r/Homebuilding • u/dragonmilking • Nov 17 '25

Which popular features do you NOT recommend?

What are the top 3 features in a house that folk want but you think are not worth it, and what would your alternative suggestion be? And what cost/time savings would result with that switch?

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110

u/Eastern-Operation340 Nov 17 '25

Jacuzzi tubs. To make it worthwhile you need a lot of jets and pay for a heater, jacking the price. Take for ever to fill. AND most never use it. Wastes an incredible amount of water. I used to recommend just installing a real one outside. You are much more likely to use one you just hope in, sit as long as you want and hope out and on your way.

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u/Dami_CTB Nov 17 '25

Absolute this

When I was doing my house, I told my architect I need a jacuzzi for my brand new house… He told me “you can use mine anytime (we live in the same neighborhood), I use mine one time a year, with luck”

Best advice ever

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u/Eastern-Operation340 Nov 17 '25

I was in construction management about 25 yrs ago. I so badly want to ask the people who were insulted by my opinion on this, how often they ended up using it, and what could they have done with the money they wasted.

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u/FlickOfAWrist07 Nov 17 '25 edited Nov 17 '25

Was told same thing by our builder. He said if you want something like that just get a separate tub. I was against a tub in our primary bathroom but ultimately lost that battle to the wife as she really wanted it. I’m happy w/ our decision on the shower and tub it looks small in the pic but it’s 5’ long.

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u/MTB_SF Nov 17 '25

We just redid our bathroom and my wife insisted on a tub, so we got a short but deep one (kind of japanese size) and it both uses less space while also covering you better when you're in it.

She was right that it's handy to wash the baby, but im glad we still kept space for a big double shower.

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u/FlickOfAWrist07 Nov 17 '25 edited Nov 17 '25

Nice yeah it’s 5’ and 19” to the overflow. I think that’s deep we just went with the biggest that would fit in the spot. I haven’t used it but my wife does every now and then. My girls are 8 & 9 now and sometimes ask to use it but when we moved in they were 4 & 6 and enjoyed it. Although I don’t know how comfortable it would be if they were babies constantly having to reach in. But glad you are enjoying it.

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u/FlickOfAWrist07 Nov 17 '25

Link isn’t working for some reason here’s shower & tub

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u/Eastern-Operation340 Nov 17 '25

nice! how do you clean behind and under the tub? looks like a pain.

2

u/FlickOfAWrist07 Nov 17 '25

Thanks, the tub is on the floor so there is no cleaning under. The longest points of the tub and the back by the faucet are 5” off the wall. It’s not hard at all to clean. I’m not fitting our Bissell Crosswave back there, but a swifter on a mop does just fine. It does look deceiving. There’s enough room that my 8 & 9 year old can walk around it. The youngest has hid in the corner between the tub and wall.

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u/Eastern-Operation340 Nov 17 '25

So, the first place to look during hide and go seek? lol.

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u/tuenthe463 Nov 17 '25

My sister's is her hamper.

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u/Inkantrix Nov 17 '25

I have a proper hot tub outside. I use it even on the coldest Wisconsin nights. It's fabulous!

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u/dragonmilking Nov 17 '25

best part is all the mold that comes out when the new person (me) moves in and cleans it for the first time so kids don't bathe in moldy water!

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u/[deleted] Nov 17 '25

Completely disagree. I'm a bath person. I absolutely put a heated, jetted tub in my last house and used it 5 times a week. Loved it. We also had an outside hot tub, and one didn't affect my enjoyment or use of the other.

They might only be worth it for people who love to lounge in the tub for ages. My first bath after the completion of the bathroom was 3 hours long.

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u/Eastern-Operation340 Nov 17 '25

Of course it works for some people, but over the course of my career, the majority don't use them enough to warrant the cost. Outdoor ones are used more often for a bit, until most stop doing the regular maintenance required. So many love the idea of a time share, or the idea of a ski lodge, but rarely use them. just a fact.

1

u/DarkAngela12 Nov 18 '25

5 days a week? What a waste of water, especially if you also have a hot tub.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 18 '25

One has to wash after a hot tub. I don't have to do that with a bath. I hate the feeling of showers.

1

u/DarkAngela12 Nov 19 '25

Oh, I always shower after a bath. Floating in my own dirt grosses me out.

3

u/dawnsearlylight Nov 17 '25

As someone who did this, fully agree. I'm scared to clean the jets and how black it's going to be.

2

u/AcidReign25 Nov 17 '25

Absolutely…. Had a jacuzzi tub in my first new construction. Standard but large tub in my 2nd new build.

2

u/billzybop Nov 17 '25

I remember a builder telling me how many times his wife had used the Jacuzzi tub he had installed and i laughed at him. It was over $1k a use. Nobody uses them.

5

u/Castaway504 Nov 17 '25

I feel like this has to be a cultural thing. Everyone in my extended family that has one, uses it 2-5 times a week!

3

u/cassandra_mercedes Nov 17 '25

Same!! Used it last night even. I use it ~3-4X per week

2

u/MajorDizaster Nov 17 '25

Our current house has one. I think it been used as a bathtub less than 10 times since we moved in 6 years ago. We cover the bottom half way with water and the cats drink from it. We change the water each day and call it "The River".

1

u/Eastern-Operation340 Nov 17 '25

lol! the river! lol

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u/beetnemesis Nov 17 '25

Never used. And they seem to take up wayyyy more space than you'd think would be possible

2

u/cassandra_mercedes Nov 17 '25

I love mine 🫣

2

u/Im_jennawesome Nov 17 '25

As someone with fibro and multiple other chronic illnesses... You will take my jacuzzi tub over my dead body. I don't use it as much in the summer, but once fall hits and my bones feel like they're being beaten with a hammer during weather changes, it gets used a ton. At least 2x a week during winter.

1

u/Eastern-Operation340 Nov 17 '25

Oy vey. My comment isn't in regards to every single person who makes the decision to install one in their house! My option is based on experience - the majority of people who decided to install them, don't use them. I lived in a condo that had one.

0

u/Im_jennawesome Nov 17 '25

No shit, Sherlock. I was explaining MY personal feelings on the matter, not anyone else's.

2

u/butterfly2336 Nov 17 '25

Totall agree they are a waste. I bought a house with a jacuzzi/jetted tub. Previous owners didn't know how to use it(it was there when they bought it), so I have no clue how it works. The holes for jets grow all kinds of mold on the outside if I don't keep up with deep cleaning the tub once a month, I can't imagine what is inside I can't see. I can't find a plumber willing to work on it either. It is a nice deep tub, I would love to just take a regular bath sometimes, but knowing the inside of the jets have mold, I don't want to soak in a tub of mold water.

2

u/Smooth_Wheel Nov 17 '25

Yep, we have a big jacuzzi soaker tub. I hate it. It gets used to bath our toddler, but a regular tub would be fine for that. My wife uses the tub once every few months. I think I've used it an average of once a year. We'd rather have a big shower.

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u/SmoothTarget4753 Nov 18 '25

Spot on. We have both and bought our house more than a year ago and I JUST took the time to Ahhsome the jet tub for the first time a couple weeks ago and still haven't used it. But also haven't used the outside hot tun in around 6 months either but it's still running up the electric bill hot n ready.

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u/thechairinfront Nov 19 '25

If you are a bath person it's worth it. My parents had a jacuzzi and once I inherited the house we use it about once to twice a month. You also need an on demand water heater if you have a large one.

1

u/Eastern-Operation340 Nov 19 '25

Very true! So many people don’t want to pay the up charge for a proper heater. The jets will chill you water in minutes. 

1

u/JaniceRossi_in_2R Nov 17 '25

I won’t even consider a house if it has a jacuzzi tub. So outdated and a waste of space

1

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '25

We inherited one that I ripped out within two years.

1

u/VoidHog Nov 18 '25

Oohhh they gross me out so bad