We’ll admit, there’s a certain allure to seeing a beautiful bathtub in your new bathroom remodel. But when designing the bathroom of your dreams, plans for a grand bathtub might not be in your best interest. Here’s what to consider:
- What do you have room for? This is largely decided by the size of your bathroom overall, unless you plan to expand the size of the room by moving or blowing out the walls. Adding a stand-alone tub can double the footprint of your previous shower/tub, and thus is an important decision not only for style, but also for your budget.
- Will you use it? Odds are if you have young children, the bathtub is an important part of your nightly routine. But as we get older, we find ourselves using the shower more and more, while that stand-alone tub just collects dust. If this is the case, you may find yourself cleaning the tub more than you use it. So ask yourself, “when was the last time I took a bath?” Or, “how many times in the last month did I fill up the tub for myself or my family?”
- What kind of tub best suits the style of your remodel? For the most part, there’s 3 major options here: stand-alone, alcove (embedded in 3 walls), or deck-mounted within a built-in structure. This decision should be made in conjunction with the rest of your bathroom design, as well as the space available. What will fit, and what suits the overall design?
- How big of a bathtub? Will a standard bathtub size meet your needs, or do you need a “soaker” tub model, or a bathtub that’s built for two? This is a simple issue of scale, as well as who will be using it. Will large adults be using the tub? If so, a soaker sized model is probably best.
- Resale Value: The beauty and design of a stand-alone soaker tub can attract buyers. But getting past considerations of luxury, many new home buyers are often looking for a house for their growing families- and bath tubs are key when raising young children. If at least one of your bathrooms already has a tub, then you may forgo the option of another tub in your master bath. But if the remodel is for the only bathroom in the entire house, the tub is probably an important addition- especially when you put your house back on the market.
If you’re looking for help with your bathtub decision, or with any part of the remodeling process, the staff at The JAE Company are here to help! We’ve got the people and experience to help make your dream bathroom become a reality.