Thanks everyone - I am sold on retaining the tub. I am a nomad - this is home number 7 and whilst I fantasise about a forever home, I have declared it before only to get itchy feet.. Ellen you sell the soak really well. The 21 year old son (who usually uses this bathroom) promises he is leaving home soon. I might create a seriously girly bathroom /laundry which might make a long bath appealing rather than a gross prospect. I can mediate to the sound of the dryer tumbling around.

Our last house had two showers, no bath. About twice a year, I'd yearn for a bath. Never really regretted not putting one in, thogh. New house does have a bath as well as two showers, so life is perfect. Re the accessible bathtubs, you have to get in, then sit there while they fill up, have your bath, then sit there while they drain. Some of them leak. And they use a lot of hot water. Personally, I'd go for a shower with a built in or molded bench to sit on. That way, youre not sitting there damp and shivering while the water drains.

Hi Annie We get asked about the weight of freestanding baths all the time as people assume they will simply be too heavy to move around for cleaning purposes, which may be the case with a solid stone bath. To make cleaning manageable, our baths and spas are manufactured using Gelcoat composite construction which is extremely strong yet not overly heavy (5mm thickness to ensure structural rigidity and increased thermal properties). This allows most people to easily slide the bath out from the wall for easy cleaning access. I hope that helps with your dilemma! Regards, Brad AQVA Luxury Baths & Spas

My tub is 45L. You can definitely soak/hand wash any size of clothing/ Doona covers etc. When looking at laundry sinks, there are two types of sinks, the square edge or rounded edge. This makes a big difference on whether you can soak a tray flat on the bottom of sink. I have attached some photos. The square edge sinks are just that, so allow for trays. The round edge sinks will not. I would take an oven tray from your chosen oven, and go to a plumbing shop to see what it will actually fit into. You may have to end up soaking tray on their sides. My oven is 600mm I have a rounded edge trough, and soak trays on sides.