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I feel like I've been running into a brick wall here...
Husband and I inherited a house. Neither of us has any kind of handy DIY type skills, at all.
There's a shower with a sliding door in the hall bath, where a normal family would want to bathe children and the unit is sized for a tub (30x60" or thereabouts.) It is a molded plastic insert and still has a working lower faucet, like one would need for a tub, so it would not be a big plumbing project.
I want to remove the sliding door completely (the metal frame is just held on with clear silicone caulk or whatever) and replace the plastic shower pan with a bathtub, turn it into a typical tub/shower combo.
Problem I've got...
Handyman and plumber types, say that this project is beyond what they can or will do.
Remodelers all seem to be salespeople who want to give me a whole pitch on the history of their company, their warranties, and then sell me another plastic (like, not even nice materials) glued to the wall situation for around $10K, and push in the hopes of getting even more out of me by making it an even bigger "Barbie Dream House" nonsense project, which I am not remotely interested in even a little. I'm OK with cheap materials if we're paying a cheap price. But $10K is not acceptable for this.
And like, I know that there are property management companies that have rental houses all over this area and I cannot imagine that they are paying $10K for a bathtub. There has got to be a solution that is closer to like, half that, or even a little less. I would think. And yet...here we are.
And I have to say it's one more thing for me, and I'm getting tired and grouchy. If I have something to sell, everyone wants to get it for free. If I need to buy something, everyone wants to snatch at way more than it's worth. I'm tired of people trying to rip me off from every angle on every little thing. I am so sick of schemers and scammers. The last "contractors" who came out to "give us an estimate on our project" were actually selling a bad product at an inflated price, and wasted over an hour of my time after I told them that the price tag would determine my answer and if it was in the $10K region it would be a NO. The gal tried to tell me she was a psychic and was speaking with my dead father in law, you guys. I'm not joking. They would not give us a cost until the end and then when I said, "like I told you before, that isn't going to work" they tried to wrangle me into financing. By that point I was like...yeah ya'll are adorable, bless your heart, please leave.
Ideas I have, and would love feedback on from anyone who has more experience with this sort of thing than I've got...
1. I was thinking of going to Home Depot and looking at bathtubs and surrounds and asking up at the front if they can connect me with contractors who do this kind of work, and whether they are "remodeling" people or will they charge a sane price if I am buying the product from H.D.? (On the website I can get a tub and surrounds for under $1,000...keep in mind I am totally fine with the quality being like..."rental property" level.)
2. Try to figure out how to DIY this? From the perspective of a busy person who has no idea what she is doing, but is moderately intelligent and generally able to learn things and follow directions? I mean...my Mom does projects like this. She would not hesitate. She's in another state and I can't (and wouldn't) involve her but she would be the first to tell me I can and should just do this myself. My husband however, says we should pay someone to do it, or don't do it at all. He's totally against the idea of DIY.
3. Give up? Really starting to wonder it if's worth the hassle. We plan to live in the house for maybe a year, then sell it and move. I could just cope with this and then let it be someone else's problem. Or heck maybe a buyer might even prefer a shower, especially if they don't have kids... It seemed like an obvious thing to do when I first laid eyes on it, but I had no idea that it would be THIS much of a hassle.
And I'm also worrying about whether it's all gonna go like this...we have other projects we need to get done, we've barely started, and I'm so tired of every little thing being so much harder than common sense would suggest that it should be.
As I read this I am waiting for a contractor to show up for a look-see and estimate to close in my back porch. It was "tentative", he was to call me if he couldn't make it. No show, no call. Waiting on his office staff to call me back with an answer if he is or is not coming today. He is the first of 3 I have made appointments with.
I feel your pain. Everybody is in business now, and it's all about a fast buck and the most that can be squeezed out of the customer. I don't play games any more, you either want my business or you don't. If it ends up with me deciding NOT to do what I was thinking about, so be it. Same with all material things. I WILL walk, and have done so in the past. I don't miss what I didn't get to begin with.
I wouldn't sweat this issue. Too stressful when you don't need it to be. I would go ahead and repair/replace things that are a definite to sell the house, and that what you NEED to live there yourself for the next year or however long. If you cannot do the tub/bathroom, then let the new owners deal with it. I doubt having a shower instead of a tub will deter someone from purchasing a nice, clean and in good repair home.
$10K does sound a bit unreasonable... but if you're not handy, you pay it or you don't. It's almost certainly not as easy as it may seem to you, because the walls behind the existing surround will need to be replaced (or at least repaired), and there may be surprises under the shower base that require floor replacement.
If you're going to sell it eventually, let somebody else worry about it later.
$10K does sound a bit unreasonable... but if you're not handy, you pay it or you don't. It's almost certainly not as easy as it may seem to you, because the walls behind the existing surround will need to be replaced (or at least repaired), and there may be surprises under the shower base that require floor replacement.
If you're going to sell it eventually, let somebody else worry about it later.
I get what you're saying and I think that for sure there will be some percentage of people in my situation who will have the concerns that you describe here.
I do not think the walls or floor are in bad shape behind or under this...and I also wonder if the existing wall coverings could stay, even, and just remove the shower pan and replace that with a tub? I don't know. Maybe not.
I'm "yes and no" agree/disagree here... I think that as a DIY project it would be harder than what I think. But for someone who knows what they are doing? Any kind of pro, even someone at the "experienced handyman" level? I bet it would be on the easier end of the spectrum for such things.
If only because the faucet and drain are in the right place for a tub and the existing space is the right size for one, too. It actually looks to me like it was originally built to have a tub there but the owners (my in laws, both deceased now, they were the only owners ever) opted for a shower instead or had a tub replaced with a shower when my mother in law started to go downhill back around 2014 ish. I suspect it may be a relatively recent thing mostly because the condition on it is still really good...but then she only used it while her health was in decline before she passed on. Maybe a year or two of use, over the whole life of the house. And they kept the house professionally cleaned.
So yeah...that also means that "live with it and sell it the way it is" is not out of the question.
It occurred to me to look up the company that sent over the sales people yesterday...yeah, I'm glad I stood my ground. The more I thought about it after the fact, the more I felt like they were using sketchy used car salesman tactics that pointed to general bad business. They offered to give us a discount if we would leave a bunch of five star reviews for their company right then and there before the salespeople left. Like, a review should be after you do business, what they were asking for was BS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lodestar 77
As I read this I am waiting for a contractor to show up for a look-see and estimate to close in my back porch. It was "tentative", he was to call me if he couldn't make it. No show, no call. Waiting on his office staff to call me back with an answer if he is or is not coming today. He is the first of 3 I have made appointments with.
I feel your pain. Everybody is in business now, and it's all about a fast buck and the most that can be squeezed out of the customer. I don't play games any more, you either want my business or you don't. If it ends up with me deciding NOT to do what I was thinking about, so be it. Same with all material things. I WILL walk, and have done so in the past. I don't miss what I didn't get to begin with.
I wouldn't sweat this issue. Too stressful when you don't need it to be. I would go ahead and repair/replace things that are a definite to sell the house, and that what you NEED to live there yourself for the next year or however long. If you cannot do the tub/bathroom, then let the new owners deal with it. I doubt having a shower instead of a tub will deter someone from purchasing a nice, clean and in good repair home.
I am SO right there with you about being perfectly willing to nope out on a bad deal.
I was telling my husband, I can remember the times in my life when I was younger, poorer, more desperate...and I let people sell me financing where they were like, "don't look at the price tag, just pay attention to the monthly payment!"... These people? My word did it ever feel good to tell them, "You don't understand. I can AFFORD it. I have money. That doesn't mean that I am willing to spend it."
But, too, these were young people...in their early 20s...closer to my kids' age than mine. And so part of me has this feeling now that I am creeping into middle age, like, "Aren't you adorable? Thinking you can get over on me." Well. I might as well enjoy THAT while it lasts, since I saw how often my elderly father in law was the target of scams...I'm sure my turn will come. But right now? I'm old enough to have heard these lines before and young enough to remember that I have! lol
I wrote before: there's plenty of scammers with schemes. One gets the deal, screws it up, his buddy shows up next, you pay more, then the third guy shows up etc.
Funny...I am considering doing the exact opposite with my hall/guest bath tub shower! This house has two tub showers so if I remodel one to a walk in, one tub will still exist. Tubs are very useful things whether you personally take baths or not. Unless something melodramatic occurs, I hope to age in place in this house. Having one step in shower would be nice as my balance, mobility or whatever changes.
What's the point of all this? Just to suggest that if you're planning on selling the place in the near future, remind yourself that a buyer will do what they want with your house. Let them. They might turn around and rip out what you put in. I don't see much point in spending a good chunk of $ trying to outguess the matter.
You're only planning on being there temporarily. You wrote that the existing shower is functional and in good shape. Can't you make this work for the time you're there, saving yourself the grief, frustration and the $? When it comes time to sell, repair what's broken and spiff up the rest to show off the other advantages the unchangeable features the house offer. Let new owners decide whether that bath should have a shower or tub.
A good local realtor could offer an educated opinion on what buyers in the neighborhood and local area/price range are looking and willing to pay for. Is the area attractive to younger families with kids etc. What they might want at this moment may not be relevant if you aren't planning to sell for a year or so. Then it may be and it may also alter your decision.
Last edited by Parnassia; 06-09-2023 at 04:06 PM..
Bathtubs are most useful for kids up to maybe six years old? I would think you could get one of those portable type tubs on amazon and sit one inside of the shower, then add a tube from the existing lower faucet to fill the tub. You could also install a different showerhead on a long flexible tube (very common today) so you could rinse off a short kid (or your dog if you want).
Consider whether some of your buyers might really want a tub in the house. If so, offer them X dollars back at closing so that could buy one of those tubs. Give them a sales picture. But I suspect many buyers wouldn't NEED a tub and would actually prefer a shower there.
Pre Covid 10K would sound like a lot of money but not now. In addition, you don't say how old the house or bath is which may or may not be part of the cost. I am fairly handy but DH is not at all. There are some things I would tackle but even being a bit handy this would not be one of them. I will toss in that you might not be aware of plumbing issues that might arise with the current plumbing to retrofit it to what you now want. If it is older that might need to be redone and that might be part of the problem. I am going out on a limb and saying that at one time there was a tub there, since they have a lower faucet.
Roughly 15 months ago, I left a tub/shower combo in my guest bath and remodeled the rest of the bath, which is approximately 7 x 9. New vanity, toilet, tile floor, lighting, towel bars etc. and paint. We bought the vanity from Wayfair because the cost of the vanity and anything for the top other than laminate was more expensive and it cost us $7500 for the remodel. Once you remove the current shower and surround you will still need to do the floor so all in I don't think that sounds like a lot.
Now, if you are going to sell I say don't bother if you think it is too much for your budget.
With the information you presented- $10k IS NOT an absorbent amount of money; especially for the Phoenix area. But, a discussion with a RE agent who is familiar with the area could certainly weight-in and tell you if the input of those dollars will give you a greater (acceptable) return. My guess, based on that info, and the "Cost vs. Value" yearly review, you'd probably only see 35-45% return.
However, since you seem Hellbent on unloading this property- why bother??? Let the buyer deal with it... who may or maynot have a problem with it.
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