On homes and real estate: Would you buy a house with no bathtub?

Recently, a reader asked if he replaced his bathtub with a walk-in shower, would that make his house harder to sell someday? I passed that on with the question: “Would you buy a house with no tub?” And the e-mails poured in. Simple “No” or “YES!” votes ran about 50-50. Many added comments. Let the debate begin:

I would not buy without a tub. I have a townhouse with a small tub, and it’s frustrating that I can’t take a really relaxing bath due to the size.

Us baby boomers are retiring, and you will see lots more replacing the tub with a nice big shower.

Without a tub, how would we give the dog a bath?

No tub is OK, but the shower would need to be large enough for two people.

After a tiring day, standing in a shower is not my idea of relaxing.

I consider sitting in a tub not good — bathing in my own dirty soapy water.

A shower is easier ingress and egress and easier to clean. It’s less of an accident magnet and better all the way around.

I couldn’t use my tub tray and reading rack in a shower.

I live in a senior community, and 95 percent of us have not used our tubs since we moved in.

I love my bubble baths! But we’ve been married 41 years, and I’ve never seen my husband take a bath. Hope this helps.

Our huge tub with jets is a big waste of space.

For little ones, the amount of water that fills a few inches in a walk-in shower is ample to clean up the dirtiest.

By getting rid of a tub, a homeowner limits the pool of interested buyers. In the current market, this seems unwise.

If I ever need a bathtub for something, I could use a blowup kiddie pool (my husband looked at me like I had three heads with this one.)

I love taking baths, and after breast cancer surgery, soaking in our jetted tub was a big part in my rehab. Eagerly awaiting results from your readers.

I bathe our daughter in the utility sink in the laundry room. Great not to have to bend over a tub. My two cents.

I wouldn’t buy a house without at least two bathrooms.

No, I wouldn’t buy a house without a tub. Soaking the chills away is one reason. Soaking stress away is a bigger reason!

Our teenagers coveted our shower! The only time we used a tub was when the kids were little.

Well, put it this way: You can always take a shower in a bathtub, but you can’t take a bath in a shower.

Replacing the only tub with a shower would eliminate young families as potential buyers.

I’m a physician assistant practicing dermatology. Many patients cannot take a certain kind of bath or a special soak because they have no tub! Would one buy a house with no kitchen sink just because the previous owners ate out? Not I.

I have an original claw-foot tub and have no trouble stepping in and out to take showers. And it’s easy to keep clean. No tiled walls to scrub and the shower curtain can be thrown in the laundry.

Five years ago, my husband and I sold our one-bath, 1,000-square-foot home in one day. We had recently taken the tub out and replaced it with a walk-in shower.

I am currently looking for a house with a huge, luxurious, jetted, sloped and high back tub where I could enjoy my lazy and therapeutic daily baths. Thanks for asking.

Yes, I would buy a house with no tub. I already did.

After a long day in the garden, a rigorous hike or a kayak trip, I could never do without a soak in bath salts when I’m out of sorts or just want some comfort and relaxation.

People can wash toddlers in the kitchen sink.

Up here in the cold country (especially tonight at 11 below zero), there’s nothing better than a nice hot soak when you’ve been out shoveling all that white stuff.

My shower is in a bathtub with grab bars. My knee surgery and shoulder repair required months of physical therapy. Warming up with hot soaks made the exercise less painful and more productive.

I say to your reader go for it! Resale value should not be the first concern. If they ever need a bath, take a overnight vacation at a Hilton or Marriott.

Ÿ Edith Lank will respond to questions sent to her at 240 Hemingway Drive, Rochester, N.Y. 14620 (please include a stamped return envelope), or readers may e-mail her at www.askedith.com.

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