Bathroom remodeling comparisons

Tub vs. shower. Removing the last tub in a house is the decision people most often regret at resale, especially in family neighborhoods. If you have a second full bath with a tub, removing this one is low risk. Houzz shows the market moving toward showers: among tub removals, 82% enlarge the shower with the recovered space.

Tile vs. acrylic system. Acrylic and composite wall systems install fast, have fewer grout joints, and are easier to keep clean. Tile lasts longer, is repairable, and is what most buyers read as "nice." The honest tradeoff is speed and grout maintenance versus longevity and appearance. Both fail identically if the waterproofing behind them is wrong.

Curbless vs. low-curb shower. Houzz found low-curb showers at 44% and curbless at 20% among upgraded showers. Curbless is genuinely better for accessibility but requires recessing or sloping the floor structure and unforgiving drainage detailing. It is not a finish choice; it is a framing choice, and it has to be planned before demolition.

Custom vs. stock vanity. 55% of homeowners choose custom or semi-custom, per Houzz, but stock has gained share four years running. In a standard-size bathroom with a standard plumbing rough-in, stock is often the right call and frees money for the shower.

How to choose

Keep one tub in the house

Removing the only bathtub narrows your buyer pool. With a second tub elsewhere, convert freely.

Judge shower systems on the substrate, not the surface

Ask both a tile setter and an acrylic installer the same question: what waterproofing goes behind this? The better answer is the better contractor.

Decide curbless before demolition

It affects joists, drain placement, and floor buildup. Adding it later means redoing the floor.

Spend the vanity savings on the valve and the fan

Stock cabinets are fine. A leaking valve inside a finished wall is not.