Do Walk-In Showers Increase Home Value?
Jan 20, 2022Remodeling one or more of your bathrooms is a great way to increase your home’s value. In fact, it may be one of the most effective things you can do. According to Angi (formerly Angie’s List), bathroom remodels have an average national return on investment of roughly 72.7%. There’s just one important thing to remember: Not all renovations are going to yield a high return on your investment.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to determine which upgrades are going to get you a good ROI. All you have to do is ask yourself, “How practical is this?” Homebuyers love features that will actively improve their quality of life. So, if your goal is to add a walk-in shower, you are on the right track.
The Benefits of a Walk-In Shower
Walk-in showers are popular among homeowners who are looking to remodel, and they’re attractive to homebuyers for good reason. In fact, they’re great for several reasons:
Convenience
Walk-in showers are generally easier to enter, exit, and move around in than the traditional tub/shower combos found in many homes. They can also fit virtually any space you have in your bathroom, so they work just as well in small bathrooms as in larger ones. Plus, there tend to be fewer nooks and crannies that you have to keep clean—thus making their maintenance simpler.
Safety
One of the biggest reasons to consider a tub-to-shower conversion, especially for older homeowners, is to get rid of the tub’s high threshold. Have you ever worried about slipping in your tub and tripping over its wall just trying to get out after a bath or shower? Walk-in showers eliminate that problem with their low (and, in some cases, nonexistent) thresholds.
Mobility
Walk-in showers are especially great for people with limited mobility. Barrier-free showers are options worth considering for your shower renovation, as they’re designed with no threshold so that entering and exiting the shower is a cinch for wheelchair users or people who have difficulty even with a low threshold. If you have an accessible bathing space that virtually everyone can use, your home becomes appealing to so many more potential buyers.
What to Consider Before Your Shower Replacement Project
Ready to start remodeling your shower? There are just a few more things that you should have in mind before you pick up the phone or email a contractor.
- Your own needs – Whether you’re trying to sell your home now or later, remember that you’re not just adding this walk-in shower for someone else (whom you may not even know yet). You have to use it, too, so you should make sure it’s designed to meet your needs as well as someone else’s.
- The number of tubs in your home – While a walk-in-shower is useful to many people, you’re going to reach more potential buyers when you have some variety in your home. Simply put, if you have more than one bathing space in your home and each has a tub, try to keep at least one of them. You never know if the homebuyers who will make the best offer have kids and/or pets that need a tub!
- Materials used – If you’re replacing your shower, you should make sure you’re getting a new one that’s built to last and easy to clean. Investing in high-quality acrylic, for example, is a great idea for these reasons—not only does it look great, it’s also incredibly easy to maintain.
Tampa Bay-area homeowners who would like to have a walk-in shower installed can count on Morgan Bath & Shower for a job well done—often in as little as one day! Contact us to learn more about our products and begin boosting your home’s value.