Ensuite / 2nd family bathroom dilemma

[Synthaprufe]

Have a large 5 bed victorian, probably going to sell next year. Currently have WC on ground floor, cramped family bathroom on half landing with large shower and tight bath and an ensuite off master bedroom which is large with bath and no shower.
Renovating all of them so need to appeal to family buyers.
The ensuite could easily have a large shower and a freestanding feature bath, but would need to become a 2nd family bathroom rather than ensuite due to layout and door locations.
If you were buying which is more important, an ensuite to the master bedroom or a second large family bathroom with a bit of a wow factor?
I'm going round in circles with the decision!!

[StylishDuck]

I would say that if I was in need of a 5 bedroom house a larger family bathroom would be more important than an en-suite. Is the en-suite only accessible from the master bedroom? I’d maybe make the bathroom on the landing just a shower room and put a bath in the en-suite. But then I don’t personally have a lot of baths...

[honeylulu]

I think two family bathrooms is way better but I'm not really a fan of en suites anyway (make your bedroom damp and pervaded by toilet smells).
Bathrooms accessible to all will mean anyone can use them. En suites are restricted to use by the occupants of that bedroom unless you want others tramping through your bedroom.
We're looking for a house now and have been a bit put off ones where the second bathroom was an en suite.

[MrsBertBibby]

When you own three teenage boys, you learn the joy of an en suite. Having one has transformed life!

Only trouble is the horror when visitors use the loo, and you remember too late you have no idea what state It's in.

Although I'd far rather have a shower en suite than a bath. Could you not improve the family bathroom with a decent bath plus shower over?

[Yogagirl123]

I had this same dilemma, quite a few years back, it took me ages to decide! We also have a 5 bed, downstairs loo, upstairs had family bathroom, with bath, shower cubicle, loo, sink and bidet. Ensuite had bath, loo, sink and bidet. We refurbished the family bathroom, with new bath, shower cubicle, loo and sink, ditched the bidet, LOL! We weren’t sure whether to keep the bath in the en-suite, in the end we decided to have a double walk-in shower, sink and loo. And thank goodness we did as a few years later I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis so the walk-in shower is a necessity for me, I never use the bath.

[another20]

Any chance of a diagram? There are some spacial geniuses on this forum.

You need to keep an ensuite for the master - though it doesnt need to be big, doesnt need a bath - or for me personally even a toilet.

I think that you do need to somehow find a way to get two further separate "bathrooms" upstairs. One could just be a shower room (no toilet) and then a standard family bathroom. Is there any way you can access all of excess space in the current ensuite from the hall way to create either of these? Toilets are harder to move - but showers you can put almost anywhere.

[mando12345]

I love my en suite, would leave that but add a large shower.
For the family bathroom I would make the shower a standard 800mm square one to give more room for a full size bath, we have a shower this size with a very minimally framed matki glass cubicle which makes it feel much larger than the old shower which was the same size. That combined with large, light porcelain tiles makes the room look and feel much bigger.

[Synthaprufe]

Great to get so many perspectives...I'm an architect so layout issues not a problem, but the overall concept...I have about ten layout options!! My dh hates the idea of a shower over the bath so that idea had to go...at the moment have 2 doors into the ensuite, from bedroom and another from hall...but it ruins the space and gives inefficient circulation. I'm now leaning towards the two bathrooms and blocking up the door from the bedroom...both with showers and separate baths...could be good for guests as somebody suggested above.

[8misskitty8]

2 separate bathrooms.
En-suite means one room can use it while one separate bathroom needs to be shared between 4 bedrooms. Which is too many in my view. The en-suite would have to be used by others which means people coming through your bedroom to do so.
Much better to have 2 separate bathrooms.

[JoJoSM2]

I can’t imagine a house without an ensuite. I think people looking for 5 bed houses with generally lean towards having a bathroom for parents (ensuite) and one (or more) for children and guests.

[tickingthebox]

How big is the current ensuite? Could you split it in half and have a small ensuite and a small family shower room?

For me in a 5 bed house, 3 bathrooms is a definite selling point. And small bathrooms can look stunning!

have a look here - genius small bathroom ideas.... www.isi-dam.com/res/assets/ml_target/media/Bro/file/IS_ConceptSpace_Multiproduct_Bro_GB_2013.pdf

[SilverSpot]

The ideal here for me would be to split your en suite into a small shower en suite and a small family shower room so you have two family bath/shower rooms plus ensuite.

Otherwise I would prefer two nice family bath/shower rooms than one ensuite and one tiny bathroom for a 5 bed house.