To en-suite or not, that is the question

[Yorky]

We have just started the process of extending our house, and have so far got as far as 2nd draft plans.

We are struggling to get 2 good doubles on the 1st floor of the extension, as there is an en-suite shower room, and a laundry room between them. I wondered if by moving the door to the 2nd bedroom so that the shower room is not en-suite, it would be more useful as a family shower room (we currently have a bathroom with shower over)

My thinking is that by removing the en-suite any of the double rooms could be the 'master' bedroom, but would this have a negative effect on future resale value - is an en-suite more 'valuable'?

[tryingtonotfeckup]

I'm interested in the answer as well, I currently have a bedroom with a shower in a cupboard, I'm considering enlarging it slightly to make it a proper en suite.

How big is the laundry room, why there? That may give you a bit more space.

[hanahsaunt]

We've had an en suite for the first time ever in the house we are currently renting. Honestly? I don't need to be that intimately involved with dh's other functions (and I suspect nor he mine). Not having one really, really wouldn't bother me and if it actually compromised on other space then it would be offputting.

[CarlaBruni]

I couldn't care less about en suites, if that helps. I do not see the attraction of your loved one's poo smells wafting into your bedroom. Ditto steam from showers and baths into bedrooms doesn't sound like a good idea. Nor extractor fan noises.

[Yorky]

The laundry room is a little wider than the washing machine and tumble dryer stacked, and the same length as the shower room/en-suite (distance from landing to external wall) and its upstairs thanks to a thread I read on here!

It does give us a lovely open space downstairs long kitchen diner, with an L shaped bit that can either be bigger dining area for Christmas/family gatherings, or more play area for the DC (4 of them, aged 5.5yrs to 12wks, hence the need for more bedrooms!)

[Yorky]

Sorry Carla and Hanahsaunt, cross posted
Thank you for your opinions, and for agreeing with me Not sure why an en-suite made it to plans, other than 'everyone has one'!
When the kids are older and we're trying to get 6 people showered in a morning I think 2 family showers will be a Godsend

I'm fascinated that MN so far seems to be disagreeing with my very scientific FB poll!
Please feel free to redress the balance of votes here!

[oreocrumbs]

I would rather have it as a family shower room. I don't have an opinion on ensuites, I have one, I have lived in houses without them. It doesn't make much difference to me. It saves me a couple of steps to the bathroom in the morning and that is all.

In fact when I lived with my mother we used to queue up to use her ensuite as it had the better shower, so in that house having 2 communal bathrooms would have been much more practical.

There is the jack and jill option (if that would fit with your layout). That seems popular in new builds, but is not for me.

[FishfingersAreOK]

When no guests in the house it is irrelevant to us to have a private bathroom space off the bedroom - we all kind of bundle in any old how. However when my DSIL and her DH and their 4 DC come to stay I love it! It is private. Off our bedroom so clearly not "open" for any of them to use. It means I know I am guaranteed to get a shower before having to go down and get breakfast etc etc and I am a total grump before I have showered.

Could you do it to suit you for now (ie as a shower room off the landing) but possible leave plumbing away from where the door would sit for it being en-suite IYSWIM - so if you sell an buyers could see it would easily be converted to en-suite if they are that bothered.

[morethanyoubargainfor]

We put in a double walk in shower and a sink in our en suite, it is used more than the family bathroom. We opted not have a toilet in it as that is just weird IMHO. I can't be doing with a toilet off the bedroom.

[ByTheSea]

Personally, I couldn't live without an en suite.

[Rhubarbgarden]

I can take them or leave them, except when we have guests. Then it's great to have our own private bathroom so I don't have to bump into FIL in my bathrobe. But if space is an issue, I'd ditch it. They're a nice-to-have rather than an essential, in my opinion.

[EyesDoMoreThanSee]

What's a jack and Jill option?

Sorry for hijacking

[greyvix]

We have an en suite; we have lived here for 22 years and I still use the family bathroom that is next door to our room, mostly because it has a bath and the en suite has a shower. I should add, a dirty shower- as I don't use it, I refuse to clean it.
With a family, you need as many bathrooms/ shower rooms as you can fit in or afford, but they don't need to be en suite IMO.

[oreocrumbs]

A jack and jill ensuite is an ensuite between 2 bedrooms with a door into each. It can only be accessed through one of the bedrooms and not the landing.

It allows you to list both bedrooms as being ensuite even though it is a shared bathroom. Very popular with new build houses. They usually get closed off to become an ensuite for one bedroom only when people actually live in the house because its a faff on remembering to lock 2 doors!

[Rhubarbgarden]

I hate jack and jills. My in-laws have one. I always forget to lock the other door then realise mid-wee and panic that FIL is going to appear through the other door. Not relaxing.

[scotgirl]

Is there somewhere else for the laundry room? Seems a bit strange to be upstairs as doing washing in the evening may be noisy for bedrooms and being on 1st floor may cause lots of vibraton to transfer to downstairs.could you then get 2 small ensuites in?

[Yorky]

Interesting suggestion about the Jack and Jill option, I hadn't considered it at all.
But it isn't going to work :(
Thank God for metropix which is proving invaluable for sketching out ideas - my initial thought was to make the extension into the 'kids' wing' and they could have a shower room between them, while DH and I have the bathroom as 'ours', but inconvenient things like doors mean it fits even less well than just having a shower room there.

I am definitely leaning in favour of the family shower room over the en-suite.

The rooms are a reasonable size, I'm just being difficult and trying to arrange them so that 2 single beds fit comfortably so the DC aren't forced to have bunk beds

I think an L shaped shower room and smaller laundry room (being stubborn on the need to have a door I can shut on the washing pile!) are the most efficient use of space. I'll see if I can do screen grabs and post pics to my profile later as I don't think I'm explaining it well

Thank you for being patient with me!

[notsomanicnow]

Another ensuite = 'not a deal-breaker' from me. We have one, and use it all the time, and it is nice when you have guests staying, but it wouldn't put me off a house if it didn't have one, and it would be a negative if its inclusion compromised the rest of the house in any way.

[herhonesty]

it think its more important to have an appropriate ratio of bathrooms to bedrooms - regardless of ensuite or not. so if you have 4 bedrooms, these days i think 2 is pretty essential.

personally i love having an ensuite, as I can go to bed and shut the door and feel i am in my own world. the rest of is very family oriented with rubber ducks, toys and all. but my bedroom and ensuite is the only place left in the house which hasnt been invaded (yet) ... but thats just my opinion!!

[VeroVero]

En suite add value to the house, and yes it is a great option when you have kids an use this one as your own grown up bathroom, while kids can rumble in their own family bathroom. It is also a good alternative when you have guests and want them to feel welcome therefore giving them (cleaned up after kids) family bathroom. I also agree that it all depends on number of bedrooms, the balance in very important, especially if you consider to sell in the future.

Invest in the aspect which will add value to the house but be careful, having 4 bedrooms and one bathroom is not a good idea, but investing in the living room and kitchen if you have got an awesome view or beautiful garden is worth the money

[MrsJREwing]

Make it a family shower room.

[Yeahthatsnotgonnahappen]

Ugh I hate ensuites as they encroach on the size of the bedroom. Personally I would look favourably on a house that had two decent sized rooms, a shower room and a bathroom, rather than one of the rooms being 'cosy' because of an ensuite.

[EyesDoMoreThanSee]

In the 4bed rental we are just leaving we have a downstairs cloakroom, two ensuites and family bathroom. Too many toilets for me to clean!

The ensuite to the master is great but DH seems to think it is his personal poo space which smells up the bedroom. I would rather have two usable family spaces. The house we are moving too has just the upstairs family bathroom and the downstairs cloakroom. Didn't stop us buying it as the family living space downstairs is amazing.

[ogredownstairs]

I deliberately don't have a loo in our ensuite shower room - too horrible to contemplate. I think there is ensuite-itis at the moment. So much good space in tiny newbuilds wasted so each bottom in the family can have its own personal loo...! I personally would much rather have a shower room the whole family could use as needed.

[primigravida]

I love having an ensuite - it is fantastic to be able to get up and go toilet in the middle of the nights without having to turn on any lights - risk waking light sleeping children by stumbling past their bedroom and no longer having to walk to the other end of the house. It is particularly useful when we have visitors as I like being able to have my own private loo. We considered having a jack and jill one but decided in the end to keep it private and am very glad we did. Our ensuite is just a loo and and a hand basin. We have a 2 loos to 4 people four our family but often have relatives staying or friends visiting. However, for a shower room I would not make it an ensuite and would prefer to have it as a separate room. I really like what we have at the moment. The two loos in separate room with hand basins (one of which is an ensuite) and a bathroom with a separate shower cubicle, bath, and hand basin. It is much more practical and in my opinion more hygienic than having a loo next to your shower or the hand basin with the tooth brushes. Hope your renovation goes well - we are also currently planning an extension.

[mybabyweightiseightyearsold]

Not for us. I'm with the "why do we want to sleep next to a toilet?" brigade.

We're opting for a downstairs wet room (so we can hose down the drunk and vomiting teenagers and too-old-to-make-it-to-the-loo-in-time grandparents. in the future. Hopefully,, not at the same time) and an upstairs shower room, both with toilets.