The Hidden Value of a Bathtub: How One Feature Can Shift Your Sale Price
Most sellers don’t think about bathtubs.
They think about kitchens, paint colours, floorboards, staging.
The predictable checklist.
But in the Inner West — in Petersham, Marrickville, Summer Hill, Stanmore — where buyer psychology is almost its own ecosystem, one feature quietly influences value more than most owners realise:
A bathtub.
Yes.
One fixture.
One curve of porcelain.
One detail buyers don’t mention out loud — but react to instantly.
The difference between a home buyers like and a home buyers fight for often begins in the bathroom.
Let me explain.
1. A Bathtub Expands Your Buyer Pool, Which Expands Your Sale Price
Real estate value is not just about size, condition or location.
It’s about who your property appeals to.
A well-designed bathroom with a bathtub instantly brings in:
Young families with children
Buyers who equate a bathtub with lifestyle and ritual
Professionals seeking a “retreat”
Investors who know bathtubs increase rental appeal
A home that speaks to four buyer groups instead of two is a home with leverage.
In a suburb where competition dictates price, a bathtub doesn’t add value because of what it is.
It adds value because of who it attracts.
2. The Numbers Are Real, Not Wishful Thinking
Australian renovation studies show that converting a half bathroom to a full bathroom (which almost always involves adding a tub) can increase property value by up to 9% in certain markets.
Full-bath additions in family-oriented suburbs often return 4–5% gains when measured against similar properties that lack them.
On a $1.5M Inner West home, that’s $60,000–$75,000.
On a $2.5M property, you’re looking well into six figures.
Buyers don’t stand at open homes saying, “This is worth $70k more because of the bath.”
But emotionally, that’s exactly how they behave.
And emotion moves money.
3. The Right Bathtub Creates a Story Buyers Pay For
Not all tubs are equal.
A cramped bath that steals space lowers perceived value.
But a thoughtfully placed bathtub does something else entirely —
it sells a mood.
Freestanding baths in master bathrooms.
Spa-style baths framed by warm lighting.
Minimalist tubs in modern renovations.
Classic inset baths in restored federations.
These aren’t fixtures.
They’re fantasies.
Buyers don’t remember tile colours.
They remember how a bathroom felt.
And in competitive markets, memory is currency.
4. The Inner West Buyer Is Built Differently
In suburbs like Petersham, Stanmore, Summer Hill and Marrickville, buyers walk into a home with a checklist — but they make offers based on feeling.
They want routine.
They want comfort.
They want a life upgrade disguised as a property purchase.
A bathtub hits every one of those triggers.
It says:
“This home is complete.”
“This home is ready for a family.”
“This home is premium.”
“This home calms you down.”
That’s why even buyers who never take baths themselves will pay more for a property that has one.
They’re not buying a tub.
They’re buying a version of themselves.
5. When Removing a Bathtub Becomes a Mistake
Many renovators make the same critical error:
They rip out the bathtub to create a larger shower.
In a one-bathroom apartment, sometimes that’s fine.
But in a house?
Or a two-bathroom layout?
Or any family-targeted property?
Removing the tub shrinks your buyer pool instantly.
It takes a home that could attract families, luxury buyers, downsizers, and professionals —
and narrows it to people who prefer convenience over lifestyle.
That choice can cost far more than the renovation ever saved.
6. So What Is a Bathtub Actually Worth?
Here’s the honest, experience-based answer:
A bathtub is worth whatever an extra bidder is worth in your suburb.
In Petersham or Marrickville, that could mean tens of thousands.
In the right street, with the right campaign, it can mean hundreds of thousands.
Not because of plumbing.
Because of psychology.
In a tight market, an emotional differentiator is often the most valuable feature of all.
A bathtub isn’t a fixture.
It’s an advantage.
From the desk of-
Ramon Raneal