Will a Shower Stall Reduce the Value of a House?

A shower stall won't impact the appraisal value of a home with multiple baths as much as a home with only one bathroom. Real estate sale listings group baths under standard descriptions, including full, three-quarters and half baths. A full bath has it all: shower, tub with shower, toilet and sink. Three-quarter baths have the basics, but in place of a tub, the bath features a shower stall. Half baths have only a sink and toilet. Appraisers calculate the financial value of a home using these standard descriptions. The appraisal value of a three-quarter bath varies with each appraiser, but universally, appraisers rank shower stalls less valuable compared with a full bathroom.

While a home with only a shower stall reduces the appraisal value of a home, it also reduces the intrinsic value of the home for potential buyers with children. Young families typically look for homes with at least one bathtub for use in bathing children. Offering a safe, confined space to sit while washing, a tub is the most convenient way to bathe a child while minimizing getting soaked in the process. Parents with toddlers look for homes with at least one bathtub.

Elderly home buyers look at bathroom features differently compared with families with young children. Many senior shoppers look for a home with a shower stall. Seniors sometimes have trouble climbing over the edge of the bathtub to use a shower-bathtub combination. A home with only a bathtub requires the senior to maneuver on a slippery tub surface. Walking and sitting down in a slippery bathtub increases the risk of falling for the elderly. A shower stall allows the bather to enter without scaling a tub edge, and seniors can easily place a chair in the shower stall to reduce the risk of falling.

One exception to the reduction in the financial value of a shower-only home is a house featuring a high-end, walk-in shower stall. This type of stall offers barrier-free access for handicapped residents, with more space compared to traditional showerheads positioned over bathtubs. High-end shower installations incorporate glass blocks, rain showerheads, imported tile walls and multiple showerheads located at different levels on the walls. This type of shower enclosure, when completed in a style that complements the house, typically increases its appraisal value.