Absolutely a full tub is a selling point. Especially because you only have one. There is nothing wrong with that shower at all except it's for the lack of a better term.....generic. If you would prefer to go the full shower route....you may want to look into a Kerdi system with tile or stone. It will be more money....but those type of materials always add to resale. And depending on what type of tile/stone you choose....look great. Just my 10 cents because I have done many with Kerdi and/or made my own base. And I prefer the look. It's not for everyone I understand.
Renovations Before Moving
- Thread starter ianoconnor
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Absolutely a full tub is a selling point. Especially because you only have one. There is nothing wrong with that shower at all except it's for the lack of a better term.....generic. If you would prefer to go the full shower route....you may want to look into a Kerdi system with tile or stone. It will be more money....but those type of materials always add to resale. And depending on what type of tile/stone you choose....look great. Just my 10 cents because I have done many with Kerdi and/or made my own base. And I prefer the look. It's not for everyone I understand.
As long as you have one tub in the house that is not part of the master suite you don't need a tub in the basement. I always think of stuff like that if a family has kids. Have one tub available that is not part of a master bath.
All actual bathroom materials (Toilet, tub, plastic surround, vanity, lights and fan) can be purchased for ~$1,200 depending on what you want to do. This does not include drywall, paint tile etc...
All actual bathroom materials (Toilet, tub, plastic surround, vanity, lights and fan) can be purchased for ~$1,200 depending on what you want to do. This does not include drywall, paint tile etc...
I agree that one tub per house is enough. I’d do a walk in shower.
We have a house with 2 bathrooms, with one being in the basement. The basement one is a 3/4, toilet, sink, shower. When we bought the house it was just a toilet in the basement. We are very happy we spent the money on that remodel. The shower is rarely used but it is nice to have. The toilet gets a lot of use with our family of 4. As someone else stated, having just one bathroom is probably a deal killer for a lot of people. Not sure what we spent, but did most of it myself. Had to have someone put in the sewer lines, but I can't remember what that cost. Even just a sink and a toilet would make the house a lot easier to sell.
Is it three bedrooms with another below or three bedrooms including the basement one? How many square feet is the house. Only use above grade for SF.
Then a bath downstairs would be beneficial. If you wanted to save costs, put a half bath and leave room for a shower (nobody wants tubs very often and will usually just want one incase they are bathing an infant or young kid.
Why I would do the half bath. You can get that done for a grand if you are handy at all.
Personal opinion - I will never again live in a house with only one bathroom. Even if I live alone. Even if the second one is just a closet with a toilet and sink in it. But that's just me...I'm not terribly patient and I don't like to wait my turn in the bathroom.
Agreed. We have the same mindset now. When we bought the house it was our first & it was just my wife & I. Now we have two kids & I can't imagine even thinking about buying a house with less than 2 bathrooms (if not 3 or 4).Personal opinion - I will never again live in a house with only one bathroom. Even if I live alone. Even if the second one is just a closet with a toilet and sink in it. But that's just me...I'm not terribly patient and I don't like to wait my turn in the bathroom.
Two kids of the same gender can share one bathroom pretty well. The problems start rising when you have more than two or both genders...particularly when they become teenagers.
The rule of thumb I have always heard is that you get your best return on value in bathroom and kitchen renovations when it comes to recovering the costs when you sell. Obviously adding a 2nd bathroom to a house with only 1 bathroom is going to add value just in the number of potential buyers it could bring in that won't buy a house with just 1 bathroom. Plus as you said you may get a couple years use of it too. Just try to keep the costs down while not cutting corners either and it would be a good investment based on the info given.
That's the 1 thing I wish I had done with my old house but between the costs and that the basement was semi-finished I just never got around to it. 1950's ranch house so was not roughed in for it. I had several downsides to my 1st bachelor pad as had a 1 car garage, 1 bathroom, and while my house sat on a corner lot with nearly 1/4 acre of property the house was built where the back of the house had just a strip of grass that separated it from the neighbors drive so all the yard space was on the side and front so people apparently felt it had no back yard was the feedback our realtor got during open house. He would take them out on the big deck on the side of the house and tell them that just needed to adjust their perspective of what a back yard is because the big side yard off the deck is the back yard on that lot. All I know is that after owning a house and you go to sell it you learn a lot of things you didn't think about when you bought your 1st home.
That's the 1 thing I wish I had done with my old house but between the costs and that the basement was semi-finished I just never got around to it. 1950's ranch house so was not roughed in for it. I had several downsides to my 1st bachelor pad as had a 1 car garage, 1 bathroom, and while my house sat on a corner lot with nearly 1/4 acre of property the house was built where the back of the house had just a strip of grass that separated it from the neighbors drive so all the yard space was on the side and front so people apparently felt it had no back yard was the feedback our realtor got during open house. He would take them out on the big deck on the side of the house and tell them that just needed to adjust their perspective of what a back yard is because the big side yard off the deck is the back yard on that lot. All I know is that after owning a house and you go to sell it you learn a lot of things you didn't think about when you bought your 1st home.
We just redid our upstairs full bath this past spring. I'm not a big fan of tile in bathtubs because I HATE cleaning the grout. Looks great but is a PITA for upkeep. We went with Onyx products for the tub surround and the vanity top, and I absolutely LOVE them.
We finished our basement about 3 years ago, added a bathroom with sink, toilet and walk in shower. I think I paid $3,600 for the rough-in and shower install, also had him run water to a kitchenette space/sink on the opposite side of the bathroom wall.
If you want to sell the house, start with the outside. If people don't like the look of the outside, they won't like the looks in the inside much. Roof, siding, landscaping will get people to go into the house. How many people will do a drive by and go, that is not what we thought when the outside is not kept up. Minimum a second garage (attatched), most prefer a third now so lawnmowers, snowblowers, bikes and other stuff can be inside. Have the garage finished and a basic heater at least. Now its the kitchen and baths that are paid attention to. White walls kill a house, people think they are blah when they go in. Upstairs flooring so people can entertain their guests. Next step is the basement, A bath and a bedroom if the upstairs is light on them. Put egresses in, they will recoup 2x their price, people are scared to think about having one put in for some reason. That should cover what people always talk about in their houses, and and what pulls value.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with products made of those materials. Because I work with both a lot IMO...and it's only MO.....you cannot beat the look of stone or tile. They are two different animals. As for the grout....if the installer seals the grout before first use....and the user seals it every 2-3 years or whenever necessary(takes 30 minutes) cleaning is no more a job than a plastic surround and it will last forever.
