Removing an ensuite, yay or nay?

[ArseyTussle]

Our house is a bit of a weird layout, it has two bedrooms downstairs (one of which is ensuite), plus the kitchen/dining room, utility room and downstairs toilet.

Upstairs are two more bedrooms, the living room and a normal sized bathroom with bath and shower over.

I don't like ensuites, can't quite get my head round sleeping next to a toilet. I'm thinking of taking out the ensuite, and adding a shower to the downstairs loo.

Would this be off-putting for future buyers?

[MuddlingThroughMotherhood]

If it's not your forever home and if you're thinking of future buyers then I'd leave the en suite.

I've always wanted an en suite and we're hoping to move soon and one of my requirements will be for my new house to already have an en suite or for space for one to be easily installed. If it's the latter then I'll be factoring the cost of installation into my budget/offer.

[Bluebolt]

I have a walk in shower with no toilet instead of an en suite as I am not keen on the toilet in the bedroom.

[Costacoffeeplease]

No en suite would put me off

[Oliversmumsarmy]

But short of moving your toilet into the garden you are alway going to be near your loo. I have a door to my ensuite. Doesn't everyone?

[CMOTDibbler]

With a downstairs bedroom, I'd really want an ensuite, and I think that these days many people expect the master bedroom to have one in a 4 bed

[Jaynebxl]

I'm a big fan of en suites so I think you'd be mad to take it out. There's a door isn't there? I don't understand this thing of not wanting to sleep near a loo. We keep the door shut and I never think about there being a loo anywhere near where I'm sleeping. Does sound like a funny layout though. Where are the people who sleep in the other bedroom downstairs supposed to shower?

[PuppyMonkey]

You're not "sleeping next to" just any old toilet though, it's the toilet with your very own poo in it. With a door to protect you from any lingering poo spores.

I think you'll devalue the house if you lose the ensuite.

[Bluntness100]

Isn't the ensuite in a seperate room with a door? It's kind of unusual to have an issue of sleeping in a room that's next to a loo, but guess we are all different.

For most an ensuite adds value, but if you intend to stay there for any length of time, just take it out if it freaks you out.

[kel12345]

I'd die for an en suite again (had one in my halls my 1st year of uni). No way would I ever get rid of one

[anyname123]

I'd get rid. Put a shower in, both downstairs bedrooms have access, turn the end suite into a lovely big wardrobe. I personally hate en suites, a little box in the middle of the house without windows does nothing get for me

[yumscrumfatbum]

We took the ensuite out of our bedroom a couple of years ago. It made my bedroom small and impractical. It was also causing ventilation problems in what was a poorly insulated room. We had our dormer window replaced, enlarged and took the ensuite out. I don't miss it at all. I hated having a toilet in my bedroom

[VeritysWatchTower]

If this is not your forever home and you are thinking of future buyers then leave the en-suite in, especially as it is for a downstairs bedroom. Think of people possibly seeing it as a guest room with the privacy of an en-suite.

[AnnPerkins]

If you plan to have a sink in the shower room I would say go for it.

[AnnPerkins]

I hate en suites btw, I would get rid of mine like a shot if we weren't planning to sell asap, but I think you need somewhere for people to brush their teeth etc if they're sleeping in the ground floor bedroom.

[TheCrowFromBelow]

Ours has a window, it's bigger than the actual bathroom. I love it but the whole family use it to shower!
If you are replacing with another bathroom then I think it's doable but people like en suites for privacy (ideally anyway!) A properly designed en suite is not a toilet in your bedroom and shouldn't noticeably take up bedroom floor space. Can you change the door to it, so it is not lying off your bedroom but accessed from the hall?

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Mine has a window a huge shower with a massive shower head and cupboards and drawers in the vanity unit. When you come into the bedroom there is a 7ft wide by 10ft long corridor with the door to the ensuite off the "corridor" then the room opens up into the bedroom. We have a landing ensuite and bedroom taking up the whole of the upper floor of our dormer bungalow.

Couldn't you switch the living room to the down stairs bedroom and the living room upstairs becomes a bedroom.

[SeasickCrocodile]

No I wouldn't remove an en suite if it's not your forever home. Unless they are awful of particularly awkward they add value.

[MuppetsChristmasCarol]

You are the only person in the world it seems that shares my views on en-suites! Nasty little rooms, putting damp air into the bedrooms. Sadly we also have one but can't get rid because DH loves it and we'll probably move in a few years.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

How do ensuites put damp air in a room. Close the door

[FrankAndBeans]

I wouldn't buy a house with an en suite. Pointless waste of storage space.

[JennyHolzersGhost]

It depends whether this is your forever home or you're planning to sell at some point and looking to add value.

If the former then do whatever you like
If the latter I'd say addressing the unusual layout is the bigger issue here. Any chance of moving the sitting room downstairs and making that upstairs space into bedrooms ?

[HeadDreamer]

I love ensuites. It's one of the desirables, along with things like utility rooms.

[ScarletSienna]

I dislike ensuites and haven't noticed a noticeable difference in value between houses with and without them that are similar. Our downstairs bedroom has one but I'd rather it was just a downstairs loo with shower that wasn't accessed via the bedroom. None of our upstairs bedrooms have an ensuite and that was something that attracted us to the house.

[orangepudding]

I always hated the idea of an ensuite. Now I have one I love it! It has a window so there is no problem with condensation or smells.

[PurpleDaisies]

I don't like en suites either. We have one off the master bedroom which we chose to make the guest room so people can use it when they stay.

The presence or absence of an ensuite really wouldn't be a deal breaker. The main bathroom size and a downstairs loo are far more important to me.