My Father-in-Law '60, has Alzheimers and some health issues that are making it difficult for him. We have a caregiver that comes to the house 3x per week to bathe him. He is around 200 lbs and a lot to handle, especially if he is having a less cooperative day.
TLDR Version: Is a Master Tub needed to sell a house?
We would like to make the house as comfortable as possible without spending too much of a fortune, but also don't want to do anything weird that makes it hard to sell, whether that is 3 months, a year, two years or 5 years from now.
The current bathroom setup is a sunken master tub against the wall opposite the vanity, and a sunken (by 8") master shower with a narrow 22" entry. The master shower is big enough once you are inside, but getting in is the issue. I framed up a platform to raise the shower to the height of the threshold with a nice teak-wood tile surface so he doesn't have to step down the 8" and this is working pretty well, but getting in and out of the narrow opening is a continuing challenge.
a couple of contractors have come out to take a look and offer options. Both have suggested instead of trying to raise the current shower and widen its opening, to replace the sunken tub with a large walk-in shower with an opening big enough for a wheelchair if that is ever needed. Convert the sunken shower into a closet after raising its level and replacing the tile with sheetrock, etc.
Since we have a sunken tub, the current slab doesn't need to be cut out to make room for the plumbing to get proper slope on the drainage, etc.
My big question: Is a Master Tub necessary for when we do sell the house? Both contractors independently said that our new wave of millenial buyers are preferring a nice big walk-in shower rather than a tub. The tubs they do want are the free-standing types as opposed to the built-in whirlpool designs.
We do have a tub in the hallway bathroom, so a family will be able to bathe their kids and wash their dog there at least.
The neighborhood is turning middle-class hispanic overall.
will send photos when I can--I live an hour away and mother-in-law doesn't know how to use the camera on her iPhone...
TLDR Version: Is a Master Tub needed to sell a house?
We would like to make the house as comfortable as possible without spending too much of a fortune, but also don't want to do anything weird that makes it hard to sell, whether that is 3 months, a year, two years or 5 years from now.
The current bathroom setup is a sunken master tub against the wall opposite the vanity, and a sunken (by 8") master shower with a narrow 22" entry. The master shower is big enough once you are inside, but getting in is the issue. I framed up a platform to raise the shower to the height of the threshold with a nice teak-wood tile surface so he doesn't have to step down the 8" and this is working pretty well, but getting in and out of the narrow opening is a continuing challenge.
a couple of contractors have come out to take a look and offer options. Both have suggested instead of trying to raise the current shower and widen its opening, to replace the sunken tub with a large walk-in shower with an opening big enough for a wheelchair if that is ever needed. Convert the sunken shower into a closet after raising its level and replacing the tile with sheetrock, etc.
Since we have a sunken tub, the current slab doesn't need to be cut out to make room for the plumbing to get proper slope on the drainage, etc.
My big question: Is a Master Tub necessary for when we do sell the house? Both contractors independently said that our new wave of millenial buyers are preferring a nice big walk-in shower rather than a tub. The tubs they do want are the free-standing types as opposed to the built-in whirlpool designs.
We do have a tub in the hallway bathroom, so a family will be able to bathe their kids and wash their dog there at least.
The neighborhood is turning middle-class hispanic overall.
will send photos when I can--I live an hour away and mother-in-law doesn't know how to use the camera on her iPhone...