Should You Fit a Bath or Shower in Your New Bathroom?

Should you fit a bath or shower in your new bathroom? This question tends to have people divided. Ask most people and they usually prefer one over the other.

But when you’re fitting a new bathroom you need to think about design and practicalities as well as what you want. Style, space and saleability are all things to consider when designing a new bathroom.

We’ve come up with different option advantages to help you work out whether you should go for a bath or shower.

Showers

If you’re pushed for space, fitting a shower is often the best option. Showers usually take up considerably less room than a bath. This means that they fit into smaller rooms much more easily. Even if you could fit a bath in, if this is going to make it feel cramped then you might be better off with a shower.

Showers are also a good option if you want to get creative. There are lots of shower styles and designs available. You can choose between a pivot or sliding door and whether it’s sunk or walk-in. Plus you can get different pressure options, multi-jets, colourful lighting and shower TVs.

Baths

If you’ve got the space then a bath can be a great option. They’re often cheaper than installing a shower and you still have plenty of design options to choose from. Whether you want traditional or contemporary, curved or angular or freestanding or inset, you should be able to find a bath design to suit you.

Another big bath selling point is that they’re family- friendly. If you’ve got kids around or might do in the future, you could find things a bit difficult if you don’t have one. Plus if you have a house with 2+ bedrooms and are planning to sell, if you don’t have a bath you might find it hard to attract buyers with families.

Shower baths

If you’re still undecided on whether to get a bath or shower, have you considered a shower bath? Fitting a shower over the top of a bath can be a great space-saving solution if you want a bath and shower but haven’t got space for both. It also caters for everyone when it comes to having guests and selling your home. Don’t worry about style choice – although you won’t get a huge range you’ll still have plenty of designs to choose from.

Made your choice and ready to explore other bathroom options? Take a look at our articles on toilets and pedestal basins.

Bath Price

From approx. £250

Including installation

Shower Price

From approx. £400

Including enclosure and installation

Installation time

2 hours +


Advantages and disadvantages
  • Showers are good space-savers
  • Baths are family-friendly and can make your home easier to sell
  • Installing a shower bath is a good way to cater for everyone
  • Showers aren’t very family-friendly
  • Lots of people prefer a shower in the morning to a bath
  • Shower baths can give you less room for creativity