Future proofing the bathroom

Calendargirl

^but best of all a big cupboard to put everything in^

In other words, an airing cupboard, which so many homes don’t seem to have now.

No calendargirl. Not an airing cupboard at all because I’ve already got one of those with the tank in it and space for bedding and towels. My new cupboard is floor to ceiling and holds overflow from my wardrobes, seasonal duvets at the top, shelves designed for bottles, loo rolls etc. it’s multi purpose and a god send. Also, small plastic crates with medication such as paracetamols all clearly labelled on the front. Heat pads, blood pressure monitor etc. all in this one big cupboard.

Hot tub on the patio?

Just thinking outside the box (must be the mulled apple juice!)

Having just had the work done to install a second loo downstairs I second that keeping your existing loo in place is a good idea - it has cost us £1000 - £1300 to install a new drainage system across our front drive.

i was only 57 when i could not get in and out of the bath, i had a few falls and realised that as much as i loved my bath i did not want to have anymore falls, i stay in a H/A house so it was time to ask for a walk in shower, i have a seat and can sit as long as i like under the shower, it is not the same, but being on my own and risking a fall was not worth it. keep the loo where it is and have a look about getting some storage for under the sink or slimline drawers or large laundry type basket with lid for towels, i have a slim bookcase for all my prescribed shampoos, creams and shower gels (psoriasis), try sitting with some paper and mark out your bathroom with or without the bath and see what you could get in the space. have a look online about storage or whatever else you would like. good luck.

My feeling is that whoever buys my house when i sell will want to put in a new bathroom and can do what they like. While I own it I will have what I want and need. 15 years ago before DH died we put in a new kitchen based on the belief that we would be selling it and moving a year or two later. He died, I am unable to move for the foreseeable future and I HATE the kitchen. I am never doing anything to any house on the basis of expecting to move again.

Nothing to add really except that after having two new hips. I felt it such an achievement to be able to say I had a bath last night. It was fantastic
Got a shower room downstairs but it’s just not the same as a soak in the bath with some Epsom Salts

I have the Japanese attitude towards baths - shower first rather than wallow in your own grime. I don’t remember when I last had a bath - probably about twenty five years. Give me a shower every time. We inherited a jacuzzi in the en suite when we moved here - still as good as new, and will remain so.

You don’t know what you are missing GSM
I hope you are not implying anything
On the other hand in a previous house there was a jacuzzi Apart from it being massive the tank not holding enough water to fill it My husband was quite excited but said it was like having a bath in a cement mixer

I’d suggest that if you decide to get rid of the bath you think about having a bidet. It is so useful if for any reason you can’t get your feet or legs wet. It’s been a godsend at times for us since the builder automatically added one to our bathroom plans. Incidentally they are a joy to very small grandchildren. “Look a special little washbasin just for me!”

I know exactly what I’m missing. Years ago I didn’t have a shower, only a bath. I would never, ever, again want to have a bath - only a shower. I just don’t understand why lying in rapidly cooling water which contains your own grime holds one iota of pleasure.

If you knocked through into the loo and lost that door you could fit a shower unit into the square area. Or put in a range of storage. That would free up space for the hand basin (or two!) with under unit storage.

I had a bath last night, the last of the year. Mostly I shower but I love a bath, I can really attend to my feet and skin without getting cold and soak away any aches and pains. I don’t do anything that makes me particularly grimy nowadays but even then, well, you soak an item that’s really dirty, you don’t just chuck a bucket of water over it and hope it’ll be clean.

When we moved to this house, although the en suite wasn't particularly old, it had a convoluted design where the shower was a step up affair almost like a dais. Coupled with the previous owners dreadful grouting , we decided to rip the whole thing out and I was absolutely adamant that I wanted a completely flat shower cubicle. The bathroom fitters hummed and ha'd a bit but I got my way. That was and has been invaluable to me when I broke my arm recently. The bath in the main bathroom is rarely used.

Thanks for all your comments. I do prefer a bath to a shower, and as I bathe every night I don’t worry about grime . I have to be realistic about the practicalities though.

I do like the idea of blocking off the bathroom door - I was thinking more of losing the current door to the loo, but having the entrance at the bottom of the room would work better.

I believe it might work well and most reasonably, if you leave the plumbing where it is. That said, with real measurements, perhaps try this on?

Close off the bathroom door. Draw a wall between the loo right wall and the bathroom lower right corner, have a new door installed in that new ~45 degree wall - if the impact on the bedroom would not be negative. Reverse the Loo door, it would then open against the far right wall and be the only door.

Tile the entire space (future proofing). Reverse the tub along the wall with the loo, drain and plumbing in same current place.

Bespoke cabinets and sink, built to fit where the sink plumbing exists and around the now empty corner (where the end of the tub was).

New larger shower space, where the shower plumbing exists.

We kept a bath, although I don’t use it our grandchildren do. They still love a bubble bath as part of their bedtime routine. I wish I’d insisted on a wet room type shower, as recommended by GSM. I’d go for as much storage as possible

We did put in a wet room type walk in shower in the downstairs bathroom. So if ever I can’t use the stairs I can live downstairs. In reality, now the children no longer live here, the downstairs bathroom is the dog shower. They come into the house via the side door into the utility - they walk straight into the shower, where a special shower hose, fitted at labrador height waits to spray them clean.

We have a large broom cupboard next to the downstairs loo, and have often said we would convert that to a shower room by knocking through. For now, it’s more use as somewhere to keep old tins of paint and similar ’stuff’, so it’s not on the top of the future proofing list, but it’s definitely a possibility in a few years when other things have been done.

Oooh wonderful initiative - my dream is to revamp my bathroom - would love a walk in shower etc- but so expensive - just sticking to shower over bath unit

Do not get rid of the bath! Families with young children prefer a bath, you can bath more than one at the same time plus most ( ?) young children hate showers. If in any doubt ask a local estate agent. They should be quite happy to give advise We knocked loo into bathroom and haven't regretted it. We have a separate shower. We also have a downstairs loo.

Sounds good, Babamaman. Anyone who plans to do anything in the bathroom is welcome, from a complete revamp to changing the loo-roll holder . Sharing ideas is always useful, I find. I’m not starting anything until summer though. Plans just now are simply to think about possibilities, and then I’ll look into finding companies and getting prices etc.

Thanks Plunger. With a name like that you sound like an expert .

We have a large walk in shower in the en suite with a single sheet of glass. The step is only about 2”. It’s brilliant and there is room for a stool etc should it be needed in the future. We have been here 4 1/2 years and neither of us has been in the bath. Only DGC and the dog!

I wouldn’t leave it too long Doodledog - it takes an age to find a tradesman willing to quote, and yet another age for them to actually make a start. If you would like the work finished by next Christmas I would, in all seriousness, start firming up on your plans and finding a reputable tradesman within the next month.

We have a shower over the bath, considered taking out the bath, but OH still enjoys a soak.
I have a chair which lifts me in and out of bath. It’s not as good but better than nothing. I was beginning to find it hard to step into the bath to use the shower so we had a carpenter to build two steps with grab rails so I can shower easily.
We are hoping this will suffice until OH can no longer use the bath.
Hope this is useful.

It is, Taffy, thank you.

I’m sure you’re right, GSM, but honestly, after having people in doing the bedrooms and kitchen right up to Christmas, I just want a break from it all. Also, I made kitchen decisions too quickly, I think, so this time I’d like to let things mull over, and listen to as many thoughts on the matter as possible before asking for quotes. That way, I can ask for costs for what I want, rather than not really knowing what I want and going along with things. I’ll be happy if it is done in time for next Christmas, so ‘the summer’ is when I’d planned to start ringing round, with an idea of what I’m hoping to achieve more firmed up by then.

We revamped - made separate wc and bathroom into 1 shower room and took our bath out and used the space to make the kitchen area bigger (we are in a bungalow)
At the time, my hot tub was working so I could have a good soak in that, however, the hot tub broke down and will cost too much to repair so I now sometimes wish that I still had a bath to soak in. Love my shower room though and the extra space I gained in the kitchen, so I think I am saying just imagine never having a bath again before you remove it.

Googling I found this

www.bathingsolutions.co.uk/walk-in-baths/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhc-sBhCEARIsAOVwHuSda36UJlCP3PNLyj_jy4nn3iSWkJTk6HTpYKBdZcRk2FIHSaLjwZkaAubVEALw_wcB

So walk in bath. Perhaps it takes less room so there might be room for a separate shower