Can You Sell a House Without a Bathtub?

bathroom without bathtub

There is this common notion that a property without a bathtub in the master bathroom is less attractive to buyers and might end up attracting lower offers than its actual worth when it’s time to sell. It’s the same as trying to sell a house without a stove. You might enjoy your shower stall only bathroom, but a promotion will force you to move permanently.

A dark cloud of lost equity will start looming over your head as you weigh between selling the house at a loss or undertaking an unplanned bathtub installation project for the next tenant. It hardly seems fair.

If you are in a similar predicament where your considerations for the potential selling price conflict with your current preferences, conveniences and habits, there is some light at the end of this article.

While it is true that the lack of a bathtub can be a big deterrent to a significant percentage of buyers, it turns out your house can sell just fine without a tub. You only need to focus on the right buyers and present it in a way that appeals to them.

Keep reading for tips on identifying them and why you can count on them to get your listing off the market. Alongside repair-related concerns, many sellers also ask how long they should live in a house before putting it on the market.

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Targeting Buyers Who Don’t Prioritize Bathtubs in Their Homes

Identifying the right audience for your listing significantly increases the number of bids you will get for it despite the absence of a bathtub. The more bids you get, the higher the potential selling price.

Let’s look at some categories of people you should include in your potential buyers’ list when selling a house without a bathtub. This list is not exhaustive as every circumstance is unique, but you will get the general idea

Young Adults

This demographic does not really care for a bathtub because they lack time to appreciate it, courtesy of their busy schedules. Their net purchasing power is also lower than the older generation, so they will look for the least expensive deals for their first homes.

It is largely made up of singles and childless couples who don’t need to find a suitable place for washing kids (this is another reason a family will prefer houses with bathtubs). All you need to do is ensure your house is presentable and the price is within the market range.

People Already Accustomed to Living Without Bathtubs

There is a generation that has grown up in small urban apartments which typically have shower stall only bathrooms because their small bathroom size cannot accommodate bathtubs. These people will not be finicky about bathtubs because they are not habituated to them in the first place.

Some of the elderly and people with disabilities will also avoid houses with bathtubs because they can’t safely get in and out of them.

Then there are the water conservationists who feel that filling up a bathtub is unnecessarily wasteful. They will always choose a shower over a bathtub and don’t keep quiet about it.

You will easily beat competing listings with bathtubs in this category of buyers because their prices will be higher than yours for an amenity that the buyer doesn’t desire.

Specialized Home Buyers

These companies or entities buy houses, intending to flip them for a profit. They will always have an offer for you even when the rest of the buyers in the neighborhood are looking for houses with bathtubs.

Such buyers characteristically don’t impose commissions, fees or any other obligations on the sale, just as well because they drive a hard bargain. They are the best option if you intend to sell your house for quick cash in a buyer’s market or you feel the listing has been up for so long that it is starting to be counterproductive.

If you’re thinking, “I’m looking for a cash home buyer near me,” and don’t know where to start, check out WeBuyHousesInDenver.org if you’re in Denver area.

nice bathroom without bathtub

How Does the Absence of a Bathtub Affect the Market Price?

The effect on the market price of having or not having a bathtub is hard to quantify in today’s market. Some prospective buyers will want it, while the rest won’t care if there is a bathtub.

Among the prospects who value a bathtub, some will not bother coming for a viewing when they realize the house has no tub, while others will proceed to bid because they like other features in the house or its location.

They do this knowing they will remodel the bathroom as soon as the sale closes, which might affect their offer because they will be reserving funds for the bathroom renovation.

The location of the house also influences the extent to which the bathtub will affect the market price. If the rest of the listings in the neighborhood also don’t have a bathtub, everyone looking for a bathtub will pick from similar listings, and your house will remain competitive. You will get bids from bathtub lovers and those to whom it doesn’t make a difference.

For instance, modern small condos in large cities are typically fitted with shower only baths. They don’t have space in the small bath for bathtubs, and their target demography of single people and young couples hardly have time to soak in tubs.

The absence of a bathtub in such a market will not hugely impact demand. On the other hand, having a bathtub in this neighborhood might put you ahead of competitors and earn you the best deals from people looking for rare amenities.

In a family-themed neighborhood where bathtubs are prevalent, your pool of prospective buyers will be reduced significantly as they will prefer to view listings with a large tub.

In light of the above, you can tell there is no way of gauging a bathtub’s absolute home value addition. A bathtub will nonetheless increase your pool of prospective buyers because you can’t accurately predict the kind of audience your listing will get.

If you are selling a house without a bathtub, it is important to be honest with potential buyers about this feature and why it is not included in the home. If you’re looking for a cash home buyer near me We buy houses in Denver is the best homebuyer for you.

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Should You Install a Bathtub Before Listing the House?

Your best offer might come from a buyer who loves the house but really needs a bathtub. It can be a family with children who are accustomed to washing their kids in a tub without making a mess. They are also relaxing to soak in after a long day. If any bidders fit in this category, you will probably attract more bids with a bathtub.

You can install a bathtub before listing or include it in the package to sweeten the deal. There are many variants of bathtubs that allow you to modify the look and feel of the bathroom in many ways. They can open up the space to many aesthetic options that can’t be achieved using a simple shower.

The expected selling price after a bathroom remodel should limit the level of investment you make towards this project. You don’t want to go all out only to find out you can’t recover the cost from the house sale. It’s better to knock some money off the asking price and get the house moving than incur huge costs on a house you are letting go of.

If the potential buyer wants a tub and you can’t facilitate it for one reason or another, it doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker. You can renegotiate the selling price to motivate them to buy the house. During these negotiations, you will likely lower your asking price because they will be factoring in the cost of a bathroom remodel immediately after the purchase.

You don’t have to oblige to their demands, though. If you have already reached an agreement, you can allow them to terminate the contract and keep the listing open for other bids without the bathtub. There is a possibility that you will get a similar or higher offer, but it will take longer to sell.

The longer a listing stays in the market, the higher the risk of stigmatizing the house. Buyers will speculate that the house has a problem that can lower its market price even further. This is a good time to invite offers from the specialized cash buyers we mentioned earlier.

decent bathtub

Conclusion

Most of the real estate experts we consulted advise that you have at least one bathtub in the house to retain your potential for getting the highest resale value. This means you should not remove the bathtub when remodeling, even if you hardly use it. That said, there is space in the market for homes without bathtubs.

You shouldn’t despair if the house doesn’t have a bathtub because other people are bound to be interested in it just like you were when you bought the house. Study the market or get a professional to do it for you, and you will realize there is an ideal buyer for a house without a bathtub.

“I’m looking for a cash home buyer near me, but I don’t know who to call.”

WeBuyHousesInDenver.org is your solution to selling your house, with or without a bath tub because as Denver’s number 1 cash home buyer we will buy any house in any condition so if you want a cash offer on your property simply give us a call or fill out an online form and our team of experts will get to work, quick smart, to help you get your house SOLD!

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Your Solution to Selling a House Without a Bathtub

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