Converting bathroom into shower room?

Ceiling showers ugh! Have a choice, you don't always want to get drenched.
I have a fabulous corner shower unit. It offers the choice of drenching, a removable spray head and body shower nozzles if you don't want to get your hair wet or if you have GC that aren't keen on showers. If you keep to the general size of the old baths footprint then when the house is sold the new owners can easily reinstate a bath if they want to.

We did this last weekend. Just finishing off decoration. Had it professionally done. Bath taken out tiles removed full length shower tray and panel. Had a special boarding put up. Cheaper than tiles and easier to clean. Whole thing took day and a half. Very pleased with it. Good luck.

My Mil had a walk in bath installed when she could no longer use the normal bath. She wouldn't consider having a shower. What we hadn't realised was the length of time the bath took to fill, (small but deep), involving her sitting there with a towel round her shoulders for up to 20 minutes. Think twice before installing one.

There was a thread on this subject recently. The OP asked if removing the bath completely wouldn't detract from the value of her house, which she was thinking of selling.

So, where there's space, both a shower and a bath would be best.

Here's the thread:

www.gransnet.com/forums/house_and_home/1233438-Does-our-house-need-a-bath

We had our bigger bathroom turned into shower room a year or so ago. It is a walk-in shower so no doors to fiddle with just a large glass panel. Husband has a stoma so we still have a bath in the smaller bathroom. Brilliant not to have to climb over side of bath. Get a good local plumber who should be able to organise everything for you.

This is what we had done last spring: www.mobility-plus.co.uk/walk-in-showers/the-richmond

Not cheap, but excellent quality and workmanship.

I miss the bath but showers are inependence. I worked in an old people's home and several residents moved in with us when they couldnt manage the bath anymore..............I rather fancy one of those overhead body dryers and a toilet that offers a wash and brush up option too....and a robot hoover.......(for the house not personal use). Be prepared to be independent.

My daughter's bath

Trying again! My daughter's bathroom is very small and I suggested getting rid of the bath and having a walk in shower but she pointed out that there would be no way to bathe her small children. That's a consideration if you were ever thinking of downsizing. Families with young children (or planning to have them) might be put off and they are a big part of the potential buyers for a family sized house. If you have a space to fit a walk in shower without removing the bath, it's worth considering.

I had my bathroom completely refitted four years ago as I was having great difficulty in getting out of the bath (problems with my balance + wonky hips..!) I haven't regretted it - in fact I wish I'd had it done sooner
I had a double shower put in (so that I can fit a seat in easily in future) with an electric shower that is adjustable so that the DGC can use it easily. I also had grab rails fitted in the shower and next to the toilet - again, for my future use, but they've been very useful to a friend with severe arthritis.
I can't recommend it enough - get the professionals in (I used a small independent local shop, who were fantastic - and very reasonable). You'll be amazed at the difference it makes.. !

We had our bathroom done two years ago and had the bath taken out and a double shower put in. We also had a seat fitted, it folds flat to the wall so is very neat. The walls inside the shower are splash wall so very easy to clean and no grouting to discolour. I do the whole thing in the morning with the karcher window vac. Easy !!

I agree about overhead showers can't abide them much prefer one that you can adjust the height and angle. I only wash my hair every other day so don't want it drenched each time I shower, and small grandson can use it if visiting just stands part way under or use the and sprayer to drench him it works fine.

Hand spray,

It's lovely to have a really nice bath or shower room
Worth spending all you can on it! We have toilet and loo downstairs and bathroom upstairs with over bath shower
Should have had grab rails fitted though as I can't get out of Bath from seated position. Worth thinking ahead!

We had our bathroom refitted 4 years ago, had the bath removed it was too small anyway, now just have a shower. We are in our 70's and thought a shower would be better then a bath . Don't regret it at all best thing we ever ✅ done.

We have a couple of showers in this house and a small bath, which was there when we bought the house, downstairs in what is now a cloakroom. In our last house we changed the bath for a large shower and put a bath in the spare bedroom which was very large - that was an attic room and you could be in the bath and look at the stars through the roof window!
All of our showers have the ceramic thermostats and the overhead shower and also the hand held one you can remove. Both our overhead showers can be tilted etc and are large sized to give you a good spray. One of the trays is 'sunken' so you step down into the tray. Luckily we have corgi registered plumbers in the family which is helpful for jobs like this!

MiL did this in a flat but I wouldn't do it in a family house as I think it would put people with children off
It depends how long you are going to stay I guess

Had a council grant years ago to convert my small bathroom to a wet room because of severe arthritis. No steps to trip over. Electric shower. Room for a shower stool. Neighbours have done the same. No problem about selling the property as nearby one sold because it had wet norm. Bijou

25 years ago we bought this house which was locally notorious as "the house with no bath". We converted a bedroom into a bathroom and used that and the existing shower room. Attitudes change though and DD and fiancé bought a house last year that only had a walk in shower with no bath. And they have no plans to install a bath. When she lived in the Caribbean few houses and flats had baths, so you could buy extra large baby baths to accommodate toddlers. I think that few people now consider lack of a bath a deal breaker when buying a house, so do what suits you Wilygran.

I made a very big stupid mistake, with my shower.
I chose one in the Showroom, with the lowest step I could find.
I did not realise that by the time the plumbing is done it raises the step....... I can manage it but maybe in the future when I am even more decrepit, I will need a portable step, I know they are available.

Another thing to perhaps consider when re-doing a bathroom with or without a bath. It is a good idea to change the door, if possible, so that it opens outwards into the hall or landing rather than inwards into the bathroom. There are several instances where someone has collapsed in a bathroom and it has been very difficult to access the room because they were laying across behind the door. If the door is able to open outwards it makes things much easier.

For the umpteenth time (not on commission!) may I recommend this bath lift which I've used for any number of patients. Not necessarily this brand but the general idea.

It sits in the bath, having been previously charged, no electrics, no fittings. You use a hand-held control, lowers you down, back lowers to about 45 degrees and you have a soak, press up, and up you come to the height of the bath, swing around and you're done!

They are ideal for anyone who has only one bathroom, likes a soak to ease aching bones, and doesn't want to spend too much money.

bath

Lived with just a shower for years,no regrets!

Riverwalk I'm trying to visualise your bath lift, I'm wondering how you swing yourself around? I have really bad hips and cannot lift my left leg so swinging my legs up and over would be nigh on impossible for me, just curious

Tanith with this particular lift you would have difficulty if you really can't lift your legs. However, there are other lifts, no doubt more expensive, where you sit sideways and there is a ledge to place your legs on, then pull a lever which then swivels the seat, and your legs, over the bath.

For anyone who can lift their own legs, once seated sideways, or has someone to assist, my original lift can be very useful and economical.