Updating a 1990s Master Bathroom in Heathrow: From Garden Tub to Spa Retreat
If your Heathrow home was built in the late 1980s or 1990s, your master bathroom may have some familiar features: a large garden tub that rarely gets used, a small stall shower, a long vanity with a wall-to-wall mirror, and plenty of builder-grade tile.
Those baths reflected the style of the time. Today, many homeowners want something different, and the master bath is a common place to start a bathroom remodel.
The garden tub question
A common question is whether to keep the tub. Many homeowners remove the garden tub and use that space for a larger walk-in shower. Others keep a tub but replace the built-in platform with a freestanding soaking tub.
There's no single right answer. If you have young children, or resale is a priority, it may be worth keeping at least one tub somewhere in the home. Your designer can walk you through the tradeoffs.
Popular master bath upgrades
Larger walk-in showers with frameless glass, a built-in bench, niches, and multiple shower heads.
Double vanities with more storage, often with drawers and a tower cabinet between the sinks.
Framed mirrors or medicine cabinets in place of a wall-to-wall mirror.
Large-format porcelain tile for fewer grout lines.
Updated lighting, including sconces at the vanity.
A comfort-height toilet in a separate water closet.
Planning for the long term
If you plan to stay in your Heathrow home for many years, consider designing with the future in mind: a low-threshold or curbless shower, blocking in the walls for future grab bars, and a handheld shower wand. See our guide to aging-in-place remodeling in Lake Mary.
Permits and HOA considerations
Because the Heathrow residential community is in unincorporated Seminole County, bathroom permits are handled by the Seminole County Building Division. The county lists bathroom remodels that change the location of a tub, sink, or toilet, or that replace tile or a tub surround, among work that requires a permit. Stevens Kitchens handles permits for you. Learn more in our Lake Mary permit guide.
As with any Heathrow project, check with your neighborhood HOA and the master association about work hours, contractor parking, and dumpster placement before work begins.
What does it cost?
Average master bathroom remodeling costs in Central Florida typically run around $35,000. Your final number depends on the size of the room, your selections, whether plumbing is relocated, and the overall scope of work. Your designer can provide an estimate for your specific project at your showroom consultation.
Let's design your retreat
See more in our bathroom gallery. Remodeling the kitchen too? Read remodeling a kitchen in Heathrow. Call (407) 359-0302 or request a consultation.
Stevens Kitchens Remodeling Services for Lake Mary and Heathrow
Kitchen remodeling, cabinet sales, and installation · kitchen gallery
Bathroom remodeling · bathroom gallery
More Lake Mary-area guides: Lake Mary kitchen remodeling guide · Heathrow kitchens · Timacuan kitchens · Greenwood Lakes & The Crossings kitchens · The Crossings guest baths · Magnolia Plantation kitchens · Downtown Lake Mary & Crystal Lake · Lake Mary remodel permits · Lake Mary remodel costs
Stevens Kitchens 1399 W. Broadway St. Oviedo, FL 32765 (407) 359-0302 www.stevenskitchens.com
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