How important is a bathtub?

[Maxine33]

Thanks to COVID I have a pretty open calendar ahead of me and was considering using the down time to update my very dated bathroom.  It is a small bathroom (probably 7 x 7)  and the only full bath in the townhouse and there is not that much you can do with the space. What do you think would be best?

1. Remove the tub and put in a really cool shower with a bench;

2. Replace the tub with another standard, alcove tub;

3. Replace with a deep, stand-alone tub and tile the walls;

4. Save the money and just reglaze the old tub.

My place is in the moderate price range and my guests stay 1-3 months and range in age from 40-80.  In the winter months I almost always host retirees from the Northern US and Canada.  I had always planned on renovating the bathroom with a stand-alone claw and ball style tub so I could take nice long baths but with so many of my guests being seniors I worry getting in and out might be an issue.

Thanks for your feedback!

[Helen3]

Depends on your target market? Families tend to like bathtubs. Young professionals showers.

[Mark116]

@Maxine33  I think just having a stand alone tub would be the wrong move, while some, like me, loves a deep soaking tub, a lot of people only like showers.  I wonder if there could be a #5 where you upgrade to a  more luxurious tub enclosure and shower, but still keeping the option to have both.

[Maxine33]

@Mark116, you mean like a new tub with a cool tile surround?  Right now it is just boring white. I put in subway tiles back in 1999 before they were cool but that is the extent of updates to the room. 

The bathroom is as deep as the tub and the entry door opens along side the bathtub.  The opposing wall has the toilet and vanity.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Maxine33 

From a hosting point of view..... I'd go with the shower with bench. For my own private & personal use, a deep soaking tub. 

Cleaning tubs is so much extra work compared to shower booths.

[Laura2592]

@Maxine33  I am an avid soaking tub person, so I was super excited when we bought our cottage and it had two big bathrooms, one with a clawfoot tub. I would say about 25%-30% of my guests really enjoy the tub. Most just head upstairs to the very typical bath/shower combo. However those who love a tub will book a place with a nice soaker over one that doesn't have one. I have done many a search and booking based on tubs. In fact, I am happy to pay more for one. I am not alone but I am in the minority.

 I would say check out your competition. Your place is very cute and affordable. Maybe upgrading the bathroom will allow you to recoup some money. I would love to see you put in a soaker, but it really only makes sense if you also have room for a separate shower. I would pass on your listing if it was shower only and most people would pass on it if it was tub only. So in the interest of economy, maybe reglaze the tub, paint and update the vanity/hardware/furnishings if you don't have space to do both a luxury tub and stand-alone shower. 

If you get a lot of older people, showers are the way to go. But I wouldn't make a permanent change based on a specific population. You want your listing to be as popular with as many groups as possible. 

[Maxine33]

On thing to mention, @Laura2592 and @Mark116 , if I did the stand alone tub I would still have a shower.  It would be something like one of these.

My bathroom is a little wider than thisSolid tile wall... no window

[Laura2592]

@Maxine33 I am a big fan of both tubs. But I will say this. If you are trying to appeal to snowbirds who are older, having higher sides to climb over will be a no no. We have a shower with our clawfoot and the older guests we have will brave our steep stairs to get to the inset tub/shower rather than use the clawfoot for the shower. That particular bathroom with the soaker is attached to the downstairs bedroom (the "average" tub is upstairs and the staircase is old and steep) where they often stay for the benefit of "one level living". I think there is a lot of fear about slipping and falling. We supply a suction cup bath mat for the interior and when they do use it, the bathmat is always out after they leave. 

If you want to appeal to the 25%-30% of the market who loves a good soak, or if you want one yourself, by all means put a soaker in. But if you are really looking to appeal to older folks, they probably won't see it as a positive.  You know your market and who you are trying to attract more than I. I would never discourage anyone from putting in a nice soaking tub!

[Sally221]

Consider adding a grab bar- if you are re-tiling it's a pretty inexpensive & a nice safety feature.

[Emily487]

@Maxine33 

I would go with a large shower with a built in bench. Clawfoot tubs look charming but they are set up so high that they can be tricky to get in and out of for anyone with mobility or balance problems (which is't always an older person). I have a clawfoot tub at my own house and cursed it everyday when I was recovering from  a broken leg last year. 

[Terri38]

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/pros-and-cons-walk-tubs.htm

Another option

[Maxine33]

Thanks!  My bathroom is actually a bit to small for that but it is a good idea.

[Huma0]

@Maxine33 

I host guests of all ages and nationalities, but the majority of them are 20 or 30 somethings. I have the bath below in my largest bathroom and it is a real draw on the listing (gets loads of comments). Having said that, very few guests actually use it. Of the ones that do, most are American. Not sure why.

If you have a small bathroom, I think a nice walk-in shower is a more practical option, but if you are set on a roll top bath, you can get this deep but compact versions. However, they are pricey and not sure they are suitable for the older age range of your market as accessibility would be an issue.

[Bob40]

Kaldewei make a special bath tub with a shower end, I've installed two of them and they're excellent. You can opt for the water to come in by the overflow, so no projecting tap into the bathtub, and grab handles.

[Gohel0]

You are right Bob. I searched for a Contemporary modern tub for months from here

https://bathroomer.org/best-soaking-tub/ until I came..
The Kaldewei tub is unusual in that its really an "above the floor" type drain, around 3 1/2" off the floor, which can make installation a lot easier, although because of that it might not be as deep inside. Its a little more than 30", which means you are going to have to offset the plumbing a little.