How important are bathtubs to the resale value?
July 28, 2009 - 12:00am
July 28, 2009 - 4:16pm
#1
I believe at least one bathtub in a home is recommended. The reason is that if the house is adequate in size for children, parents love to give their children baths. Children love to play in the bathtub before bed. Adults without children tell me that they prefer at least one tub in the home even if they don’t use it but two or three times per year.
July 28, 2009 - 4:20pm
#2
Our lifestyles have become so busy with so many ways to spend our time, taking a bath has become a luxury of those who can afford the time. That said, a nice hot soak is a much easier way to "get away" without the time and expense of driving, air fare, hotel, or packing to get to a relaxing spa.
Therefore, your "resale value" question actually deserves several answers, depending on the kind of buyers you want to attract to your home, how you want to live in it until then, and what bathing options remain in other parts of the home:
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[*] It's important for a family home to have at least one bath that makes it easy to bathe young children. -- Romance and "the spa experience" are compelling emotional reasons to buy, so if a master bath includes a tub that looks irresistible for those options, it will create a greater perceived or emotional value to potential buyers who care about such things...even if they never end up drawing a bath. A shower tends to be a quick experience, a tub is about slowing down and relaxing a bit longer. The next time you're visiting friends, family, or home tours, notice what happens to your heart rate or mood when you step into the bathrooms. A home for sale needs to inspire imaginations and cause potential buyers to linger long enough to get emotionally attached.
[*] Typically, women have a stronger connection to taking baths than most men do. Women also have the greatest influence on purchase decisions related to the home, so a master suite bathroom without a tub may sway the decision to buy that home depending on what else is available in comparable homes. You might consider upgrading short 14" tubs of the past with deeper soak options like 18". Or deluxe shower with built-in seating and spa body jets could help boost the "relaxation" message that tubs generally give.
[*] Another thing to consider when determining bathing options in your home is universal design and aging-in-place needs. Can the bathroom accommodate multiple generations and/or abilities that will eliminate the need for future changes as the homeowners age?
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Ask yourself the following when deciding on whether to add or subtract a bathtub from your home:
1) Are you reaching for discerning quality buyers, or greatest appeal to a mass market?
2) Will your bathrooms be able to serve the typical needs that homeowners expect in your neighborhood?
3) Will you be making this decision just to prepare the home for sale, or will your family get to enjoy the result of your decision for years before you sell? Then create the most relaxing environment you can within your budget. There are lots of ways to achieve calm, relaxing, efficient bathing experiences that attract many kinds of people -- without emptying your pockets.
July 28, 2009 - 4:23pm
#3
As you may or may not know, remodeling a bathroom whether small or large has a substantial impact on resale value. As for a bathtub upgrade specifically, there are no statistics that isolate each asset of the bathroom to determine the ROI. My suggestion would be to look at the bathroom remodel as a whole. If your bathtub is a definite sore spot, then upgrade it. Depending on the type of bathtub you add, your resale value should be adjusted accordingly.
July 28, 2009 - 4:24pm
#4
I tell my clients that you need a least 1 bath tub for resale. If you don’t have a bath tub you are eliminating a group of people who might love your house but won’t buy it. The reason is that they can’t bathe their baby. Hope this helps.
July 28, 2009 - 4:27pm
#5
As a remodeler we are asked that question quite often. As long as there is 1 bath tub in the home removing a bath tub, especially in the master bath, to make for a larger shower does not affect the sale or sale price of a house. From surveys and research 25% of the adult population takes frequent baths which leaves 75% of the adult population taking showers primarily. The WOW factor when you walk into a master bath that has a large shower with multiple water features has become a great selling feature, especially to the men. Since the master bath was remodeled it will actually add incremental resale value in addition to ~70-75% ROI depending on location and scope of the project.
September 17, 2009 - 1:35pm
#6
Are there certain types of bathtubs that are more desirable than others, i.e. corner tubs, tubs with jets, claw-footed tubs etc?
February 13, 2011 - 12:43pm
#8
Just to add to the conversation, I've found that in order to be listed as a "full bath" the room must contain a toilet, a sink a bathtub AND a shower head. If a room only has a shower or only has a bathtub without a shower head, it's considered a "3/4" bath" for resale purposes. That will affect your resale value.
Best of luck,
Shaughnn