Future proofing the bathroom

I have a friend who was an estate agent and now works in property renovation. She advised me NOT to get rid of my bath when I renovated the bathroom this year. This is as I live in a very 'family friendly' area and people with young children want baths! I also have an arthritic knee but find soaking in a hot bath does wonders for the pain. I do have a roomy new separate shower but on reflection am really glad I kept the bath.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202401/medium-496408-counter-top-sink.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202401/medium-67387-walk-in-shower.jpg

Doodledog

I am not an architect, and definitely not an artist , but this is a rough drawing. It is not to scale at all, but you can see the position of the doors and windows, as well as the plumbed in items.

These would be options that I would consider

Knock down the wall between the toilet and the bathroom. Block up the bathroom door. You could then have a walk in rectangular shower along the wall where the existing shower is and the old door was. The cost of this could be minimal as the shower plumbing is already there. Keep the bath where it is.

Have a vanity unit with the sink in it. This would be good for storage. You could even have one custom made to your specifications. If you had a counter top basin, that would give more storage underneath.

Depending on the width of the room - if you had the shower along the old door wall, you could incorporate some shelving or a cupboard at one end. A bit like this picture I found on the internet.

Moving the toilet would be costly as the sewage pipe would have to be moved.

I think this would be a cost effective option as you are not moving any of the plumbing

OH was a “bath person” I converted him and he uses the wet room, when you are less able a shower with decent grab handles and a seat is far easier.
It’s up to you if you have the loo in the same room it’s often easier to have a separate loo and wash basin as long as you have space for wheelchair if needed.

If it was me I would block off the toilet door and have a wet room type walk in shower in that corner. There is also space for a cupboard there too. Replace the old shower with a new toilet. Our toilet has been brought forward from the wall and a boiler cupboard made behind it. So you could also have a cupboard in that corner accessed from the side behind the door. Get the bath re- enamelled and keep it to use for as long as you can. Always useful for a new family to have a bath and shower. I’m sure a bathroom company could design this for you to fit shower, bath and storage with good ventilation too. Good luck!

Like Germanshepherdsmum I'd always have a vanity unit under the basin, ideally with drawer(s).
Personally I'd knock the two rooms together and have a good extractor fan on a timer close to the toilet. However if you want to maintain a distinct space for the toilet you could leave part of the side wall but open up a doorway, with a glass door separating the toilet from the bathroom, either a like a shower door that folds in two inwards or a sliding door in a "wall pocket" depending on how much space you have.
A free-standing bath looks nice very but the space required around it does take up room that could be better utilised if you have a more fitted look.
We've renovated our new flat and did put in a bath as I prefer it to a shower. However my husband likes showers so we've cut off part of the largest spare room to add one there, with a basin and a good extractor (there's already a separate loo on that floor). We have our washer and dryer in a cupboard at the other end, giving us more storage space elsewhere. Fortunately this could be done without much new plumbing as the main drain is below.

If you have a separate loo downstairs, I can't see making the bathroom/toilet upstairs into one room being an issue. If you are worried about the smell have a fan installed that comes on when you turn the light on, or one that comes on with a sensor when you go into the bathroom. I always have the bathroom window open at least a crack when the weather is less than freezing. I have odour neutralising spray in our downstairs loo.

When I was young and living with my parents, I used to spend hours in the bath. There was always someone hammering on the door wanting to go to the loo. We didn't have another loo in the house.

I love having a bath. I would only give it up when I couldn't physically get in and out of it.

As others have said, having a walk in shower and a bath would be better for re-sale than an OAP type wet room with just a shower. Especially in a family home.

I agree with Pink Cosmos that moving the toilet would be expensive, you actually may not be physically able to move it to where you want because of the drainage requred. It's always much simpler to work around the toilet than to move it.

Vickya, those walk in baths must make you chilly, as you have to be in there and wait for the bath to fill surely?

vickya

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

I would say beware of walk in baths. Do you not have to stay in them until they empty, meaning you are hanging around dripping until you can open the door?

Auntieflo

*Vickya*, those walk in baths must make you chilly, as you have to be in there and wait for the bath to fill surely?

Sorry AuntieFlo - crossed post

Owners before us knocked seperate loo space into the bedroom and created a shower and sink ensuite, very useful especially when family stay.

I used to have a shower over bath but I’ve got arthritis and I slipped one day and hurt myself badly because I was struggling to get out the bath. I’ve since downsized. I’m now in a bungalow with a wet room and it’s great showers are more hygienic anyway and I don’t miss my huge house or bath

We had a shower over the bath, and when refitting the bathroom I insisted that we retained a bath. Everyone told me it was pointless as we rarely used it, but I had a little fantasy of myself relaxing in a lovely big candle lit bath, and OH being able to soak his aching limbs after gardening. Of course, we carried on as always, having a quick shower, and the one occasion that I indulged in a deep bath - no candles, not enough time - I realised we needed a walk in shower. OH was by then having trouble with his knee, and stoically struggled to climb into the bath/shower as it was what I had wanted. It wasn't alarmingly expensive to change the bath for a big walk in shower tray and glass screen to the floor. What a delight - so easy, so safe, and the only downside was the crowing of several family members ; 'Seee? I told you so'.

🤗 PinkCosmos.
You got the getting out bit, I got the getting in. Team work!

I’m reluctant to go down the walk-in bath route at this stage. Putting it as tactfully as possible, they are not likely to appeal to anyone but older people and the disabled, so I think would affect resale options if we wanted to sell. We don’t foresee doing so for a while, however, so I’m not letting resale get in the way too much, as I can still get in and out of the bath easily (I’m 64). My caution is around spending ££££ on a layout that might only be useful for a few years if my arthritis gets worse.

I agree that keeping the loo where it is is a better option than moving it, and am moving towards the idea of a flatbed shower across the space where the bathroom door is now. If the company can re-enamel the bath I have I’d go for that option too, I think, as it is a deep, large bath, and cast iron keeps the heat well.

I’m keeping everyone’s ideas in mind, though, so please keep them coming, and feel free to join in if you are embarking on bathroom-related activities yourself.

I don’t know why but I’m enjoying your thread immensely, Doodledog even though I’m not in the market for any renovations.

I have replaced bathrooms in the past and these are some points I learned. Have a back-to-wall loo which conceals the cistern (get the joiner to make the countertop removable for access) and pipes.

Wall hung storage units mean there are no legs to clean around. I went for waterproof panelling instead of tiles. There’s no grouting to discolour and there are many styles to choose from, plus it’s quicker to install.

Do away with skirting boards, have the tiles/panelling come right down to the floor, again for easier cleaning.

Have a lighted mirror - it will transform your life! 😂

This is the shower we had put in our en suite, large shower head obscured. Similar tiling to the one shown, smaller room though but we do have the drawers under the basin. Because we had a big step up with the shower previously there, I wanted mine completely flat. We do have a bigger family bathroom and I agree taking a bath out isn't wise, our children and grandchildren when they were little only ever wanted a bath not a shower.

We have just finished up a complete bathroom renovation. Got rid of the bath that we never used and changed it to a big walk in shower.We were thinking ahead to when getting into the over the bath shower became to difficult. We changed the vanity to a much longer one with loads of space and drawers.Could you add a tower to the vanity to add more storage? It is gorgeous and we have no regrets about loosing the bath. My real estate friend says if someone really want to buy the house in years to come the lack of a bath wouldn’t prevent the sale, it would not be a huge job to remove the shower and add a bath.Good luck making the decisions, I really enjoyed shopping in the bathroom show rooms and getting loads of ideas.

you can get a bath with an opening door so you don't have to climb over the full height of a bath if you want to combine the two into one. Personally I would move it so the bath/shower is not under the window for a bit more privacy if you can be overlooked. You can see a body through frosted glass if there is a light on.

Work in progress but plenty of storage

Future proofing our bathing facilities for possible disabilities before we need to is the smart thing to do as we get older. Access problems can become critical suddenly. Also it becomes more difficult and exhausting to have any work done as we get older. If you are having work done on your bathroom now I would definitely think ahead and prioritize an accessible shower, whatever else you may have to compromise on. Since you love a bath, maybe you can manage both but I don't believe having a bath or not having a bath is key to selling a house.

These days, although very mobile, showers over the bath terrify me. It’s so very easy to slip, and getting out of the bath is a problem…
My new shower is my pride and joy!

I had my bath removed and the layout changed. The bath was under the window, so the shower couldn’t be put in the same position. It entailed moving the loo and the basin which was a bit difficult but do-able. It was the best thing I’ve done!

I also had the bathroom door altered to open outwards, it gave me more room in the bathroom and also for safety. When my husband was alive he fell in the bathroom and got trapped behind the door, which was so stressful.

It gives me peace of mind to know that now I live on my own if I were to fall the door can be opened easily to get me out.

We had our bathroom revamped a few years ago.. We retained the bath but had a lower height and slightly shorter than the standard size. We had a shower fitted into the corner which is fine . When DH was very poorly post surgery and not allowed to get his complicated abdominal dressing wet, he was able to sit on a seat across the bath to wash his feet and legs . But since his death , I have had a hip replacement and awaiting another, the bath is used only when the GC stay, and even they often opt for showers . I will keep the bath though, it’s useful for the airer to stand in to dry washing and too much of a faff to change into a full length walk in.

Consolidate the two spaces into one area. The biggest expense of a remodel is the relocation of plumbing lines say, to accommodate a toilet (loo) in the new space. But definitely get the loo where it belongs!

A walk-in shower with a sliding glass door is convenient and safe for seniors. The new doors are easy to clean, being smooth on the inside (for wipedowns) and pebbled on the outside for a refracted look. Make sure you shower has grab bars around waist level.

I find the open concept wet room shower to be too cold and airy - when I want to get the chill out of my bones. An enclosed shower will capture the water’s heat.

Contractors are designers also and can give you much needed storage space modules.
You will love your new bathroom!
USA Gundy