First-Time Buyers Still Want a Bathtub

First-Time Buyers Still Want a Bathtub

Bathroom remodeling trends in recent years have focused on removing the bathtub and supersizing the shower. But that could actually hurt a property’s resale value, depending on the buyers you’re trying to attract.

Bathroom Remodeling Trends Focus on Spa-Like Upgrades

First-time home buyers say they want a shower-tub combo, ranking it highest among 18 bathroom features, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ What Home Buyers Really Want, 2021 Edition. The study asked first-time buyers to rate key home features, from “essential” to “do not want.”

Forty-two percent of first-time buyers surveyed call a home with both a shower stall and bathtub in the primary bath desirable; 30% called it essential and a must-have, according to the survey. They also ranked linen closets and a private toilet compartment in the primary bath to be important in their home search.

Chart of buyers' desired bathroom features

Source: “In the Bath, First-Time Buyers Really Want Both a Shower & Tub,” National Association of Home Builders’ Eye on Housing blog (March 30, 2022)

©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission