I believe you need to think of resale value of home with and without bath. A young family needs a bath, whilst an older couple probably don't. Also, if older, you might have young grandchildren stay over. As for being a dust catcher - I vacuum mine weekly and then spray water around it - not so hard.

Me, I like a bath, it completes a bath-room.

Karen, would you live with something you didn't like for a decade or more on the chance that the next people to move in might want it?

I think the "must have a bath" argument is completely overrated and just plain WRONG! Most people don't want them and they're outright dangerous (ie, slippery, difficult to get in and out of, difficult to clean properly...) The resale argument is garbage in today's world. Completely agree with Marj Kibby.

Your bath and vanity are exactly the same as the ones we just pulled out!
We had the same discussion and basically I said I was sick of cleaning dust and animal hair (don't know how it got there but it did!) out of something we didn't use and just took up space in our small bathroom.
Result - a beautiful bathroom that we all love! Heaps of space and easy to clean too.
Totally agree with micshack and others - stuff the resale argument, more and more people just don't use baths ... even for kids. Alot of the babies I know were bathed in the laundry tub.

Absolutely bloody useless are baths. Get rid of the bath. Use the space to make the shower bigger with a more accessible entry to the shower. Use the extra space for a larger vanity with storage ++++++

Depending on the size of the vanity (cupboards and drawers) you can roll 12 hand towels into one drawer and 8 rolls of toilet paper (or more) in another drawer, which is an absolute luxury. You cut out the cleaning time of the useless bath and you also cut out more time by not having to shuttle the t/rolls and hand towels to the bathroom. It's all about time these days with so many people (particularly mothers) working full time.

Strong feelings there, @Frances, How did you come to despise baths so much?

Marj - have had to live with things that I don't like, but the bath was never one of those things.

Molly - have never considered bathing babies in laundry tub. Rather cramped and not much fun. My grandchildren love staying overnight and having a bath with lots of bubbles and toys. I have showered them also and ended up wetter than they were.

I have a daughter still at home and after a hard day as a nurse she finds there is nothing like a hot bath to soak away the aches and pains.

Personally, I find showers harder to clean - soap scum, discoloured grout and silicon that goes black with mould.

Today a bath is seen as being somewhat redundant in a bathroom. A double or larger shower is considered more of an advantage. Removing the bath from this small room will visually increase the space of the room. Consider a smaller free standing bath as an alternative. The boxed in bath in the photo makes the room look small and cramped. If you do keep the bath you could make the room look bigger by selecting the same tile for the floor, bath apron and hob as well as the wall behind the bath and then do the other walls in a lighter colour. This will create a feature wall as well as making the bathroom look bigger.

Good luck

We will eventually remove our bath, as the kids are too old. We need wheelchair access later.

It can take up alot of space:-

I have strong dislike for baths because in the last 4 houses we have had the baths were very deep baths. Grandkids loved them, but even having to wash those kids in the bath was a chore because of the bending, and when kids are tiny you need to hold onto them the whole time. When my own kids were tiny, I used the laundry trough because of the lack of needing to bend. Had the towel ready on top of the washing machine next to the trough and it worked like a conveyer belt. No bending at all.

The cleaning of those same baths was an ABSOLUTE chore. Could never reach over to the far side, had to actually get in the bath tub to do the other side. Too much work, and after every use too.

One possible option is to try and find an attractive bath shower combo. Personally when we renovated we removed our bath and replaced it with a large walk-in shower. Another bathroom trick I like to use is to have a large wall to wall mirror if possible which gives the illusion of a room double the size. Keep toiletries in vanity drawers rather than behind mirror cabinets. You can also install electric sockets behind the drawers to plug in your toothbrush etc.

Speaking personally, I don't understand why more showers and baths aren't combined in Australia? And, this includes new builds and remodels. It saves space, alleviates water being traipsed about and is multi-functional. As a renter, the bathroom is always a make or break. I won't start on the separate toilet area either... another huge waste of space.

Bristow A, those baths with the expanded shower end are on all the UK reno programs but I haven't seen them in Aus.

Not for me. A shower over the bath is one of my pet hates in a hotel room most recent stay had one & it was borderline dangerous! As for resale value based on the previous replies it seems not so popular. How about a bath in the garden for those who feel the need? Fish pond or water garden seems like a big improvement for the money.

BTW we just renovated our 25 year old home and put a free standing bath in the family bathroom just for resale purposes and both we and our guests have used it ... conclusion - nice romantic idea in theory but a pain to clean, takes up space, collects dust, takes ages to fill and uses a lot of precious water. Let's hope if we sell in the future it looks great in the brochure!

Those shower/bath combos fit no one and are more than dangerous!!! However a wet area flat floor shower, particularly if it's a generous size! suits any one who can stand up....kids included. We always make certain that we have a rail shower with hand spray option so the height can be varied and small kids needing supervision can be rinsed off by the adult concerned. Another necessity is the mixer on the opposite wall to where the shower is, no one gets frozen waiting for the warm water to flow.

We never had any issue selling our houses minus the dust trap aka bath!

we had exactly the same bathroom and possibly the same vanity. We moved the bath along the wall under the window in place of the vanity and did a shower over the bath with a swinging shower screen. We moved the vanity to the wall where the bath previously was and added some shelves

Geez, how many bath-haters are there out there? Frankly, I think without a bath, it ceases to be a bathroom. I'm in my forties, have no children and would NEVER live in a house without a bath. Yep, if your house was for sale (all of you above without baths) and I walked in, I'd walk straight out again. Lacking a bath can be a deal-breaker.

Micshack, for my money, a 'bathroom' without a bath does not look luxurious - it looks penny-pinching and mean. A bath - particularly one with a headrest and armrest, and room for candles, is what shows that a bathroom is for luxuriating in - rather than a perfunctory utility room.

How do people without a bath relax? The one thing I'd say is that it's better to have the taps positioned centrally on the side, rather than at one end - makes it easier for two people to share.

World-wide timber traders - I've lived and rented in houses and flats with the combined bath/shower combo, and it's a pain. It's much more of a slip hazard, and harder to clean - especially if it's a fixed screen. If, on the other hand, you have a shower curtain, you can have the joy of the damp curtain flapping on you as you shower. Ick! Separate toilets are very handy if one person wants to use it while another person is having a relaxing bath . . . and there is a minority of people who strongly believe that toilets in the bathroom are a health hazard (airborne particles and all . . .)

And Westile, all those people who find a contained bath a dust-trap are unlikely to prefer a freestanding bath, which, in addition to needing wiping out, needs tricky cleaning manoeuvres to get around and underneath it.

Soaking in your own dirt is rather gross, I'd follow the Japanese/Korean? tradition of showering to remove the sweat and pollution before a soak.

Baths can also be dangerous for older people with the sustained heat causing hypertension and fainting, burns as they can't get out of too hot water quickly, stress on a weak heart, and nausea.

Sitting under flowing warm water is much more therapeutic than sitting in gradually getting colder water. None of these showers look penny-pinching to me https://www.houzz.com/photos/sit-down-shower-phbr0lbl-bl~l_45309

Baths also use much more water than showers.

I can understand where stand alone shower/tub combos could potentially be dangerous (i.e. clawfoot tubs), especially with such a high step. But, a built in shower/tub combo usually has a lower step-in ledge and is partially enclosed so falling out isn't as much of a risk.

The other benefit is built-ins have a ledge to place a leg when shaving! Something I dearly miss in a glass (ledge-less) shower. Collection of dust dissipates when in use every day, which is alleviated by not having to choose between one (shower) or the other (tub).

Separate toilet areas are fine by me; however, to classify as functional, it must have a sink. Otherwise, "airborne particles" are no longer an issue... grubby hands and door knobs are regardless of how 'close' the laundry room basin is.

WOW - what an interesting breadth of answers and comments on this topic! @lynnjohno1953 let us know how you go, you've certainly got a lot to consider.

Well,my old bathroom in the unit had a standard bath. After a reno I put a small triangle spa bath in a cnr and shower head above with movable shower screen. I use the spar in the winter more but shower standing in the spar and it is fine. Never thought of re-sale value and it is a personal preference. Good luck. If I had more room I would put a bidet as it is good 4 re-sale value.

i say get rid of the bath, just have a walk in shower and a nice vanity with counter top basin. the bathroom will feel and look bigger. but for resale to sell as family home you could put in a small corner bath with shower.

Just read all the comments! Talk about polarizing views.I think the question really needs to be answered by you and your family.If you use it-keep it.If you don't get rid of it.

As life is to be lived is in the here and now I wouldn't be too concerned with comments about future/possible house sell on and implications. The most important thing is what YOU need and want.

I know that when you answer these questions for yourself, you'll make the right choice for you and your family:)

we spent a fortune on our bathroom renovation 15 years ago, and put in a claw foot bath with shower overhead. don't regret it at all. i love to have a long soak, but no-one else in the family does. hubby HATES it, but that because he is tall, and we didn't allow quite enough head height for the shower rose (allowing for the fact that the bath is 6 inches up of the floor). to address a couple of points:

slippery and dangerous: only if you don't use a mat..much like in many showers.

hard to get in and out of: possibly more a reflection of your own health, than the bath's fault. as we age, this is a consideration, so some adaption might be necessary. i have a ledge alongside, which i use to balance as i get in. bath handrails are available, if you need one.

hard to clean: um, easier than a shower stall. no grout, etc. buy one of those hose attachments for the tap, and simply spary out the dust. not that hard. and dont use soap to wash-use soap free body wash, and you rarely have to clean it.

wet flappy shower curtains............we put expansion rails above our bath, and it doesn't touch at all, even with people moving in and out our bathroom. plus, i get to change the look of my bathroom whenever i want, very cheaply, just by swapping out my shower curtain. and just throw them in the wash when they get dirty-no glass screen to clean=wonderful

soaking in your own muck: wow, are you really that dirty? q: if its just what was on you before you got in the bath-whats the problem? you are still the same level of dirtiness, just wet.

takes up too much space-well, some do, but usually/often old bathrooms were just poorly designed. also, fittings are more compact now, so there are options in making efficient use of the space.

Really, at the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference. if resale is a concern, and you have the space, i would definately put a bath in. even if you rarely use it. but if space is very limited, then maybe remove it. but do think about your changing life needs to-your kids might be grown up now, but will there possibly be grandchildren? what about washing the dog?

also, sometimes a bathroom can be far more efficient by taking out the handbasin, and relocating that (making a 3 way bathroom- time and space efficient, and relatively easy to relocate a handbasin.

Many home buyers love to see a bath. And I bathe my dog in ours. However, it's increasingly a personal decision. If you don't use it / don't need it then get rid of it. Install a gloriously luxurious feeling bathroom (yes, even on a budget) so that even if you do decide to sell, future buyers will love it even without a bath. Cheers, Penelope

When deciding, I think it is important to give your future self a gift? (not other people). What are YOUR household's needs for say 10 years? Put in the handrails now whilst renovating. Have a pleasant space for you and your hygiene needs. For children, there's plenty of plastic tubs that fit in the bottom of the shower that you can use.

Well Connie and Don't call me Penny, washing the dog in the bath throws a different light on soaking in your own dirt as mentioned my someone earlier in this post. If I am to buy another house in the future, when I look at the bath that might be there, I'm going to be wondering about soaking in the dog hair - inter alia and wondering what I might catch during the long, luxurious soak.

Sorry to put you off baths francescampbell :-) You make a good point. However, I can assure you our bath is very clean... and our dog is white :-) I love the new bathroom tho.

Out of shot in the bathroom above, I have a Japanese bath stool for leg shaving and a bamboo tub for doggo - I'd offer it to any littlies visiting.

Solid surface bathtub is good for your health when you are tired and take a bath.

This post is from 2015

We have a shower over a large cast iron tub that is dangerous to get in to or out of. we will be removing it and putting it outside (for a farmstay we are building) where users get a beautiful ore. If ever we get the urge (only used our bath 3 times in 14 years) we can go over there when. It occupied.

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