Is installing a whirlpool-type bathtub a good idea?

Question

I'm rehabbing a single family house in an above average neighborhood, am considering replacing the current standard bathtub to a fancy fiberglass tub with whirlpool jets. Does anyone have experience with this, and will renters pay more for this upgrade?

thank you

Ed B. · Answer

Good grief! What a horrible story.  That "plumber friend" should have realized those water keys can usually be turned with a pair of pliers or crescent wrench. Most houses have--or should--a shut off valve in addition to the one by the curb meter.

David Niles · Answer

Definitely wouldnt in a rental, flip "maybe" depending on how high end it is.  Dont forget most of these style tubs are big and hold a lot of water usually requiring an additional hw tank to supply them.

Matthew Paul · Answer

Friends of ours bought a house with a medium size whirlpool tub . The kids used it 4 times till the mom had to clean it . It is in the master bath with a shower .  They want to remove it and build a closet where it was .

Matthew Paul · Answer

No, no , no .  Did I say no ?      Its just another thing to break , leak or replace

Roy N. · Answer

@Ed B.

If you were planning to flip the property and it was a soaker-tub with jets in an en-suite bathroom {i.e. not the primary/sole bathroom in the house}, it may be worth considering.

However, in a rental, it is just something else to clean and repair.  Have you ever noted how scummy the jets look on such tubs in hotel rooms? ... that'll be your rental.

Jennifer T. · Answer

Back in the days when I was a tenant, I rented a unit that had a whirlpool tub.  We used it a lot and never cleaned the jets, but they never looked dirty.  Was that an oops, lol?

The unit, overall, was higher end and in a desirable neighborhood.  So we were already paying an above average rent.  I did consider the tub a medium-sized perk, during our showing.  Would I have paid extra for it as compared to a similar unit?  Maybe.  But definitely not more than $50/month.

Gail K. · Answer

Not worth the time and trouble to put one in and clean it.

Had a co-worker friend whose husband decided to put one in in their upstairs masters bathroom.  Had his "$20 plumber" friend help him out.  As they were cutting the studs in the wall to make the larger tub fit, the sawzall slipped and cut right through the water lines.  My co-worker friend (who was about 8 months pregnant) was cooking downstairs when water came flooding through the light fixture, across the floor and into the dining room where they had just placed new laminate flooring.

The "plumber friend" disappeared and my friend and her husband realized the value of owning (which they did not have) a water key to shut the water off at the curb meter.  By the time they found a neighbor with one, the laminate flooring was damaged beyond repair and the bottom of the kitchen cabinets didn't fare so well either.

Gail

Is installing a whirlpool-type bathtub a good idea?

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