Seattle Times Article

By JiaYing Grygiel

When Amanda Welch meets with new clients, 7 times out of 10 they’ll ask, “Do we take out the bathtub?”

“People say that a lot. A lot,” says Welch, owner of Brooks Vale Design in Woodinville. “It’s one of the first things I get asked.

“It’s not a right or wrong answer,” she adds. “It’s specific to that person — how they live, if they have children.”

If you’re thinking about eliminating your bathtub, here’s what to ask yourself: Is there another tub in the house? Do you use your tub? What would you put there if you don’t have the tub?

Becky Ducsik, managing creative director of The Phinery in Phinney Ridge, started seeing the tubs-to-showers trend a year and a half ago. Now, it represents the majority of The Phinery’s bathroom remodels.

Gaining extra space

“A lot of our clients are asking for this because it saves so much space and it offers such a luxurious bathroom experience,” Ducsik says. “In Seattle, homes are just smaller. Not having a bathtub frees up a lot of space.”

More and more, homeowners don’t care about having that extra bathtub — or a bathtub at all, Ducsik says. If eliminating the tub means gaining storage for a five-person bathroom, then it’s something to consider.

The real estate rule of thumb is to keep at least one bathtub in the house somewhere, for resale purposes. You don’t want to turn off buyers with little kids or pets, or buyers who just like relaxing in the tub.

“One [bathtub] at a minimum is great for resale. Two is nice. Three seems excessive,” says Colin Miller, creative director and partner at Axiom Design Build in Ballard. “For most people’s lifestyles, showers are just more practical.”