Good Questions: Shower Stall or Tub Reno?

2005_1_3_question mark.jpg Hello AT,

I own a medium-size (850-990 sq. ft) apartment in Park Slope, and I'm thinking about initiating that ever-popular renovation of the bathroom. I'm entertaining the idea of ditching the tub altogether and tiling the floor to create just a standing shower in the area.

My question is, will this reduce the resale value of the apartment, or turn off alot of potential buyers when I eventually sell the place?

Thanks! Roger

In terms of resale value, redoing your bathroom will have very little impact on the price going up and there is no difference that we know of between a shower stall bathroom and a tub bathroom on paper.

Which is to say, go ahead and do it for yourself because no one else will mind and it won't make the price go down. Have fun and send pics! MGR

Comments (1)

I'm an interior designer in Manhattan, specializing in apartment renos - a couple of comments: 1. a bathroom renovation, like a kitchen renovation, is always going to improve resale value, especially if you take into consideration what the market will bear for comparable renovated units and budget accordingly (eg no point in installing marble tile if your comparables have ceramic) 2. removing the bathtub is not a good idea for resale, and we always dissuade clients from doing this. As many have commented, PS buyers are even more likely to want a bathtub, particularly in 2-bedroom units. Hope that helps!