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.

Sounds like a nice tub. I have heard goo things about resurfacing, if done by a professional. I'd expect you could get ten years or more out of it. Could you upload a photo to here?

Bathroom renos can be daunting as there are many things to consider and usually the space can be limiting. Free standing baths are stunning and come in many shapes and sizes. You have mentioned that you and the boys will use the bath, ensure you factor in the "users" height as this will determine the bath size and depth. Firstly is the plumbing remaining in the same position? Floor mounted bath mixers can be installed with a concealed under floor box or the above floor connection method. The concealed box method is advisable before the flooring is installed, and has the benefit of a lower profile floor plate, which is preferred. The above floor method may be done where the first approach is not possible. Free standing bath mixers visually create an impact when paired with the freestanding tub, ensure you have enough room around the tub as it will be difficult to clean if it sits too close to walls and or vanities etc..many freestanding bath mixers offer functional hand showers as well as the spout, ideal for washing soap out of kids hair. Would love to see a lay out of your bathroom to assist with tap ware placement. Good luck with your bathroom renovations, always happy to assist you. Carmen Collaborative Interiors

Get your builder to fix it. He cant just put another one in without your say so. There is no simple way to fix this your going to have to open up that wall and get them to adjust the mixer higher This will in turn mean you have to redo the waterproofing, tiling and plumbing which could take weeks, most likely days depending. All of that to change the fixture. get your builder to offer a suggestion.