Converting bathroom into shower room?

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We had a very small bathroom with separate toilet next door. So (as we had a downstairs loo as well) we decided to knock the wall down and where we blocked up one of the doors we put in a quadrant shower. Perfect! Neither of us can manage getting out of the bath but it's still there if we have to sell.

Havn't had a bath for years !!! Sounds awful doesn't it. We got rid of the bath and installed a large size shower and have never missed the bath which was more and more difficult to get in and out of. Cannot think of any pitfalls or disadvantages - only the convenience of stepping into a roomy shower and coming out feeling refreshed.

After I retired, I bought a bungalow where the bathroom had been converted (not very well) into a shower room. I'm stuck with it. All I can say is "don't do it, don't do it!" Squeezing into a shower cubicle isn't much fun if you're not skinny!

SarahHellen - Don't get a walk in bath! My mother had one and she had to sit in it while it filled up - took ages - and then sit there damply while it emptied. Again, took quite a long time. And the bathroom always seemed to smell, but I think there was not enough fall on the waste pipe for it to empty completely.

I had my bath replaced with shower after six weeks without washing hair or self after a hip operation. Like many gransnetters, it was one of the best things I did, but never liked soaking in bath anyway.

Four years ago we had our 1970s "avocado" bathroom completely refitted. Had a smaller bath installed alongside a larger "walk-in" shower with a fold-down seat and a grab handle. (We don't use the bath but there was enough room to install one - handy for visiting children.) Two years later, DH, aged only 60, had a septic knee which required surgery. Having the shower was brilliant - he could sit there, with a plastic-bag on his leg, and use the (hand-held) shower. I'd highly recommend having a user-friendly shower cubicle in any home. And we'd always choose the shower if it was a choice between either shower or bath.

I don't know if all councils do this, but we had an advisor to come and discuss what we wanted. We weren't eligible for grants, but they had a list of approved plumbers, and would have organised it all for a fee if we had wanted.
We went for a walk-in shower, with plenty of handrails, and it's ideal. My husband has balance problems, and a seat didn't work, so I put two suction grips on the shower screen, and he leans back on the opposite wall. I wasn't sure about this, but he only uses them for balance, not to pull on. I reattach them on first of each month, and have had them for two or three years now with no problems.
He also has trouble with a push button toilet, and we couldn't have a handle, so we have a sensor flush, battery operated. Impresses the grandchildren no end!

have a small bathroom with a shower over bath and a bath chair which lowers me into bath, as have severe eczema much easier to use creams etc in bath. chair is very easy to use. means i can have a lovely soak and warm water eases my other aches and pains. the chair is easy to remove for husband to use. would like a walk in shower but we both love bath too much. have used on holidays etc with either stool placed in or fold down seat. great for every day but missed my bath and found it difficult to safely apply all oils etc.

just to say make sure it is tanked properly, especially if it is upstairs, just moved into house where it hasn't been and
sitting room ceiling has begun to have water ingress problems,also make sure the water pressure is good or get a pump fitted, good plumber will know all this and more

My previous home had an en-suite with shower, I did find it a bit restrictive but managed. We also had a bathroom which I used to wash my hair & DH used.

When I moved after DH died I insisted that I needed a shower, luckily my new home has a wet room. I had only used one once when we stayed in a Holiday Flat & hated it. I think the reason is I have a mop handy & always dry my floor when I've had a shower, not something I could do in the holiday flat.

It definitely makes life easier having a shower, in my case I've never really liked baths much preferring showers

Riverwalk thanks for that explanation I was thinking of an elderly friend who can no longer use her bath but I don't think she would manage it either her balance isn't good.

Fortunately my present home already had a separate shower and bath.
Since I had a hip replacement this shower has saved me as no way can I get into a bath.I miss my bath though and have thought of getting a walk in bath as I love the warmth a bath gives. Am I right about this and does anyone have one?

Tanith with this particular lift you would have difficulty if you really can't lift your legs. However, there are other lifts, no doubt more expensive, where you sit sideways and there is a ledge to place your legs on, then pull a lever which then swivels the seat, and your legs, over the bath.

For anyone who can lift their own legs, once seated sideways, or has someone to assist, my original lift can be very useful and economical.

Riverwalk I'm trying to visualise your bath lift, I'm wondering how you swing yourself around? I have really bad hips and cannot lift my left leg so swinging my legs up and over would be nigh on impossible for me, just curious

Lived with just a shower for years,no regrets!

For the umpteenth time (not on commission!) may I recommend this bath lift which I've used for any number of patients. Not necessarily this brand but the general idea.

It sits in the bath, having been previously charged, no electrics, no fittings. You use a hand-held control, lowers you down, back lowers to about 45 degrees and you have a soak, press up, and up you come to the height of the bath, swing around and you're done!

They are ideal for anyone who has only one bathroom, likes a soak to ease aching bones, and doesn't want to spend too much money.

bath

Another thing to perhaps consider when re-doing a bathroom with or without a bath. It is a good idea to change the door, if possible, so that it opens outwards into the hall or landing rather than inwards into the bathroom. There are several instances where someone has collapsed in a bathroom and it has been very difficult to access the room because they were laying across behind the door. If the door is able to open outwards it makes things much easier.

I made a very big stupid mistake, with my shower.
I chose one in the Showroom, with the lowest step I could find.
I did not realise that by the time the plumbing is done it raises the step....... I can manage it but maybe in the future when I am even more decrepit, I will need a portable step, I know they are available.

25 years ago we bought this house which was locally notorious as "the house with no bath". We converted a bedroom into a bathroom and used that and the existing shower room. Attitudes change though and DD and fiancé bought a house last year that only had a walk in shower with no bath. And they have no plans to install a bath. When she lived in the Caribbean few houses and flats had baths, so you could buy extra large baby baths to accommodate toddlers. I think that few people now consider lack of a bath a deal breaker when buying a house, so do what suits you Wilygran.

Had a council grant years ago to convert my small bathroom to a wet room because of severe arthritis. No steps to trip over. Electric shower. Room for a shower stool. Neighbours have done the same. No problem about selling the property as nearby one sold because it had wet norm. Bijou

MiL did this in a flat but I wouldn't do it in a family house as I think it would put people with children off
It depends how long you are going to stay I guess

We have a couple of showers in this house and a small bath, which was there when we bought the house, downstairs in what is now a cloakroom. In our last house we changed the bath for a large shower and put a bath in the spare bedroom which was very large - that was an attic room and you could be in the bath and look at the stars through the roof window!
All of our showers have the ceramic thermostats and the overhead shower and also the hand held one you can remove. Both our overhead showers can be tilted etc and are large sized to give you a good spray. One of the trays is 'sunken' so you step down into the tray. Luckily we have corgi registered plumbers in the family which is helpful for jobs like this!

We had our bathroom refitted 4 years ago, had the bath removed it was too small anyway, now just have a shower. We are in our 70's and thought a shower would be better then a bath . Don't regret it at all best thing we ever ✅ done.

It's lovely to have a really nice bath or shower room
Worth spending all you can on it! We have toilet and loo downstairs and bathroom upstairs with over bath shower
Should have had grab rails fitted though as I can't get out of Bath from seated position. Worth thinking ahead!

Hand spray,