Today’s bathtubs and showers are much more than functional; they can make a strong design statement. Whether you go with a freestanding tub, standalone shower or tub-and-shower combination, you have many options as far as style, color and tile.Rather than rip out the bathtub, many homeowners are opting to “wrap” their existing tub with a custom-fitted “liner” for an instant and affordable upgrade. Companies like Bath Fitters will take measurements and install the liner over your tub.Jetted whirlpool and Jacuzzi tubs were all the rage in past years, but some homeowners find them noisy or costly to maintain. Now the trend is soaking tubs or air tubs with small openings for bubbles, which offer less problems in the long term. You don’t need to completely overhaul your tub if it’s in decent condition. There are some affordable options, so do your research, suggests Appraisal Institute president Leslie Sellers. “Some homeowners will rip out the tub and put in a new tub just because they want to change it,” Sellers explains.
“But that’s a mistake and they’ll pay for it later on.” On a Budget: Unless you’re a DIY expert, it’s probably best that you avoid ripping out the tub. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up spending more on repairs. You may also want to avoid painting the tub with acrylic paint, because that usually doesn’t work well. Instead, look into the wraparound tub liners that fit over your older tub to give it an instant makeover. Mid-Range: When replacing an outdated shower, a new fiberglass tub-and-shower unit and new ceramic tile will add the most value. High-End: In the master bathroom, you should have a tub (whirlpool or soaking, depending on your preference) and separate shower. If you desire, your shower can function as a steam room or tanning area. Other high-end features include a dry sauna, dual showerheads, built-in aromatherapy and even a fireplace. 523 posts, read 2,379,258 times 58 posts, read 557,815 times 14,874 posts, read 32,915,140 times
Originally Posted by D_J But if $900 breaks or makes a deal when it is time to sell........... It may be well worth it. To have to go in and replace a tub w/ no jets for one that has them years later is going to cost a lot more than $900. I'd go for it. You may use it every now and then. We have a large jetted Jacuzzi tub in our bathroom and I've only used it about 4 times in the 5 years we have lived here personally and dh probably about the same. There are certain upgrades that the intial cost to have done during construction are well worth it even if it is one you may not use or much at all. This is one of them. 9,124 posts, read 29,824,748 times 20,793 posts, read 47,075,082 times Originally Posted by golfgal Yes, takes care of that problem REALLY easily and w/o much effort. You still have to clean the tub if it has jets or no jets used or unused. Originally Posted by momof2dfw But to answer the question whether or not it adds any value would have to be no.
To spend $900 or so now to get something that you will never really use, spend time and $$$ on the upkeep, and still add $0 to your resale value I would consider a total waste of investment. If you have the $$$ to burn then use it upgrade something that will give something in return, such as fixtures, flooring, counter tops etc...... One would have to take into consideration the price range of this home and if it is standard in all homes in that area and price range. $900 now is going to add up if it loses to sell later on. There are just somethings that one has to pay for upfront because it can kill a sale later and this is one. That is not THAT much $$$ if it is in a higher end home. Like I said to come back to have to do it later is going to cost a lot more than $900. But to each their own. Your IP address has been blocked due to a pattern of suspected noncompliance with the Terms of Use for the Move Family of Web sites. If you believe you have reached this page in error
or would like to request continued uninterrupted access please contact Customer Service at (800) 878-4166 or Please include your external IP address which can be obtained fromQ. Would an outdoor hot tub increase the resale value of my home?A. Although a hot tub may help you relax after a hard day at work, when it comes time to sell, there’s a chance it could end up increasing your anxiety level. Whether the tub will be viewed as an asset or a liability largely depends on your target market.“When you commit to a hot tub, you definitely narrow in on your resale buyer,” said Mark Ski, vice president for sales at Bond New York. That said, there are those who value hot tubs above all else — like clients Mr. Ski once worked with, whose primary criterion for an apartment, he said, was that it have a private terrace where they could install a hot tub. He eventually found them a place on the seventh floor of a Lower East Side building, where they were able to airlift their dream hot tub into place.“
It’s a brilliant seven-seater hot tub on a private terrace that overlooks Lower Manhattan,” Mr. Ski said. And if the owners eventually decide to sell the unit, he added, it will be ideal “for the up-and-coming professional who’s doing really well and wants to have a showstopper apartment.”For buyers with children, however, that hot tub could present a problem.“The concern is that a child could fall into the hot tub if it wasn’t being guarded at all times,” Mr. Ski said. And because this particular tub was hoisted into place by crane, it would be difficult to remove. (When a hot tub is in the backyard, he said, it can be removed with relative ease.)Jesse Buckler, another agent at Bond New York, witnessed this problem with clients interested in an apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. “There was an $11,000 hot tub in mint condition there,” he said, and the seller was promoting it as a luxury. But “the couple had a toddler, and the hot tub was going to be a deal breaker.”
In the end, the couple bought the apartment, on the condition that the tub be removed. “The seller was pretty surprised,” he said. “But that’s the market.”If you determine that your apartment is more hip bachelor pad than family compound, and decide to install a hot tub, Charles Rose, an architect in Somerville, Mass., suggested that it be designed to visually tie in to the outdoor space. “Often, the exterior of these hot tubs is quite ugly, so we like to hide it all in a deck area,” he said, or by cladding the tub with ceramic tile. When he was designing a Manhattan rooftop terrace for the violinist Joshua Bell, Mr. Rose said, he wrapped the hot tub in mahogany boards that gradually stepped down as part of a larger seating area. “I also like to give hot tubs a western view,” he said, “because people tend to use them in the late afternoon or twilight.”Mr. Rose has installed hot tubs for a number of his clients, he said. But even so, he noted, “I think it’s one of those things where you’re never going to recoup the value.”