Yes. For most homes, keeping at least one bathtub protects your resale value. Buyers with young children often rule out homes without one. The tub does not have to be in your ensuite, though. A tub in the main bathroom usually covers resale, which frees your primary bathroom renovation for the walk-in shower you actually want.
If you are planning a bathroom renovation, this question can feel bigger than it should. You have a tub you rarely use, taking up space you would love to give to a generous shower. At the same time, you do not want a choice you make today to cost you when it is time to sell. That hesitation is reasonable, and it is one of the most common questions we hear from homeowners across Ancaster and Hamilton.
Why do buyers still care about having a bathtub?
The short answer is bath time. Parents of babies and young children rely on a tub, and they make up a large share of the people shopping for detached homes in family neighbourhoods like Ancaster, Dundas, and the Hamilton Mountain. When a listing shows no bathtub, many of those buyers move on without booking a showing. Fewer showings usually means less competition for your home.
The numbers back this up. In a 2026 survey of estate agents, almost half said homes without a bathtub typically sell for 3 to 4 percent less, and about a third said family homes without one take three to four weeks longer to sell.
You do not need to design for every possible buyer. You just do not want to quietly remove your home from consideration for one of the biggest groups looking in your area.
Do you need a tub in every bathroom?
No. One tub is usually enough. Most buyers simply want to know a tub exists somewhere in the house, ideally on the same floor as the kids’ bedrooms. A tub and shower combination in the main bathroom checks that box completely.
That is good news for your ensuite. If your home was built in the 1990s or early 2000s, there is a good chance the primary ensuite has a large corner jetted tub that takes up a big part of the room and rarely gets used. Replacing it with a walk-in shower is one of the most popular changes we make, and as long as another tub stays in the house, it shouldn’t hurt resale.
When is it fine to have no tub at all?
A few situations make going tub-free a sensible choice. In a bungalow likely to sell to downsizers, buyers tend to value an easy, curbless shower more than a tub. If you plan to stay fifteen years or more, your daily comfort matters more than a buyer you may never meet. And if aging in place is the goal, a safe, accessible shower will serve you far better than a tub you struggle to step into.
In those cases, the decision is less about resale and more about how you want to live. Build for your life, not someone else’s.
How should you plan a bathroom renovation around resale value?
Start with the whole house rather than one room, and ask yourself three questions. How many tubs do you have now? Who is most likely to buy your home? How long do you plan to stay? Your answers will usually make the right choice clear.
If the tub you are thinking of removing is the only one in the house and you expect to sell within about five years, keeping it is the safer choice. A tub and shower combination with a clean tiled surround can look just as finished as a standalone shower. If you plan to stay for many years, or there is another tub elsewhere in the house, design the room around how you actually live.
At JJ Legacy Contracting, we plan every bathroom with both sides in mind: how you use the room today and how it will show when you sell. The result is a bathroom you enjoy every morning and a home that still feels right to the family who buys it next. If you are weighing this decision, we would love to talk through the job with you. Reach out to us to book a short qualification call, and we will help you figure out what makes sense for your home.