New Survey Reveals Shower Is Star Of Bathroom Renovations

A new survey by the home renovations platform Houzz Inc. has revealed that upgrading the shower is a priority for 74% of homeowners when planning a bathroom remodel. Insight DIY reports that the biggest concern was increasing the size of the shower, followed by bringing it up to date with new trends and adding features. 

The most popular shower configuration was the shower over bath combo, which allows for the flexibility and convenience of a shower whilst retaining the bathtub. This is often a priority for families with young children or pets, where the bathroom is not big enough to accommodate a separate shower cubicle. 

Low curb or corner designs were selected by around a quarter of the respondents. Rain or waterfall shower heads were the most popular choice (78%) followed by handhand shower heads (71%). Another favourite choice is to combine both types of shower head in one unit. 

Features to help with accessibility and usability such as grab rails, shower seats, and digital controls were also included by up to 9% of respondents. 2023 UK Houzz Bathroom Trends Study questioned 400 householders about their renovation plans. Further results revealed that the median spend was £5,250 in 2022. 

Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist, said: “With major changes such as removing a bath and enlarging a shower, homeowners renovating their bathrooms are enlisting home professionals to bring bathrooms up to date and help carve out more useable space.”

She added: “Bathrooms have always been a top room to renovate and we’re seeing that homeowners driven both by aesthetic desires and functional necessities are doubling down on their investment in these private sanctuaries.”

Despite recent trends towards bolder colour schemes, over a third of respondents opted for white walls, and 57% opted for white countertops. Just 10% said they were using fashionable green or blue accent colours in their bathroom project. 

When it comes to vanity units, space-saving floating designs were the most popular, followed by built-in and freestanding units. Meanwhile upgrading the toilet was top of the list for 84% of respondents. Popular features include bidet functionality and automatic or hands-free flushing.

Meanwhile, 72% of renovators planned to replace the mirror or add more mirrors to the bathroom. The most popular choices were anti-fog mirrors and those with LED backlighting. 62% planned to accessorise their bathroom with plants to create a calm and pleasing atmosphere and help to purify the air.

More ambitious goals include reframing or moving walls to create a more spacious bathroom, removing the bath, and replacing the plumbing, electrical or heating systems. 88% of homeowners hired professional help to achieve these aims.