Shower vs Bath
It’s a question we get asked every other day when people are planning to renovate or build their new bathroom.
Is it worth having a bath when I only ever shower?
The short answer is… well there is no short answer. The truth is it depends on a lot of factors ranging from the size of your bathroom, to your age, whether you’re planning to start a family, or if you’re planning to rent/sell the house.
Resale
The big reason people quote for having a bath is resale. If you plan to rent or sell your house anytime in the next ten, or even twenty years, not having a bath might cut out a large section of the market.
For a lot of families, the idea of bathing a toddler in anything other than a bath summons terrifying thoughts of tears and tantrums as water gets in eyes and they bang desperately against the door to escape. It’s those thoughts that see them leaving the house without bothering to finish the inspection
Age
It seems that we start our lives in the tub and as we get older we migrate to the shower with the occasional bath for a bit of relaxation until we get to a point where getting up out of the bath seems as arduous experience as climbing Everest. For that reason, you need to look at who’ll be using the bathroom.
If you’re planning to have a toddler or two running around in the next few years then the bath might be best, but if you’re at an age where you’re thinking about one day fitting a chair in the bathroom because you’re going to be here until you’re ninety, then ditching the bathtub and putting in a larger shower might be best for you.
Size of your bathroom
All other reasons withstanding, this is the big one, can you fit a bath in or are you compromising space on everything just to have it? A shower over a bath can be a great way to save space and have both, but it definitely isn’t the best for someone with mobility issues, and the floor of the tub (with its curved edges) can be as slippery as ice when it’s covered in shampoo and conditioner.
Pros and Cons
With those three big reasons come a list of pros and cons almost as long as a roll of toilet paper.
Baths are great for relaxing sore muscles, available in a huge array of sizes and designs (freestanding, spa bath, etc.), and just add a sense of luxury to the bathroom. But they’re also generally large, require a lot of water, and are time consuming to fill so definitely not great if you’re in a hurry.
Showers use a lot less water (providing you aren’t taking hour long showers), are quick and convenient, take up less room, and are great for people with mobility issues. But they aren’t practical for families with children, they require a lot of cleaning for the glass to be free of streaks all the time, and if not cleaned properly may require the replacement of silicones and treatment for the grout.
Last thoughts
The final thing to remember though is that you are going to get advice from everyone when you tell them you’re renovating. Everyone, from your parents, to your kids, to your next-door neighbour who seems to have a strange amount of knowledge about the layout of your house.
Despite all of those voices throwing out advice and warnings, remember that it’s your house. You are probably going to spend the next decade, or more, there.
So ignore everything I said above, think about what suits your lifestyle, and then do what YOU want, because it’s YOUR bathroom.