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).

We all have our own bathroom and to be honest I think everyone now spends too long in the shower!

I assume they just put the price up for each bathroom they add in as they can say that there are more rooms in the house, even though the floor plan area hasn't increased.

People tend to spend more if it's a 4 bed house, even if the size of the 3 bed house is exactly the same.

Yeah I really don’t understand this. I really don’t like en suites and think it’s much better to have a downstairs shower room & toilet, and an upstairs family bathroom. Massive waste of space in my opinion which would be better used for storage as new builds are always so much smaller!

Have a look at maserator WCs, it will reduce your plumbing costs if your layout didn’t allow for a direct connection to the soil pipe.

@Kpo58 that's the first thing I said to the builders who looked bemused

What i got is the useless corner in bed 1 boxed off with doors on so it's a decent size storage space now!
Practically living alone I use the spare room as my wardrobes/gym/storage

People tend to not want a mid terrace house as it is a pain to live in. People like being able to access their back garden from a side gate and have somewhere to put their wheely bins that's not just the front garden. Also it's not great when your only hiding place for parcels is under the doormat where everyone can see it.

I assume they just put the price up for each bathroom they add in as they can say that there are more rooms in the house, even though the floor plan area hasn't increased.

And how do you think they sell the homes they're increasing the price of if the bathrooms themselves don't actually add value? You're being very daft trying to bend to your own narrative, house builders are there to maximise profitability, bathrooms make them money because people want them, they make them small, but if people didn't want them at all it wouldn't impact the property price and there would be no point adding them.

I had exactly the same thought when I viewed a new build near me, I would rather have more storage space in the bedroom than the en suite.

I know Mumsnet hates ensuites, but I wish I had one. I have 1 bathroom and a downstairs toilet and several teenagers / 20 something children plus sometimes their partners.

I'm single, so I wouldn't have to suffer anyone else using my ensuite so that helps.

It would be great not to have to bump into my daughter's boyfriend on the landing on my way to the bathroom.

I agree about deliveries being hidden but we are starting to allow building on the green belt because we don’t have enough land for housing because of this obsession with detached properties.
Its a waste of land and a waste of resources.
It would also allow for more homes to be built per hectare…which we need.

I wondered if it were because so many properties are being built with the rental market in mind (or they were) and renters prefer their own bathrooms - understandably.

I do think that many of the newer properties are over-bathroomed and actually it compromises on the bedroom space, particularly given that storage is so poor in many new builds.

I love an ensuite but having lived in a newish build for the last 11 years, I do think that the lack of windows given to these little ensuites is an issue, because you end up with a lack of ventilation and mould growth. I end up opening the bedroom windows to try and get air into the bathroom as the extractor isn't sufficient. I often don't really want the bedroom aired (because it is bloody freezing) but its the only way to get air into the ensuite.

No, it would connect directly to the soil pipe.

£20,000 when hardly any plumbing required ….wow!

If you’re handy I’d look at plumbing it in and building the walls around myself, it’s a simple job if you are strong enough to lift a toilet into place. The only person you then need to employ is an electrician.
Thats a mad price!!

After my husband died and I was looking for a smaller house, I quite liked Redrows’ approach. I, like may downsizers I expected, didn’t need as many bedrooms (we had 5, and only 2 bathrooms upstairs!) but did still want a decent amount of downstairs space. Redrow sold the same style of house but with 2 upstairs floor plans. One a ‘traditional’ 4 bed, one en-suite, one family bathroom layout. The other had 3 en-suite bedrooms upstairs.

We’re they the same price?

From memory the three bed was actually more expensive, but I think also had larger plots and a higher ‘base’ specification.

I grew up in a 4 bedroom, one bathroom house with 6 of us. I don’t remember it being a problem.

Now live in a three bed terrace with one bathroom, no additional toilets. I’ve never lived in a property with a en suite. Probably never will either as I hate new builds and have only ever lived in old houses.

Which makes sense.
They are allowing for The sort of person that wants a walk in wardrobe and has less kids, so potentially more disposable income ( re less kids )

I've got a 4-bed and when I was looking almost all of the new builds had multiple bathrooms which I didn't want (single parent and hate cleaning lol) - went for something older with one family bathroom and a downstairs loo. Definitely the right decision!

I agree.
Ive built loads as everyone asks for en-suites these days but never had one myself.
However.
Trust me
Once you’ve had kids and get older and have bladder issues you can’t wait for others to get out of the bathroom quick enough. We need an extra toilet or a sheewee 🤣

I have 3 bed with bathroom and en suite - I would be lost without it. We did convert the garage so now it's 4. There would be absolute hell on a morning without the ensuite lol

I rented a brand new 2 bed house a few years ago that had a downstairs toilet then both bedrooms en suite. The worst bit was the master en suite also had a second door into the hall which limited the layout options and was completely pointless.

society moves on! Thank god! People used to have one bathroom between a whole family and wash once a week in a shared bath…ffs! No one wants to live like that!

Maybe not sharing a bath 😂...but there are plenty of people (the majority maybe?) where people still 'have one bathroom between a whole family'. It's entirely normal.

We do have a downstairs WC. But then just one family bathroom upstairs. That's it. 5 of us including two teens all sharing a bathroom 😱

We have three huge bedrooms upstairs, a large spacious hall and a large family bathroom. I'm forever grateful that no-one ever came along and reconfigured our lovely house to cram in some poky ensuites and reduce the living space tbh.

They build what sells I imagine.
I’d think all beds being en-suite is a good thing as young people stay living at home much older than a generation or two ago.

How would you feel about sharing the one bath with your DCs partners pretty soon? Not trying to be mean. If you go on the parents with adult kids forum, a huge number of parents have DC living at home with their partners.