I live in the country and am completely reliant on tank water. I also have a grey water recycling system and can tell how much water has gone through it at any one time as the filters need to be cleaned after so many litres of water go through them. I can almost guarantee that the bath with a couple of grand kids splashing about for twenty minutes having fun will use less water than any of their parents showering does. Even topping it up with more hot water if needed. Unless you are very conservative with your showers baths are not that bad and the value they add to the resale of the average home outweighs any downside. I definately wouldn't buy a house without one. I have had a house that has a bath the size of the shower though, about 1m x 1m by maybe 40cm deep and I think it was called a hip bath. My sister in law has one at her house, she got it from Lanark, as her house only had a shower which is not practical and it was the cheaper option than redoing the whole bathroom. I dont know if that is what you are after or not.

It's not a simple debate between what you want/need more or less....understand that this a regulatory thing.........if you are dealing with a building permit then it's pretty cut & dry - as the BCA reads, a separate trough is technically required to consitute a laundry....happy to be corrected in my interpretation in this regard but we have had to deal with this exact issue on a few occasions....... But if you are doing just an under the radar laundry reno/refit (no permit) then potentially you can get away with none, but you'll of course need to practically connect the washer into the drainage somehow, which still requires an isolated trap set-up, that technically will be illegal. No you can't just connect straight into a sewer waste as if the connection fails and their is no water trap it would be hazardous (not to mention unpleasant) to have exposed sewer gas. If it's in a kitchen an can connect a washer to a sink waste (similar) to the dishwasher) then arguably that could be passed. The easiest way is to fit a small trough next to the washer that even if you develop a cover for so you can use the area as bench space. It then keeps flexibility and everything above board/compliant for future resale.....

You should create the bathroom that works best for you. I have no family but for me a bathroom with no tub is a big no no because I like to have a bath occassionally. Yet I've walked through many homes recently in which the main bathroom had a shower only. A lot of people find better mileage with an oversized shower. Do you ever take baths? Do you ever have small children in your home? Do you need a tub to wash the dog in? Are you going to ever sell this home to a family with small children? If the answer is no to all of those then it may be a better use of your space to put in a shower only. I disagree that a shower over a bath is a big no no in a family home. If you have children under 5 a bath is a must. You cannot bath a small child in a shower [easily]. I've yet to meet anyone that absolutely hates a shower over a bath who wasn't an octagenarian and even then their objection is the fact their balance isn't what it used to be and they find getting in and out physically difficult. Go with what works for you and your situation. Anyone after you who buys this house can put it the way they like it later.

The plumber advised that the only place for all the plumbing was underneath and I couldn't get a wider cabinet and stone bench without issues with the sliding door. Even considered removing the sliders and having a wall built with a normal door, but that was $5k. So slimmer cabinet it was, machines are pushed in as far as they can go. Laundry tub now in garage as partner regularly washes the cars and just as regularly leaves his chammis soaking in the tub. So this way he has a tub with easy access for the cars and the tub is also close to the mop bucket. Sink in the laundry is perfect for soaking the odd item that needs a presoak. Yes, it gives me a lot of joy, especially after living without a laundry at all during the reno and having to use launderette!