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Must a Master Bath have a Tub?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Keller Williams on the Water

Must a Master Bath have a tub?  This question has come up several times lately.  My Dad who lives in a 55+ community wants to renovate his bathroom. He has a huge jetted tub that he never uses and would like to remove it and just make the shower bigger in it's place. He says that older people don't get in and out of a deep tub easily anyway. So in that case, will not having a large jetted tub hurt his resale in the future? There is another bathroom with a tub/shower combination.  He also has a hot tub outside with his pool.

Decatur GA real estate

The other situation is that I'm looking at buying a builder foreclosed home in Decatur, GA.  The home is only in it's framing stage. There's no drywall, fixtures, etc. It's just a shell and the jetted tub is already there and the house has been plumbed. It takes up a lot of valuable space and there's a good size shower next to it. We are thinking it might be nice to eliminate the tub and instead add a sauna. 

Jetted and garden tubs look pretty, but we hardly ever use ours.  Both homes have bath tubs in the other bathrooms.

Decatur Real Estate

For both these cases, future resale is really important. I usually only stay in a home 2 to 5 years. So, how important for resale is having a bathtub in the master bathroom?  Is it a deal breaker for Home Buyers? Would you buy a home that didn't have a tub in the master bathroom? Please let me know your thoughts.

If you are thinking of of buying or selling real estate in or around Decatur, GA contact Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners at 404-456-5024.

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Anna Maria Island Realtor, Jen Bowman is a Broker licensed with Keller Williams on the Water in Florida. She has been featured on HGTV's My First Place, HGTV's Buying and Selling 20 Best Kept Secrets and acted as a consultant for HGTV's Property Virgins.  

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Comments (28)

Pat Tasker
Shorewest Realtors - Germantown, WI
Your Milwaukee Metro Area Agent (WI)

IT DEPENDS....  I think it would depend on the type of property and most likely buyer...  I currently have a single family home for sale in a suburb, perfect for a family (with kids)...it has the large walk in shower.  The current owner was going to run a senior living facility, and the walk in shower would be perfect.  He couldn't get the proper permits, so he decided to sell...Now the buyers coming through, mostly younger families, all remark on NO TUB...  The buyer I have under contract is planning to add a tub back into the bath..

If the housing is mostly likely older clientel, I'd say it is ok....  If there is only that bath, and it has only the shower, would you say the house had less than one bath?  I don't think so..

WHAT THE HECK IS A SNAIL SHOWER?

Jan 10, 2010 02:03 AM
Pat Tasker
Shorewest Realtors - Germantown, WI
Your Milwaukee Metro Area Agent (WI)

It is funny, as so many people want the big tubs, but not many ever use them...And yes, Lyn, as long as ONE of the bathrooms (best for the "main", hall bath or family bath) has a tub...

Jan 10, 2010 02:05 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Mike, I'm interested to see the comments too.

Lyn, He just doesn't like to have to try to clean the tub that he never uses. We're thinking about the "Aging in Place" aspect.  As far as the 10 foot wide shower, we actually talked about that. I even spoke to the designer who suggested it. If we have his tub removed, he would put his sauna in the bathroom next to the shower and make the shower still luxurious but about 5 feet wide.  Neither of the master bathrooms we talked about would have a tub/shower combination, just a shower and no tub at all.

Jan 10, 2010 02:10 AM
Raylene Estabrook
Signature Homes Real Estate Group - Yarmouth, ME

Thank you for your post. I too am reading the responses. Ido not live in a 55+ community however my master only has a shower and no tub. I was wondering if that will hurt me when I go to sell. Do the buyers want a tub in the master?

Jan 10, 2010 02:12 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Pat, One of the houses is in a 55+ community, there would be no families with children living there, mostly retirees.  The other place has 4.5 baths, so even if we eliminated the master bathroom bath tub, there would still be 3 more tubs in the house.

Raylene, So it didn't affect your buying decision when you bought your home with no tub in the master bath? Do you miss not having a tub there?  Personally I don't think I would miss it. But, I'm curious about the resale too.

Jan 10, 2010 02:29 AM
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes

We see a lot of buyers who won't become interested in a home (even in 55+ communities) unless there is a tub AND shower in a master.

Jan 10, 2010 03:49 AM
Ed Newman
Alamo Infrared, LLC - Midvale, UT

We bought our home 15 years ago and neither my wife or I have ever used the bath tub, what a waste of space, just like the living room. But people say you gotta have em'

Jan 10, 2010 04:12 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Bob and Carolin, For your clients it does seem to make a difference.  Thanks for your comment.

Ed, It seems kind of wasteful to have things we don't use.  My current house and most likely my next house won't have a formal living room. For the way we personally live, it's not necessary.

It would be great if we could hear from some interior designers too.

 

Jan 10, 2010 04:28 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Paul had mentioned a Snail Shower and I didn't know what it was, so of course I googled it. Pat, it appears to be a glass enclosure with a curved wall and no door.  The no door part is what I would have referred to as a European Shower.  Eliminating a door was something we were considering for my dad with a stepless entry.

Jan 10, 2010 07:10 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

You hit a nerve here.  I grew up with only tubs and love them to relax in.  On my trip to Europe over the holidays I was constantly disappointed with the places I stayed that did not have tubs.  When it's cold, it's a great way to warm up.  I can only say I would definitely want one.  About resale, I don't know, but I can't imagine having one is going to lower the value of a property :).  Not having one might.

Jan 10, 2010 07:14 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Hi Jane, When I was in Italy a couple of months ago, there were no tubs there either, just showers.  You are right. Tubs can be very relaxing. Decisions, decisions.... :)  

Jan 10, 2010 07:43 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

If you don't put in a tub I am not coming to visit.

Jan 10, 2010 09:44 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Jane, LOL! I promise that my guest baths have tubs.  The next house if we don't put a tub in the master bath, there will be a hot tub on a rooftop deck. I think that will be even better.

Jan 10, 2010 09:54 AM
Not a real person
San Diego, CA

We have lots of master baths here that don't have tubs. In fact, in the high-end homes where they have separate master his and hers baths, his has a shower and hers has a spa tub. Showers don't take up as much room as a tub does, so in our older homes that get renovated, they usually go with an awesome shower and forgo the tub.

Jan 11, 2010 07:00 PM
Maria Morton
Platinum Realty - Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Real Estate 816-560-3758

About half of the buyers I see want a tub and the other half don't so if your property is in a location with good turnover, you could probably get away with not having the tub. As mentioned above, in the higher end homes, buyers expect both an awesome shower and a remarkable tub.

Jan 12, 2010 04:04 PM
Lyn Sims and the Blog Dog
Streamwood, Elgin IL Real Estate - RE/MAX Suburban - Bartlett, IL

I came back to see the replies here - Jane, you're right in Paris my 'tub' was 4" high. I would actually call it an oversized shower base. They don't like tubs over there I guess.  If you come visit, I will have a nice tub to warm up in. That's what I do also.

I guess we're at 50/50, I still wouldn't get rid of it here in the Midwest where we have many 50+ communities and people like to do laps in their bathrooms! LOL.  Heck, the Blog Dog watches me take a bath!

Jan 13, 2010 02:31 AM
Sharon Senger
tcDocs - Seattle, WA
Licensed Transaction Coordinator

Hi Jen,

I love my bath tub!!!!!  When we remodel next year I am going to make it larger and jetted.

Great debate and my view is strictly based on my personal preference :)

Jan 14, 2010 02:23 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Russel, I've only seen 1 house that had separate his and hers baths. Like you said, hers had a bath and his had a shower.

Maria, It looks like your buyers are right on track with the comments here, half and half.

Lyn, Thanks for checking back.

Sharon, Your personal preference is what I want to know! :)

I've got to say now I am torn on this issue. My husband would like the sauna in the master bath in the place where the jetted tub is. I rarely use the tub and it doesn't really matter to me. I was fine with eliminating it. It looks like the consensus is split 50/50. I think we need to find another place for the sauna so I can make sure that I don't eliminate 50% of the homebuyers.

Jan 14, 2010 07:59 AM
Anonymous
Just Some Guy Who Stumbled in here

We're going to ditch our tub. The reality is that water prices are on the rise, and since we don't have a super huge bathroom...a shower bigger than 36x36 would be awesome..

Jan 31, 2011 04:48 PM
#27
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Hi Just Some Guy who Stumbled in here, You're right, water prices are on the rise.  My dad ended up removing his tub and creating an amazing shower space. Enjoy your home, that's what it's about! Thanks for stumbling by and for commenting!

Feb 02, 2011 11:03 PM