tell us they don’t want one!
If you are looking to sell in the near future, consider if this is a family home, and who are the likely potential future owners?
Considering how much space the bath takes up, versus how often you use the bath: Are these percentages balanced?
Baths often take up 20% of the room, and are used less than 1% of the time. The vanity and the shower are the most used areas of the Bathroom, and it’s important that these function properly before considering anything else
Does anyone currently use the bath more than once a month?
If you love a bath, and have regular Epsom salt baths after football every week, then keep the bath! If the bath gets used less than 6 times a year though, that’s a few very expensive baths when divided over the total cost of the bathroom.
What will you replace the bath with?
Larger vanity and/or shower, new layout, double shower, tall boy, new toilet etc. (ie. How can you improve the space and add value to the home if you remove the bath?)
Are there young children in the house that use the bath regularly?
People are looking to use less water these days, and the concept of filling up an entire bath for a small child is becoming somewhat redundant, with this mindset likely to increase into the future considering sustainability and the increasing cost of water – Just think: the idea of a bath in 20+ years will seem ridiculous!
Alternatives such as plastic tubs in the bottom of the shower, using the laundry trough or baby baths are great for babies and smaller children, who grow up so quickly anyway when we consider the lifetime of a home, or indeed a bathroom.
Is it future-proof?
Cleaning and maintenance of baths can be tricky and hazardous, and can often make accessing windows difficult, especially for anyone with back issues or for our ever increasing ageing population. People are looking to “future proof” their bathrooms more and more these days, even if they’re not at retirement age yet.
Remember, unused baths take up space and are just dust collectors, requiring regular cleaning even when they are not being used.
Removing the bath from the bathroom will generally reduce the cost of the renovation overall, unless a major layout change is made
Look at the pros and cons
It’s important to consider all the pros and cons of keeping the bath before making the final decision. Consider the fact that you’re going to be using your new bathroom for many years to come, so doing your due diligence to ensure it is best suited to your family and lifestyle, as well as considering your future investment, is vital.
Want to know more or interested in getting your bathroom renovated in Perth? Get in touch with our team at WA Assett today.
