Angie's List: Bathroom remodeling

If your bathroom could use a little love, Angie's List has tips concerning bathroom trends and whether you should swap your bathtub for a shower.

"The trend these days is to convert bathtubs into showers," said Angie Hicks with Angie's List. "There are so many choices when it comes to showers, and they potentially take up less space than the large garden tubs that have been historically in homes. If you are a homeowner that wants to age in place, grow old in your home, a shower can be a safer alternative for you."

Bathroom remodeling contractor Dan Updike says many of his customers are ditching bulky tubs in favor of luxurious showers.

"The bathing generation is kind of gone by the wayside," said Updike. "We are a pretty much shower generation anymore. So rather than have the bathtub that you lift your leg over that's a confined space, if you put in a large shower, it's more of the spa-type shower."

Hicks says if you choose to make the change, walk-in showers leave you with endless possibilities. They can be customized to fit just about any size, shape or lifestyle.

"As far as options for the shower with the older generation the grab bars, maybe some corner seats, some hand held showers, things like that. Inside shampoo holders or corner shelves, we always have some type of shelving go into the unit," said Updike.

Updike said the cost of converting a standard five-foot bathtub into a shower starts at about $4,500, but prices can quickly increase, depending on the materials you use.

"If you want to go tub to a shower it's very simple to do, you just need to move plumbing a little bit for the new setup. Other than that they make shower bases the same size as bathtubs," said Updike. "We normally use solid surface bases instead of plastic or fiberglass. They are very heavy duty and come in a variety of colors to coordinate whether it's tile on the walls or solid surface wall panels."

Hicks notes that converting a bathtub into a shower is not always the best idea.

"Replacing a tub for a shower is not for everyone," said Hicks. "If you only have one bathroom in your house you want to be sure you keep a tub because what will end up happening is you'll hurt your resale value. Families with kids, they like tubs and without one it can hurt you"

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Angie's List: Bathroom remodeling