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 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. 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.