Get matched with top tub and shower conversion pros in Penhook, VA

Whether replacing a bathtub with a shower affects your home's value depends on several factors, with the most significant being whether it's the only tub in the house. Removing the sole bathtub can lower a home's value because many prospective buyers, particularly families with young children or pets, require at least one.

However, a tub-to-shower conversion can also increase home value. A modern walk-in shower is often seen as an upgrade in a secondary bathroom and can be a desirable feature for its accessibility and style, appealing to older homebuyers or those without children. The overall impact is also influenced by your local real estate market and its typical buyer demographic.

If your bathroom layout allows, installing both a freestanding bathtub and a separate shower can be an ideal solution that appeals to the widest range of potential buyers.

If you have an alcove in your bathroom, you don’t necessarily need to install an alcove tub. You can choose a drop-in tub and fit the frame to the alcove. This allows you to get a more custom or spa-like look. Think cultured marble or tiling for the frame versus the simpler look of acrylic or fiberglass with an alcove tub.

While a custom shower costs more and is trickier to install than a prefabricated type, tailoring the layout is particularly useful in small bathrooms with limited space and offers complete design freedom. You can build a shower bench for a family member with limited mobility or a shower niche (built-in, ingressed shelves) to hold clutter and act as a focal point.

There are three main types of shower valves: pressure-balancing, thermostatic, and diverter. Pressure-balancing and thermostatic valves are both considered mixing valves because they regulate water flow and temperature, but they do so in different ways. A pressure-balancing valve senses changes in water pressure, such as from a flushing toilet, and adjusts the incoming hot and cold water to maintain a consistent temperature; these typically use a single knob. A thermostatic valve uses a thermostat to precisely control the water temperature and requires a separate control to adjust the water volume. A diverter valve directs the flow of water from one fixture to another, such as switching from a tub faucet to a showerhead in a tub-shower combination.