Could Removing Bath Lower Flat Price?

pennypincher3562

Hi

I was thinking of totally removing the bath in my relatively small flat, and replacing with a shower unit only.

Do you reckon this could be a mistake, as some people may have a preference for a bath?

Thanks in advance.

davidmcn

Having a bath will be on some buyers' wish lists (it was somewhere on mine, after five years in a flat without a bath), so the lack of one will put some off. Objectively though I doubt it makes a significant effect to the market value.

[Deleted User]

Presumably you're living there yourself? In which case I would suggest that you do what suits you - if you sell and the purchaser wants a bath, they can refit one.

It's down to taste really - a couple of years ago we moved to a bungalow which had the bathroom converted into a wetroom which most people seem to prefer. Mrs Sleazy wanted a bath installed instead :mad: it cost under £1000 so not a major expense in the grand scheme of things. Now all I have to worry about are the hot water bills ...

pennypincher3562

@Sleazy. A shower is a personal preference of mine, however I don't want to do anything to put potential buyers off.

It's a good flat, however property prices in this region seem 'depressed,' and have not fully recovered after the crash.

Maybe it's just another one of my 'stupid ideas' to put a shower unit in.

Person_one

Unless you plan to live there for at least 10 years, I wouldn't.

With a bath, you can still have a good quality shower head over the bath, a nice screen etc. and have either option. With just a shower cubicle/wet room you only have one choice. I wouldn't buy somewhere without a bath unless the bathroom was so old I was going to have to rip it out and start afresh anyway.

pennypincher3562

@Person_one I think you are right. I have decided it's a bad idea.

Kynthia

It's your home and you should make it suit you. However if you are thinking of selling at some point then considering the effect on that isn't ridiculous.

I personally think it will have virtually no effect on value but it could put a few buyers off. However your property is a small flat so your target market is unlikely to be people with young children, who are tge biggest group likely to be put off by no bath. So you're likely to put off only a small percentage of your potential buyers and many of your other potential buyers may prefer a proper shower. So I wouldn't worry.

Alter_ego

Is the flat suitable for someone with young children? If yes they would probably want a bath.

AdrianC

It may reduce your target market. Whether that reduces the value depends largely on how much it reduces the target market by. It also depends on how bad the bathroom is now and how good it will be afterwards.

A fresh, stylish, shower-only bathroom is likely to increase the appeal, and the value, to younger buyers than a tired avocado-coloured bath with a dribbler over it.

dc197

We offered on a house without a bath, it has been removed by elderly owners.
If the market were not so strong, we would have offered less to make up for having to pay for fitting a bath. Perhaps £500 or £1000 less.
But it today's market in my town you'd be ignored if you offered less than asking.

So here and now, a lack of bath makes no difference to price.

Elsewhere and at another time, it probably would make a difference.

Indout96

We have just bought a bungalow with only a walk in shower - don't care that there is no bath.
We put in an £8000 bathroom where we live now with 18 hole spa bath and separate walk in shower. Bath has been used about 50 times in 5 years (cant remember the last time) Shower every day.