Downstairs shower room & tiny utility room Vs Larger utility and just a downstairs toilet

[Katz]

We are converting our old kitchen into utility room and downstairs toilet.

We can arrange the space in two main ways one is to have a 1m x 1m downstairs toilet and then a 2.4m x 2.4m utility, the other is a 2.4m x 1m shower room with a 1.3m x 2.4m utility room

which would you go for?

We have a good sized family bathroom upstairs.

[Used2bthin]

We've had similar ideas and will most probably do a toilet and bigger utility (eventually!). It was suggested to us by a builder though that perhaps we could do an bathroom with washing machine etc in . Not sure on this but I understand a lot of people do have the two combined .

[Katz]

i've tried a combined room but i can't get it to work - not enough walls for cupboards and shower washing machine tumble drier etc. Need the wall which will divide the space.

I can see with a teen daughter and preteen that a second shower might be useful but our water pressure isn't great so might not cope with two running at once - not sure how you check this though!

[yomellamoHelly]

Would have thought you could sort out the water pressure somehow. But would still go for the larger utility.

[Katz]

why bigger utility? not had one before - currently just use the kitchen worktop to sort washing

[ReggaeShark]

I yearn for a larger utility room.

[YelloDraw]

I don't mind a downstairs shower room (as long as it isn't your only shower) and think that if you only have 1 bathroom for a 3+ bed house adding a second shower room is a good thing.

Why is your water pressure bad? Tank or mains fed?

[TheTeaFairy]

Why not combine them in one room so you have a utility-shower room (with loo)? That's what we're planning to do. If you're clever with storage, you can fit a lot in to a small space although we haven't got room for a tumble dryer.

[kittybiscuits]

If you have one bathroom, I would go for shower room and tiny utility.

[Ferventfeminista]

Definitely go for another shower and loo, it'll change your lives in a way a utility room never will

[Katz]

water pressure isn't great because we live at the top of a hill, so the mains flow is low.

Tea fairy - i'm struggling with layout if its one room

these are my two ideas

[Katz]

with the shower version we'll also get a good sized cupboard too

[SallyGinnamon]

I've got a small utility and separate shower room. If I had my time again I'd have gone for the bigger utility. I wish I had space to hang up 2 washer loads and leave the iron up. But there's no space so it ends up hanging round in the open plan kitchen/living/diner. Ugh.

[museumum]

Surely it depends if you want another shower? And want it enough to traipse downstairs to have it? Honestly if my dh or ds were in the main shower I'd just wait till they get out (but none of us hog the bathroom for ages, we all get dressed in our rooms after showering).

[Katz]

i'm like you museumum - i'd just wait for the shower

boarders that what worries me too - we current dry washing in the open plan space which i hate - i really don't want that to continue.

i'm shining towards bigger utility

[Katz]

swinging not shining!

[SwedishEdith]

What's teh square bit at bottom left hand side?

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

Must be possible to have a proper wet room shower with a partial partition and a utility? That's what I dream of. The utility bit would be able to be closed behind cupboards. Pinterest has loads of ideas. I'd love a downstairs shower room- you could put your clothes straight in the wash

[AndNowItsSeven]

A larger utility will change your life, fail to see why anyone would need a downstairs shower.

[LittleBearPad]

Bigger utility. Definitely.

Would you actually use the additional shower - people can wait can't they.

Having looked round many houses last year when moving I never liked shower rooms that were downstairs.

[SwedishEdith]

If you go for the narrower utility, stack the washing machine and dryer at one end (facing you). It's not so easy to open the doors in a room that narrow voice of experience

[Sittingunderafrostysky]

I have a large utility room, and I love it. I can hang two loads of washing, and keep all the ironing there too. We have an extra fridge freezer, and loads of cupboard space. I'd choose it over an extra shower anytime

[Newtssuitcase]

Ive had a downstairs shower room in two different houses.

We never use them. In this house that's partly because there are lots of other bathrooms but in my previous house we had only one other bathroom and we still never used it.

[Newtssuitcase]

Lovely big utility room is however used all the time.

[Katz]

swedish - thats the door from the hall and the door into the living room - can't avoid it unfortunately that small bit of hall.

[Katz]

thanks for all the advice - lots to think about