Tub in new home is backward, with inaccessible faucet and drain

[Bob H.]

I am in the process of buying a new-construction home. We had a home inspector look at it today. Many of the problems are minor -- typical of a home just built -- but there are a few that seem important and hard to solve. I am looking for advice to help negotiate with the builder during an option period that allows me to cancel the contract at a minimal cost. Of course, I hope to find solutions and keep the deal.

The most difficult problem is that the tub in the master bathroom is installed essentially backward. As you can seen in the photos, the faucet and drain are at the far end of an alcove, so it's impossible to move the drain stopper or turn the water on and off without being in the tub. In addition, there is no access panel to allow maintenance of the plumbing, which the inspector says is required. A cosmetic related problem is that the tub is not centered in the tiled deck; it's much closer to the far wall than it is to the front of the tub where a person would have to enter. Also, because the sloped end of the tub is at the end allowing access, there is very little space for a person to enter the tub and step on the level surface.

The obvious solution is to reverse the direction of the tub, putting the sloped end toward the far wall and the plumbing at the open end. That's not simple, because there is no basement or crawl space; the tub is installed over a cable-tension slab.

One possible solution I thought of would be to take out the tub, reverse it and install it a little higher, with a slightly sloped, essentially horizontal pipe running under the tub from the drain to the existing trap, a distance of maybe 45 to 48 inches. I have read that that's not a good approach, though, and apparently would not meet code.

Do you see any reasonable way to approach this?

Another significant but easier-to-solve problem is that the back door opens outward. I have never seen that before. Aside from aesthetics and possible trouble with wind blowing the door, I've read that this is a security issue because, in the absence of special hinges, it's easy for a burglar to enter the home by removing the hinge pins. I'm interested in your experience or opinions on an exterior door that swings outward.