{"id":21408,"date":"2021-01-25T16:00:13","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T00:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=21408"},"modified":"2025-12-01T01:22:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T09:22:44","slug":"selling-a-house-without-a-bathtub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/selling-a-house-without-a-bathtub\/","title":{"rendered":"Selling a House Without a Bathtub: Can You Get Away With Only Showers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s time to remodel the bathroom<\/a>, and you\u2019re contemplating a bold decision: to remove the last remaining bathtub of the house in favor of a spacious shower. Maybe the kids prefer to take showers now that they\u2019re a little older, or you\u2019d love to have a stall that\u2019s easier to climb in and out of on a daily basis. In any case, you need to weigh these personal preferences versus some valid concerns about selling a house without a bathtub down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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What will this decision mean for resale \u2014\u00a0and will you wish you\u2019d kept the home more broadly marketable? We dug into bathroom remodeling trends and spoke with real estate experts on how tub preferences have changed, the growing appeal of showers, and how much you can expect to limit your buyer pool with a tub-less house.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Source: (John Cameron \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bathtubs haven\u2019t gone away, but trends have shifted<\/h2>\n

Bathtubs have long offered a mix of spa-like benefits in addition to their practical uses, like bathing your kid or cleaning your dog\u2019s muddy paws. But homeowner preferences have certainly shifted over the years when it comes to bathtub styles. When the Jacuzzi brothers invented the first hydrotherapy jetted tub in 1956<\/a>, it became a valued feature for many homes well into the \u201880s, and \u201890s.<\/p>\n

However, most home design trends have a shelf-life, and jetted tubs were no exception. People soon came to realize that jets are a pain to clean<\/a>, and large tubs require a ton of hot water to fill. Over time, many of these tubs became glorified storage bins.<\/p>\n

Now, freestanding tubs are considered the \u201cmodern\u201d option. Many of them come in beautiful designs, and these tub styles have a smaller footprint than their jetted predecessors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do a lot of luxury real estate, and freestanding tubs are very common \u2014 new construction almost always has these contemporary-looking bathtubs that are longer and wider,\u201d says Woody Fincham<\/a>, an appraiser Charlottesville Virginia area<\/a> and the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award at the 2017 International Valuation Conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, recent remodeling research indicates that the importance of having any bathtub at all in the primary bathroom is dwindling. A study from Houzz found that in 2019, half of renovated main bathrooms had no bathtub<\/a>, while the number of homeowners who say they enjoy soaking in the tub for relaxation dropped 7 percentage points to 55%<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While not having a tub in the main bathroom isn\u2019t the same as having no tub in the house, it does indicate that shower versus bath preferences are becoming more fluid in American households, with upscale showers as an alternative gaining more ground.<\/p>\n

Shower accessibility, relaxation will be on your side<\/h2>\n

For further insights on how hard it is to sell a house without a bathtub today, we turned to Robb Harrison<\/a>, a top real estate agent in Ocala, FL<\/a>. Harrison says that in his market, he has noticed a remodeling trend of homeowners installing showers rather than bathtubs. He doesn\u2019t believe the decision does much to harm a home\u2019s marketability. A home with fewer or no bathtubs can actually hold a certain appeal with the right buyer and demographics, he shares.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere in Florida, taking out a tub isn\u2019t a bad thing \u2014 a lot of people are taking out tubs and putting in showers because they are a lot more accessible for people,\u201d says Harrison, who works extensively with homes marketed to the age 55+ community.<\/p>\n

In addition to the accessibility factor, data from Houzz shows that showers have secured equal footing with tubs in the relaxation department, with 54% of homeowners<\/a> saying they enjoy long showers to wind down.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Source: (Vecislavas Popa \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Certain homebuyers will still rule you out or be disappointed<\/h2>\n

Even if bathtubs have lost a bit of luster over the years, some buyers are more likely to consider a bathtub a key feature to the point where they might walk away if you don\u2019t have one, including:<\/p>\n