![\"\"](\"https:\/\/livingyourbestlife60plus.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/325133698_1192601301383717_607688041881429403_n-768x1024.jpg\")
When Mom moved in, I had been flipping houses. She needed enough care that I couldn\u2019t work any longer; I couldn\u2019t be gone from the house from 8:00-6:00. After almost a year, I got a call to remodel someone\u2019s bathroom\u2014which launched me into my current career as a remodeling contractor (read more here<\/a>). That first job was a master bathroom. We changed out the small shower and garden tub for a large, curbless walk-in shower<\/a>. I\u2019ve done a lot of bathrooms and kitchens since then and have an amazing portfolio<\/a>. But it wasn\u2019t until more recently that I was asked to simply change out a standard\/tub shower for a basic walk-in shower. I have found that we can do it for as little as $3500<\/a>\u2014though $5000 is more realistic\u2014but we can always spend more. The tub\/shower conversion in the photo above was done for an older couple and was in the higher price point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I found out how easy and cost-effective it is to change a tub\/shower into a walk-in shower, I wish I had done that for my mother. This is even more important for the elderly who are still living in their own homes and taking care of themselves. I believe no elderly person should have to climb over a bathtub edge to bathe. Doing so, is asking for trouble. In my mother\u2019s case, she had help getting into the shower, but I still wish it was easier for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few weeks ago, I got a call from a women who needed her dad\u2019s tub\/shower converted and he needed it done right away as he\u2019d been in the hospital, then in rehab. He was coming home soon and needed a walk-in shower. It took four days including the grab bars we put in on three sides of the shower, it was just under $3500. Both daughter and dad were thrilled with the finished product<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three key elements of this time- and cost-effective conversion. First, we used a prefab shower pan\u2014which at the time of this writing is about $300<\/a>. Next, we use budget friendly tile. Here, in Lubbock, we have Sutherlands Home Base. They have a lot of close-outs or seconds. For the project for the father coming home from the hospital, the total tile costs, including the accent tile was $84. In that price range, they only have a couple options in grey and a couple in beige, but if you like what they have, and cost is a major factor, it is a great deal. Wherever you live, there may be somewhere similar. The third is plumbing fixtures. Can you do with the basics available at your local Lowe\u2019s or Home Depot or do you want a fancy finish or extra features? If you want the option of having both the regular showerhead and a handheld that can function separately or independently\u2014using a diverter valve, and a rod (which can also serve as a grab bar) on which the hand-held can travel (as shown above), we are looking at around $1000. When dollars are a big concern, you can do a showerhead\/hand-held unit with the valve for about $200<\/a>. For the elderly, I believe a hand-held is essential. It allows them to bathe while seated.<\/p>\n\n\nAsking for Trouble<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cost-Effective<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/livingyourbestlife60plus.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/261841716_4943826122334959_4074681034242771477_n-768x1024.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/livingyourbestlife60plus.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/marita-2022.jpg\")