Bathroom Remodeling to Add Value

Read about bathroom remodeling to add value to a home. Find out about replacing a bathtub and installing a shower with multiple showerheads to add resale value to a home.

LESLIE: Jessie in Texas has a question about showering and Jessie, our studio folks here were saying yes, they think you should shower.

JESSIE: Oh, thank you very much. I appreciate that. (Tom and Leslie laugh)

No, I have a 30-year home. I’ve had it a couple of years and I have a master bath with a tub that’s 30 years old also and I was wondering what’s the better selection; going with putting in a walk-in shower or trying to put in a garden tub. I have no room to blow out a wall or anything like that.

LESLIE: Hmm. So are you looking to gain space? Are you looking to …?

JESSIE: No, I’m only looking for comfort and value in the home. And it’s an old cast-iron – a small cast-iron tub.

TOM: Right. Well, a walk-in shower is going to be more accessible, certainly; especially as you age. In terms of value, it’s still considered a full bath if you have a shower or a tub. Some people are going to appreciate one more than the other but, you know, if you’re going to replace an old tub [1] with another tub you’re really going to come out sort of in neutral position. So I guess if it was me I’d probably go for the shower.

JESSIE: Yeah. I was thinking about manufactured marble and maybe putting in extra showerheads.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm.

JESSIE: That’s not a problem but, you know – that’s just plumbing in the wall and I wouldn’t have to move the drain or anything like that, so …

TOM: That’s right. That’s right.

LESLIE: No, and that adds, really, like a luxurious hotel spa-like experience …

TOM: Yeah.

LESLIE: … which really does boost the value.

TOM: Yeah, you might want to just get a shower pan. Install the pan and then you can use whatever walls you want; whether it’s marble or if it’s Corian or anything else.

JESSIE: (INAUDIBLE) ceramic tile pretty hard to tackle or …?

TOM: Well, that’s a little more complicated now because you have to install usually a fiberglass or a lead pan, then you have to tile over that. [2] So that probably doubles the complication. If you could try to stick with a standard pan, a standard fiberglass pan, then on top of that you could put whatever walls you want.

JESSIE: OK. I do appreciate it.

TOM: You’re welcome, Jessie. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974.