Bath Out, Shower In

We have two showers in the house, both walk in - one with bifold door and one with curved sliding doors. Both work well and are used all the time. We do have a 'proper' bathroom with bath but it's rarely used as we prefer showers. When we proposed taking the bath out of the (then) small ensuite my SiL was astonished but it's more practical, hygienic and economical (on water and power)

I intend to have my bath removed and a walk in shower installed. I will leave the choice to the plumber who installed the bathroom some years ago. I couldn’t care less about future buyers. My excouncil house will probably go to a property developer anyway who will change it.
I hate the idea of refitting the house just to please future buyers who will just remove everything to suit themselves. My hard earned things being chucked out no way

If you are in the UK contact your local adult services and they can assist certainly in finding reputable workmen. My parents had their shower removed and wet room done, special slop resist flooring, walk in shower area with rails and a seat fitted.

Our Mum lives in a purpose built retirement apartment. Every apartment in the development has a walk-in shower, no baths. That’s definitely the way to go - I want a shower room like that!

DaisyAnne

LJP1

A hot bath is the best way to get your blood pressure down, better than a shower and I certainly would not swap it for a shower. Besides, the exercise needed to get in and out is useful. A rubber bathmat in the bath as well as one outside will help reduce the risk of slipping and a handle installed just above the rim of the bath can help in standing up. If you sit and then roll over onto your knees, grip the rim with both hands and slide a leg over the rim to the bath mat, followed by the other leg, then stand up, you will be able to manage better. Give it a try!

Good luck!

It's nice of you to pass on the advice but I do think you have to accept that if people say it would be too difficult for them to get in and out of a bath, then it is too difficult for them to get in and out.

Just to add that if someone has had knee replacements, I think the advice is not to kneel.

I was fortunate enough to have a wet room installed last autumn as I could no longer get into the bath, and it's heaven.

You say that the house will remain yours until you die so in my opinion you need it to be your home which means that it needs to be practical for you!

Before buying a wet room though, my advice would be to contact your council Occupational Therapy department, they may have other tricks that you could consider, and may even be able to help you with the cost.

One tip I would give you is that showers are far easier to get out of than a bathing you slip, and there's nothing more embarrassing than a pair of burly ambulance men helping you out in all your glory!

LJP1

A hot bath is the best way to get your blood pressure down, better than a shower and I certainly would not swap it for a shower. Besides, the exercise needed to get in and out is useful. A rubber bathmat in the bath as well as one outside will help reduce the risk of slipping and a handle installed just above the rim of the bath can help in standing up. If you sit and then roll over onto your knees, grip the rim with both hands and slide a leg over the rim to the bath mat, followed by the other leg, then stand up, you will be able to manage better. Give it a try!

Good luck!

Not when you’ve recently had a hip replacement as many on here have.

LJP1

A hot bath is the best way to get your blood pressure down, better than a shower and I certainly would not swap it for a shower. Besides, the exercise needed to get in and out is useful. A rubber bathmat in the bath as well as one outside will help reduce the risk of slipping and a handle installed just above the rim of the bath can help in standing up. If you sit and then roll over onto your knees, grip the rim with both hands and slide a leg over the rim to the bath mat, followed by the other leg, then stand up, you will be able to manage better. Give it a try!

Good luck!

It's nice of you to pass on the advice but I do think you have to accept that if people say it would be too difficult for them to get in and out of a bath, then it is too difficult for them to get in and out.

Who's going to wash your back in a shower, Ruthie? If your shower is as big as the footprint of the bath it replaces, the same person who would have scrubbed your back before can stand far enough away from you in the shower. You can get a long-handled brush that will reach down your back if you have no-one to help. Amazon have lots.

If you live alone, you are safer in a separate shower than in a bath - if you fell you could crawl out of it more easily than you could climb out of a bath. Think ahead! Have shower doors that open outward to a push, not inward Install grab handles Leave your mobile phone where you can reach it from the bathroom floor to ring for help, along with a bath towel to cover yourself for warmth and decency! Don't lock the bathroom door, leave it so that a rescuer could reach you. Have a pull card in the shower, which sets off an alarm - make it long enough to reach if lying on the shower base!

After a 2018 broken wrist and a 2021 broken arm (at the shoulder - no plaster just strapped to me) I don't think I'd go back to having a bath. I enjoy my hotel stayovers when there's a tub but even then, with the residual pain from my wrist, I find it hard getting in and out.

I'm literally putting in a new bathroom to my bungalow. There was room for a tub, but I would imagine the resale for a bungalow would be in my favour for a good shower. As I have documented arthritis the fitting company have said there is zero VAT too, which, at 20%, is a rare bonus.

A hot bath is the best way to get your blood pressure down, better than a shower and I certainly would not swap it for a shower. Besides, the exercise needed to get in and out is useful. A rubber bathmat in the bath as well as one outside will help reduce the risk of slipping and a handle installed just above the rim of the bath can help in standing up. If you sit and then roll over onto your knees, grip the rim with both hands and slide a leg over the rim to the bath mat, followed by the other leg, then stand up, you will be able to manage better. Give it a try!

Good luck!

sandelf

Sorry I wan't clear - the sort I mean is a bath you walk into - various door arrangements - with most you do have to step up but not far. And fill once you are inside. Or shower if you want. www.google.com/search?q=shower+bath+combo+uk&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB880GB880&sxsrf=AJOqlzX-35bmL8PaBKasWmx-L0BqSVAa7A:1677073569614&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjh54Pzoan9AhXZQUEAHekVAjkQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1920&bih=937&dpr=1

I had one of these monsters in my bathroom when I moved in and the original shower cubicle. The whole lot came out and was replaced with a lovely cubicle I find easy to access which could be made more so later. I also had room for my washing machine to be moved and fitted in the bathroom which I prefer to having them in the kitchen.

I think I would like a bath occasionally but I also think I am still as able to use one as I was 20 years ago. I am not. So all I am missing is a day dream.

As for getting cleaner in a bath, yuk.

I had my bathroom remodelled 5 years ago at the cost of £6000…as my husband could no longer step into the bath to shower( overhead shower) … it worked for him but not me . I now he has had to go into full-time care ( Alzheimer’s) and I , at home alone , have developed raging arthritis and long to soak in a bath. Now I’m gonna have to have a bath with a door put in so I can ‘have my soak’ but I think it’s an investment for future. One of those baths ( with doors) are expensive but it’s what I’m going to do.

We restyled our bathroom and took the bath out completely. It didn’t make a scrap of difference to the buyers and didn’t impact in the price at all.
In our new home we have a bathroom and shower rooms. I’ve not used the bath once in five years.
I would say ‘style your home for your convenience and comfort and let buyers make up their own minds. Just ponder….. if you found a home that you wanted to buy would not having a bath stop you from buying? Especially if putting one in wasn’t s big deal.
Happy showers 😊

V3ra

My daughter's house had had the bath taken out and a shower cubicle fitted by the previous older owners.

Her partner and my husband have taken the cubicle out and refitted a bath, with the shower over, which obviously suits them better having very young children.

With a large walk-in shower there would still be the space to re-fit a bath, so I can't see what you're thinking of doing putting any future purchasers off if that's what's worrying you.

But you definitely need to make your home fit for your needs now and in the near future.

This is exactly what I was about to say.
My mother-in-law has removed a bath and used the whole space for her shower. It would be easy-peasy to put a bath in again.

In the scheme of things, when buying a home, if there is still room for a bath it's an unusual purchaser who wouldn't want a house for this reason.
They would have to be on a very tight budget to be put off for the sake of a bath costing a couple of hundred pounds.

Do it I think.

I had "level access bathing" inlicted on me when I moved to sheltered housing. I absolutely hate it. The pump's noisy, VERY noisy. Easy to clean? Nonsense. The water gets everywhere in little pools and I need an oldfashioned floor mop to get rid of it. Also the so-called non-slip floor with its bobbly concrete is giving me corns. And where is a safe dry place to put all your bits and pieces - including loo roll - in a wet room? There isn't.
Everything stays soggy. It's mould-inducing and horrible.
There are many "safe" baths these days - the "sit on a canvas strip and be lowered down" variety, or, if that makes you nervous, one with a watertight door in the side. Of course, you have to empty such a bath before getting out of it, but anyone worried about getting cold needs to man up!
The bottom line is, a shower does not get you as clean as having a good soak. (Who's going to wash your back?) And what if you get stuck inside the cubicle with a door that won't open? Ever thought of that?
Iinstall a shower if you must, if there's room for one, but please - don't get rid of your bath. Upgrade the design of your bath, stay safe, and enjoy a good long relaxing soak with soft music and tea lights.

Just to the bath out and convert the bathroom to a wet-room, they're far more popular these days and will be so much better for your mobility.

I did this 7yrs ago, I did wonder about having an occasional soak for all of about 2mins, then thought, why would anyone want to lie, soaking in their own dirty water?

I've not looked back once, and it's increased the value of my house, not decreased it!

We decided to go tubless 3 years ago and are very happy with that decision. My son and his family (wife & toddlers) stay overnight fairly regularly, and if the children need to take a bath, we just put a large storage bucket in the shower and put water in that. Also, I have another relative who is 80, and if she stays overnight, it is easier for her to take a shower. We made this decision based on that fact that very rarely does anyone take a bath, and it would be easier and safer for all to get in and out. We did consider that perhaps the value of the house would be less when our children sell it (we plan to be here for the rest of our lives), but by the time that rolls around, the bathroom would probably need renovating any way, and it would be easy to put the tub back.

Put shower in, why are so many people scared to spend money, as want leave to family. Which is fine and good but not at the expense of your own safety and comfort. If you were to slip then all that money could be paying for your care… spend the money is what you should do.

We took out a bath and the new shower tray fitted in exactly the same space. Best thing we ever did as I had a stroke shortly after. Shower chair fitted perfectly. As I have partially recovered, chair is no longer needed. My advice is to get good quality taps, shower head. Best you can afford.

I stupidly insisted upon having a bath with a shower over - and then found that we didn't use the bath at all. After a couple of years, and then a grovelling conversation with OH (he had insisted that we didn't need the bath) we had a large walk in shower installed, with wall panels instead of tiling, and it is wonderful. So easy to clean, so quick to use, and anyone buying this house who wanted a bath would find it easy to convert - whip out shower tray, replace with bath. I can't imagine that anyone who wants a house would try to talk down the price for an alteration that wouldn't cost the earth.

My elderly parents struggled to get in and out of the bath and I was fearful one would slip n fall. I had a walk in shower put in with room for a bathroom plastic chair. It was a Godsend for them although did get a few grumbles bout how they missed their bath! I’m about now to sell their house but I honestly doubt it will make a great difference to sale price. I would go for a walk in tiled shower room .

We have dormer type house with sloped roof upstairs. Means bathroom is small. Had a feeble over bath shower. DH wanted a power shower. So we turned it into bathroom without bath and proper shower cubicle. But I love the occasional bath and we were lucky enough have a small downstairs loo/utility area which we turned into downstairs bathroom with a corner bath. Cost a bit, but perfect solution. And I've also used bath to wash king size duvet, and also our sons little doggo. I had also thought that removing bath totally might have lowered price or desirability of our house if we wanted to sell. I do think anyone with young children still needs a bath.

I always preferred a shower to a bath but many years ago when after gardening I took a bath and had trouble in getting out I was advised by the Occupational therapist to change my bathroom and got a grant from the Council to make it a wet room.
With poor mobility I don’t think one should have a shower cubicle as opening the door would be a problem.
Regarding selling the property the purchaser would most likely have a new bathroom and kitchen anyway.
Regarding bidets. I cannot understand why the British are so against them. They are so very useful.

I would not worry about selling the house TBH, putting a nice walk in shower will enable to stay in the house longer, realistically in the grand scheme of things the " family " will be selling either after your days or for you to go into a care home either way it won't be your problem and will probably be outdated by then so a new bathroom will be reflected in the price at the time.