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Hood Canal Real Estate, Mortgage, and the Economy - www.hoodcanalliving.com

The shower gets more use than the bathtub in many households. That’s why some homeowners are ripping out their tubs completely, creating bigger showers instead.
Extra shower space allows for multiple shower heads, a built-in seat and designs without shower doors, said John Petrie, president of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, in an email interview about current kitchen and bath trends. They can be designed without a threshold — which look more contemporary and are easier for people to use as they get older.
“People really like the bigger showers. They like that there’s elbow room,” said Susie Johnson, a real-estate agent with Coldwell Banker Gundaker in St. Louis. Meanwhile, comments she hears from prospective buyers about whirlpool tubs when walking through a property are often along the lines of: “That’s a nice tub but I don’t take baths,” she said.
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Now, keep in mind that a home should still have at least one bathtub, Johnson added. Having a tub will be important at resale for some buyers, particularly those with small children. For high-end homes, buyers expect a shower and a separate bathtub, especially in the master bath, she said.
One other possible consideration before ripping out a bathtub is how it will be viewed by multiple-listing services when you’re selling the home. Realtor.com, for example, defines a “full bathroom” as having a toilet, a sink and a bathtub. A room with a toilet, sink and shower is a “three-quarter bathroom.” A room with only a toilet and sink is defined as a “half bathroom” or “powder room.”

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