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Hi, we are thinking of renovating the second bathroom in 3bed/2bath single family house in NYC. The bathroom currently have a tub but we all prefer to shower so we are thinking of replacing it with a shower and a linen closet. It will not fit both a shower and a bathtub. The other bathroom have a shower and bathtub.
Will this change affect the value of the house? Is a shower only bathroom worth less than a tub only bath room?
I read this post which discussed if a bathroom with a shower counts as full bath or 3/4 bath but it never discussed the effect of the home's value.
In my market, a shower and tub are both full baths and this really doesn't affect the value. And buyers will have both.
I prefer shower only as well and I would be happy to exchange my tub for more storage. And I would not worry about potential buyers in the future. You need to live in the house now.
It's your house, do it for yourself, don't worry about a "potential" buyer, yes, we can thank HGTV for that way of thinking.
personally, I would like to get rid of my tub as well, and have a walk in shower.....like I really have time to 'soak" in a tub for more than a moment........
The OP is wise to consider the value to future buyers as well as their own usage of the renovation. Regardless of whether they plan to live in the home for many years after the renovation or should the need to sell arise soon I can say that so long as the house still has a tub SOMEWHERE and the renovation is done with high quality fixtures / workmanship a large well designed shower will be just as valuable a similar renovation done with a combo tub / shower.
The keys are to think not just of present needs / tastes but also of future potential needs and those of buyers that may consider the house. The potential for those with limited mobility (due to age or injury) to prefer a shower over a combo are obvious but a shower can also be a safer / easier option for elementary school age children as long as simple scald free shower controls are installed and there are provisions for an appropriate height shower head -- that can be easily accomplished with the popular ceiling mount rainfall showerheads that are in vogue as well as handheld spray on an adjustable mount.
Provisions should be made to have the type of enclosure and finish materials that are in keeping with the rest of the house / price of the neighborhood -- it is easy to fall in love with something in a showroom that will make the rest of the house seem terrible by comparison!
If the MLS listing standard for your area REQUIRE a tub for the bath to be listed as "full" I would make darned sure I had some way to address that -- it would really be a shame to be screened out by those who might specify "2+ Baths"...
When am I looking to sell? Under 1 year? Over 5 years?
This makes a difference. If I was selling soon, I'd consider the tub since it "seems" that more people like tubs when looking for homes. But, I think more people like to shower. Would it lower the value? It might. But if it lowers value by only a little bit but I will enjoy my nice walk-in shower for 5+ years, I'd take the trade.
Are you replacing a low boy tub with a roomy spa-like shower?
Or a soaker tub with a narrow, single pre-built shower?
See where I'm going with this?
Spa shower trumps low boy.
Soaker tub trumps singleton shower.
But IMHO, the livability & likeability of what YOU want and how much enjoyment you'd get out of it - wins hands down every single time.
The OP did offer a HINT that the existing tub is basic, and the shower is not the only change they are considering:
"renovating the second bathroom in 3bed/2bath single family house in NYC. The bathroom currently have a tub but we all prefer to shower so we are thinking of replacing it with a shower and a linen closet."
My concern is that IF they do go with shower make every effort to make it the kind of large walk-in shower that seems like an UPGRADE and not an 'afterthought', if that costs more and means there is no room for the linen closet odds are STRONG that down the road the added functionality and quality will be appreciated. Tiny "prefab" stall showers are a losing proposition and short of having an enormous walk-in "super star" closet no one will be impressed by having a linen closet, heck a fancy heated towel bar is a better expenditure...
As long as there is a tub in one convenient bathroom, I'd be fine with it as a buyer. We once were looking at a house that had the only bath converted to a shower only and THAT was an issue.
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I know EXACTLY what you mean!
