Why do so many new builds have en-suites/lots of bathrooms?

[Bloodybrambles]

Just out of curiosity really. Growing up I don’t really remember them being much of a thing. Maybe large houses (4+ bedrooms) would have an en-suite off the master bedroom. I remember house hunting with my parents as a kid and a downstairs toilet was a deal breaker. Even then I don’t remember that many houses having en-suites/lots of bathrooms (I feel like we viewed hundreds of houses).

A few of my friends live in new builds and something I’ve noticed is a lot of bathrooms:bedroom/space. One friend has a five bed with five bathrooms! No wonder she has a cleaner…

My best friend has just bought his first house. It’s a cozy two bed, open plan downstairs with a WC, then the master bedroom with en suite and bedroom 2 (just about fit single bed + wardrobe) with the family bathroom opposite. He had been looking with his partner for months and just wanted something in budget, that had at least two bedrooms + parking.

It’s almost made me conscious that we’ve not future proofed with what we hope to be our family home. One family bathroom for three bedrooms (plus wc downstairs).

Why don't people put their laundry in their bathroom where the dirty clothes already are

Condensation from steam wrecks washing machines

1. Building regs prohibit standard plug sockets in bathrooms.
2. Not everyone keeps their dirty clothes in the bathroom. My dirty clothes live in the bedroom because my bathroom is too small to have a laundry basket in it.
3. Most bathrooms couldn't accommodate a washing machine.

It is a new-ish thing.

We have a 4 bed, 1 downstairs toilet, and 1 family bathroom (built in 70s). I suspect if it was built today then the main bedroom (which tbf is big) would have an en suite, and possibly the other double too. The downstairs toilet could have fairly easily been extended into a shower toom too.

In late 80s/early 90s an extra house was built on our road, and the owner offered (planning had been a little argumentative between the landowner and the residents) the rest of the road to come and look round before they moved in.

It was, if I remember rightly (I was young teen) a four bed, but very small rooms compared to our (60s build) houses but it had an en suite with corner bath for the master bedroom, and a (absolutely minute) shower room as en suite for the 2nd bedroom.

Obviously the residents stood outside gossiping afterwards, and the main discussion was what a waste of space the en suites were when the bedrooms were so "pokey".
The house sold fairly recently, and it got a premium price for the size and the house, and one of the big selling points I'm told was that it had two en suites which is unusual for the village, certainly that end of the village.

I think new builds have to have a downstairs loo.

I lived in housing estate that was built in the 1970s in Ireland. And those houses had downstairs toilets as a part of a laundry room, a main bathroom and an ensuite off the main bedroom. This is not a new thing!!

We are currently downsizing from 7 bed 3 with en suite, family bathroom and 6 toilets throughout the house and I’m hoping for at least 3 toilets in a 5 bed. I’ve just looked at one without a bath in any bathroom at all…? Some weird trends out there. I saw one with 4 beds 4 en-suites and no family bathroom. Would suit us but it was so weird I was worried about future sale. The search continues.

I saw one with 4 beds 4 en-suites and no family bathroom.

A always assume that houses with that arrangement are aimed at house shares rather than families.

I feel very turned off by avarice, ostentation, bigger, flashier anything so masses of bedrooms and/or bathrooms and large properties leave me cold. In my ideal world I'd live alone in a two bedroom flat, full sized bathroom with bath and shower, large living and dining room with balcony or patio garden, study, separate kitchen, separate utility and loo. That would do me. My idea of heaven. DH can live in a separate flat in the same block or just down the road, and both my adult children within a 30 minute journey by public transport. Not much to ask for is it? .

You're looking at 8-9 rooms there. Not exactly tiny living.

I make it 7 rooms, but whatever. I didn't say I was into tiny living, but I did say was my dream scenario, my absolute ideal world, my big fantasy. But I did forget to say I'd want there to be a swimming pool in the block too .

I wonder how popular these houses will be when the Renters' Rights Bill becomes law?

With 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren who I would like to stay ideally I would like a 7 bedroomed house with 4 bathrooms to live in all the time.... but my ideal holiday home (to own) would be a 2 bed stone fishermans cottage right on the beach, with shutters, and it would be nice if it had 2 loos. I've been dreaming about that for a long time.

For a two bed flat that’s a lot of accommodation though. So actually quite a lot bigger which you said you weren’t keen on 🥴
Twobeds average 70m2 as standard with the bigger ones at 77m2.

I don’t think they are focusing on the rental market.
We are always told to ‘squeeeeze😗’ as many en-suites in as possible because ‘that’s what people want’. People being homeowners, not landlords. Even in areas where the purchase of a property must be by an owner occupier we still get told to do the same

I hope there are developers on here seeing this thread because NO, a lot of people don’t want them.

👋👋👋Gladmans if you’re on here….stop building crap housing and turning the countryside into a car park. !

YANBU

Brothers house had three washrooms... But it was tiny. Just do one main bathroom, no need for ensuite or a washroom downstairs in a tiny house!!

A house about a mile from me was on the market for ages as it was a 6 bedroom with ONE toilet in the entire house. The smallest bedroom was next to the master, so easily could convert that room into an ensuite.

I do hate it when downstairs loos don't have a handbasin. Just one of small things will do.

My parents live in a 4 bed with 2 bathrooms. They use both together. When on holiday, it takes twice as long for them to get ready due to one bathroom.

Have I read this right? Some councils will refuse PP if an extension that goes above a certain m2 that does not include an extra loo? Why would anyone want to do a large extension without putting a loo in downstairs?

There’s no requirement in terms of planning or building regs on existing properties to add WCs because of a certain floor area or increase in that floor area.
New builds must put a WC on the entrance level as part of Bregs.

Is it listed ? the 6bed that is

I'm amazed at how many awful designs of new builds are out there. For example
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/154030292#/?channel=RES_NEW

Why are the bedrooms so tiny and awkward sizes. Why didn't they make the ensuite a shower room for everyone so you don't have to waltz downstairs with a towel around you for a wash when visitors are over? It's a case of if I had that much money, I definitely wouldn't be living there.

@Kpo58 I agree that floor plan is awful, but I don't think many new builds are diagonals like that!

Photo 4 is enough to put me off. How are you meant to get into bed with that radiator in the way?

That is bonkers!
The en suite takes out a chunk of useable wall in an already impractical bedroom, and anyone in the other two bedrooms has to go down two floors for a wee at 2am.

Just make it landing shower room for everyone.

The layout of the kitchen area is also nuts: it's your one living room, so it would be nice to be able to section it up a bit, but no...

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/details/england-76536051-92675826?s=6c3fca187a9582930d9ba577637b3d8429d791de5c12fc9e10f2479c568fbc7b&id=media0

Even worse than I thought. According to floorplans the main bathroom is on the ground floor and a single loo on the first floor. No photos of either of bathroom or loo. Property had a double storey extension in the past. Guessing bedroom 5 was the original bathroom based on the typical layout of these properties. Kept the toilet as waste pipe and plumbing was there.