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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's fine to have 2 bathrooms & a downstairs loo in a 4 bed house?

146 replies

ilikeyoursleeves · 16/09/2010 22:57

We currently live in a 3 bedroom house that has one bathroom. We are in the process of extending the house & we will get a new ensuite bathroom plus a downstairs loo. So we will have 3 loos in total. I think it's normal to have an ensuite for a master bedroom and a downstairs loo seems the usual thing these days too, but my dh thinks otherwise & keeps saying why do we need 3 loos?! He thinks we should ditch the loo & ensuite & have bigger /more bedrooms instead.

Aibu?

OP posts:
nooka · 17/09/2010 06:29

Oh, and in our last house we had two bathrooms and an ensuite loo, and one of the bathrooms just didn't get used at all (and we didn't use the room next to the ensuite as our bedroom in any case). We don't miss it in our new place which has two bathrooms (one with a shower, and the other with a bath) which seems plenty for a family of four.

Decorhate · 17/09/2010 07:04

I have no interest in having an ensuite & wouldn't be put off if there wasn't one.

What we did was put in a downstairs shower room which also has the washing machine & dryer. My parents find it handy when they stay but tbh we rarely use the downstairs shower. Maybe that will change as the dcs get older...

Avocadoes · 17/09/2010 07:21

Im currently looking to buy a four bed and am not interested in anything without an ensuite, or potential for an ensuite. Ensuites are brilliant. We have a no poo in the ensuite rule but it's great for going for a weein the night without waking the kids, showering in the morn without waking the kids and if you get a tummy bug it's a godsend.

desertgirl · 17/09/2010 07:24

I've got completely used to the en suite thing and would be very put off by a house that had four bedrooms and only one bathroom - but a lot of it, I suppose, is what you are used to. I think as your kids get older you would get more of a benefit...

did hear from someone living out here in the ME who was potentially being transferred to the UK (not British) that she became famous throughout three counties, having approached a couple of estate agents asking to see 'three bed three bath' properties.... :)

Appletrees · 17/09/2010 07:31

I used to live in a five bed five bath and downstairs loo. Who wants that many toilets to clean?

"no poo in the ensuite" is delightfully hyacinth

Alouiseg · 17/09/2010 07:32

4 bed house here, family bathroom, en-suite (I hate that name) and a downstairs loo. Currently down to one working bathroom as they are being ripped out and tarted up.

I have spent last night with food poisoning using the one full bathroom that still doesn't have a door back on it. Not pleasant! I much prefer having d&v in my own bathroom that someone doesn't need to use imminently.

We have 2 ds and their new bathroom has a twin basin so they can clean their teeth at the same time without ww3 breaking out.

I would strongly suggest to your husband that when the dc are teenagers his life will be hell without an additional bathroom.

Bunbaker · 17/09/2010 07:35

I agree with most of the replies on here. A four bedroom house with only one bathroom would be difficult to sell. All newbuild four bedroom houses have two bathrooms and a downstairs loo, and house buyers are now expecting this as standard. I would prioritise a downstairs loo over the en suite if you had to choose.

You could maybe have a word with an estate agent and get their opinion as well.

BalloonSlayer · 17/09/2010 08:11

We got rid of our en-suite to get a fourth bedroom. We don't miss it. DH is fortunate to be able to piss loudly enough for me to hear it from the main bathroom so I do not have to mourn the loss of that particular intimate experience.

However we did extend the downstairs loo so it now has a shower in it.

I am very chuffed with this decision which we reached by asking everyone's opinions and dithering for months. So we now have:

  • 2 bathrooms with loos in them
  • an upstairs loo
  • a downstairs loo

but with only having 2 actual loos, instead of 3 which most people have. [Disclaimer: DCs are not yet teenagers. I may live to regret not having three.]

Appletrees · 17/09/2010 08:34

"DH is fortunate to be able to piss loudly enough for me to hear it from the main bathroom so I do not have to mourn the loss of that particular intimate experience."

snort

why do I like this thread so much

balloon you have four loos don't you

Longtalljosie · 17/09/2010 08:56

Our house had exactly the work you describe done by previous owners. It works well. People do want en-suites, so it'll be a good selling point if you ever do.

sailorsgal · 17/09/2010 08:57

YANBU,

We have 4 loos, one each and one spare. Grin

TrillianAstra · 17/09/2010 09:01

Appletree - you say downstairs loos are for toddlers and OAPs - don't you ever have OAPs or toddlers visiting you?

I would love to have a downstairs loo so my aunt could visit.

Morloth · 17/09/2010 09:04

You can never have too many bathrooms. I would like 5.

One for each of us and then a spare for visitors. That way I might be able to do a poo without someone banging on the fucking door for 10 minutes.

conkie · 17/09/2010 09:04

I wouldn't live in a house without an en-suite now. How do people survive!! I have a 3 bedroom town house with one downstairs loo with shower and 2 en-suites. With the layout of the house it has to be this way

BalloonSlayer · 17/09/2010 09:05

No we have two, Appletrees Grin

What I meant is that people feel that you need two bathrooms AND a loo downstairs. That normally means an upstairs bathroom, an en-suite shower room and a downstairs cloakroom. We have them combined so we have an upstairs bathroom and a downstairs shower room - all the 'facilities' (except an en-suite which we never rated) but only 2 actual bogs to clean.

dinkystinky · 17/09/2010 09:07

In a 4 bed house you will want 2 bathrooms if possible. If you had a 5th bedroom and 1 bathroom your house would feel out of proportion. Would you actually use a 5th bedroom? Surely you'd get more use out of an extra bathroom?

1234ThumbWar · 17/09/2010 09:08

I wouldn't buy a 4 bed house if it just had a family bathroom. We have a large ensuite ie. bath & shower a family bathroom and downstairs cloakroom as far as I'm concerned it's a necessity with three dc's.

GeekOfTheWeek · 17/09/2010 09:09

We have a 3 bed detatched and have a family bathroom, an en suite and a downstairs loo.

Works well for us.

CMOTdibbler · 17/09/2010 09:12

If the space for an ensuite is really that big, then I'd have a walk in wardrobe/dressing room with a small ensuite.

I would be loathe to look at a 4 bed without an ensuite and downstairs loo - we often have overnight guests, and its great to emerge from my room all dressed and clean and no queing for the shower. Also means all my nice stuff is in my bedroom

NoahAndTheWhale · 17/09/2010 09:13

I think I am nearly a lone voice but I really don't get the thing of wanting lots of toilets in a house. Maybe it's because I grew up in a house with one bathroom and really don't remember any problems. We moved house recently and this house has bathroom and a downstairs toilet. It is a bit useful but I would so much prefer to have a proper under stairs cupboard to store the hoover and ironing board.

No point in an ensuite here - the bathroom is v near to the "main" bedroom.

My mum and dad are moving to a new build soon and find it quite funny to think there will be two of them and three toilets in the house Grin

NoahAndTheWhale · 17/09/2010 09:14

But maybe if we did have a four bedroom house I would want more bedrooms...

darcymum · 17/09/2010 09:22

Appletree- I have two en-suites in a 300 year old house, works well for us.

TrillianAstra · 17/09/2010 09:23

I grew up in a house with one bathroom and I don't really understand people saying they couldn't live without having 3 loos. Yes, you could. Same way you could live without a dishwasher, it'd just be less convenient.

But knowing that it's perfectly possible to live without it doesn't stop me from thinking it'd be nice.

darcymum · 17/09/2010 09:24

Also, times have changed, so when you're selling people expect a higher bathroom to bedroom ratio these days

PrivetDancer · 17/09/2010 09:25

yanbu. We have 3 bedrooms with 1 family bath, 1 ensuite and a downstairs loo - it seems a good balance to me.

I don't find that 3 loos = more cleaning - the family bathroom one hardly every gets used at the mo as DD still in nappies, ergo hardly needs cleaning. I am a slattern though.