Buying a bath for your home

There are few, if any, items capable of bringing comfort and relaxation to your home quite like a new bath. From resting and recuperating after a hard day’s work, to bathing the kids before bedtime, buying a bath for your home can provide a source of luxury as well as practicality.

With so many options on the market, however, many buyers are left feeling overwhelmed when deciding on how to buy a bath that’s right for their home.

Fortunately, Showers to You is on hand to provide you with all the info you need on how to buy a bath for your household. In our comprehensive guide, we’ll cover all of the main considerations so you can find the perfect bath to fit your budget and requirements.

What Should You Consider When Buying a Bath for Your Home?

Because there are so many different styles, shapes, sizes, and prices of baths on the market, making the right decision can seem tricky. Calculating how much a bath might cost is an important factor, but not necessarily the best place to start.

Here are a few important considerations you should take into account when buying a new bath.

How to Choose the Right Location for Your Bath

Deciding on where you are going to put your new bath is the first and arguably most vital step in the process.

Whether you’re embarking on a complete bathroom overhaul or simply replacing an old bath, deciding on the location of your new bath allows you to take measurements and determine what size you require your new tub to be.

To establish how to pick the right bath size for your bathroom, you’ll need to:

  • Measure the dimensions of both the room and the designated bath area.
  • Use these measurements to calculate how much space you have for a bath in your desired location.
  • Ascertain the maximum size of bath you can fit.

Now you can choose between the maximum size and a more compact tub. Check out our guide on the different types of baths you can buy for inspiration.

If you’re buying a direct replacement for an existing bath, you’ll need a tub that’s the same size as your current one. In this instance, you’ll need to take the measurements of the length, width, and height of your existing tub.

A similar-sized bathtub does not necessarily mean it has to be the same shape, however. Buying a bath with a different shape or design than your previous one is a brilliant way to freshen up the aesthetic of your room.

Remember to consider other essential items like toilets, taps and basins, and showers when factoring in your available space. It’s recommended that you aim to have at least 760mm of space between your bathtub and other facilities to avoid cluttering and allow you to move around easily.

At Showers to You, we have a range of exceptional freestanding baths, corner baths, and straight baths available in an array of different sizes, styles, and materials.

How to Choose the Right Taps for Your Bath

Choosing your taps is an undervalued but essential aspect of buying a bath for your home. Deciding on taps is more than just a stylistic issue, with your choice determining how many tapholes your bath will require to function correctly.

Mixer Taps

Mixer taps require just one tap hole to function properly. These taps filter both hot and cold water in one flow, with the temperature determined by the quantity of water being filtered out of each tap.

Mixer taps either come with the standard left tap for hot water and right for cold, or as a single rotating tap that is turned left to increase heat and right to decrease heat.

Separate Taps

Separate taps are a traditional design that requires two tap holes—one for hot water and one for cold. As a result, these taps can have a separate stream of hot and cold water running at the same time rather than one combined flow.

How to Install Your Bath Taps

While some baths come with tap holes pre-fitted, others don’t and will need to be drilled in either by yourself, or the person fitting the bathtub. If you’ve chosen to have your taps fitted to your wall, then you won’t require any tap holes at all.

For those planning on installing a shower over their bath or buying a designated shower bath, you’ll need to consider whether you’d prefer combined mixer taps or separate taps for each facility.

Finally, for larger baths, it’s worth considering whether you’d like your bath to be single or double-ended. Single-ended baths are designed with taps located at one end of the bath, whereas double-ended baths have the taps placed centrally to allow two people to recline comfortably at opposite ends of the tub.

How to Choose the Right Style of Bath

Once you’ve established your measurements and other practical issues, you can now focus on finding a bath that matches the style of your bathroom. At Showers to You, we have a range of different types of bathtubs to suit everything from traditional bathrooms to sleek modern spaces.

Straight Baths: Single and Double-Ended

Straight baths are the most common and versatile type of bathtub on the market. As the name suggests, these baths have a straight, rectangular design, and tend to be fitted to a wall on one side.

Straight baths are available in an array of sizes making them appropriate for smaller bathrooms as well as more lavish bathroom spaces. You can also choose between single and double-ended bathtubs (learn more in our buyer's guide to single and double-ended baths)

Additionally, the design of these baths means you can easily add shower taps and a shower curtain to the structure for dual-purpose use.

Steel Baths

Steel baths are an economic choice for your bathroom. Made from steel metal that’s covered with a layer of porcelain or ceramic for an attractive finish, these tubs are better at retaining heat than other, cheaper tubs.

Learn more about buying a steel bathtub in our expert guide.

Corner Baths

Corner baths are an exceptional choice for those looking to bring a modern aesthetic to a smaller space. These baths come in a curved design that fits neatly into a corner of your room.

Corner baths tend to be shorter and wider than straight baths and offer ample bathing space despite their compact design.

For those seeking to combine the sleek design of corner baths with a larger tub, offset corner baths are an outstanding choice. Offset corner baths come with one side longer to maximise space so you can unwind with a long, tranquil soak. Find out more in our corner bath buying guide.

Freestanding Baths

Freestanding baths are unparalleled in their ability to bring comfort and luxury to your bathroom. These lavish bathtubs are an exceptional choice for those with ample bathroom space, offering unrivalled comfort with a style that’s hard to beat.

Freestanding baths are robust structures that do not need to be attached to a wall or any other part of your bathroom. Unlike straight baths or corner baths, freestanding designs can be placed in the centre of your bathroom, with their premium, minimalistic aesthetic serving as a primary feature in the room.

Learn more in our buyer’s guide to freestanding baths.

How Much Does a Bath Cost to Buy?

With a wide selection of sizes, designs, materials, and brands on the market, the cost of a bath can wildly vary. While certain budget offerings are available for as little as £150, the most premium baths on the market can cost in excess of £4000.

Thankfully, with such an array of choices available, you have a greater chance than ever to find a bath that’s perfect for your budget and requirements.

At Showers to You we have a range of exceptional baths to suit a variety of different customers. From economical choices available at bargain prices to best-in-class freestanding options, you’re sure to find the right bath for your home.

Should I Install My New Bath or Book an Installation?

While it may be tempting to go it alone and cut costs by installing a new bath yourself, the risk of incorrectly installing a bath can be catastrophic. To prevent unnecessary costs, maintenance, and residual problems down the line, it’s worth booking a professional to install your new bath.

A professional will not only remove the stress and responsibility of fitting a bath yourself, but they are likely to complete the job more efficiently and timely than you might be able to.

However, if you’re keen to give it a go, there are plenty of online tutorials and guides to be found to take you through the bath installation process step by step.

Why Buy From Showers to You?

With our extensive range of sizes and styles, Showers to You offers baths that cater for all requirements. With nearly four decades of industry experience, we have everything you need to help you make the right choice when buying a bath for your home.

All our baths are provided by high-calibre brands like Britton and Beaufort to ensure we provide only the finest products to our customers.

We offer a full manufacturer’s warranty on all of our products, giving you peace of mind while you shop.

If you have any questions about a product, please contact us via email (info@showerstoyou.co.uk), phone (01472 242 159), or via our online contact form.