The Bath Bubble | Hacker News Reader

The Bath Bubble

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24 pointspepys10 comments

Not mentioned, but seems like a relevant consideration: “According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons. You might argue that very few people fill the tub to the top, but a simple calculation shows that either way, baths use more water.”

https://stanfordmag.org/contents/shower-or-bath-essential-an...

As someone about to undertake a master bath renovation, “to bath or not to bath” has been a huge and difficult decision. A soaking tub like the article discusses is less on the radar than a more compact version, and the decision boils down to resale and what a family with kids wants (vs a personal spa amenity). The tub is winning based on informal surveying of opinion from real estate agents, builders and lots of parents. For context, we’re in an urban enviro where space is at a premium. Probably a no brainer in a larger home.

I can't imagine not having a bath. I don't take one that often, but I really like having the option. Also, we need it for the kids.

It's convenient, but not mandatory for kids. We simply showered with the baby until age three or four and he's taken his own showers since then (supervised until age 6 or so)

> Probably a no brainer in a larger home

My first home, a two up, two down terrace - guessing around 500-700 sq feet, it was tiny - had a bath, partly as I would not have bought anything without. There's not much in the UK without anyway. I've always liked shower for mornings and refreshing, bath for unwinding and relieving aching muscles with a long soak, so if limited space shower over the bath would be our compromise.

Was much easier - and probably much cheaper - with the kids, as they reused the water, or shared when younger, and mum or I could go in last - assuming they hadn't come in caked in mud. :)

From the UK here, but you are at a significant disadvantage when selling a family home if there is no bath.

I wonder, "just how significant"?

In this case, shower can be converted back to the bathtub, for not too much money/time.

Besides, once the house is sold, usually some interior changes are made by seller and/or buyer, e.g. new paint inside, new appliances, furniture etc, which all takes time and money and converting the shower would be just one more thing to do, and a relatively cheap one, too.

It's just one of those things - people expect a family home to contain a family bathroom, with a bath.

Yes, you can put one in for not a massive amount of money, but that's money that the buyer will want to knock off, or they'll just go for the myriad of other houses that DO have a bath.

We love our tub! Sunday nights we soak together in a giant bubble bath and give each other foot massages. I frequently soak in there weeknights after either stressful workday or long workouts while listening to music or an audiobook. We also wash the dog in there. Can't imagine not having a tub.

Possibly the best opening sentence of an article I have read in a long time.

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