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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that en suite bathrooms are a total

159 replies

helloclitty · 22/02/2012 19:07

waste of valuable space in many recently built houses.

Currently house hunting and I am flummoxed as to why so many new build houses seem to have postage size 'double' rooms but have an en suite for nearly every bedroom.

Am I the only one that couldn't give a monkeys about having 4 bathrooms (to clean) and to think hope this might just be a passing trend?

OP posts:
SquishyCinnamonSwirls · 22/02/2012 19:09

I don't get it either. As long as I have an en-suite and there's a big enough family bathroom (and a d/stairs loo), then that should be enough?!

Original poster
helloclitty · 22/02/2012 19:10

Spot on Squishy.

Unless of course the house is gargantuan. Grin

OP posts:
diabolo · 22/02/2012 19:12

My SIL has got 3, attached to bedrooms I would class as "single" rooms.

Crazy. But I suppose being able to say "I've got 3 en-suites", makes people feel rich / posh / whatever.

LtEveDallas · 22/02/2012 19:17

See I hate en-suites. I wouldn't consider buying a new house, because they all seem to have one. Can't imagine DH listening to me poo from the comfort of the bed!

I'll have a family bathroom and a downstairs loo please. Much rather have a walk in wardrobe than an en-suite.

Original poster
helloclitty · 22/02/2012 19:19

I wonder whether by 2020 the thing to do will be to knock out the en suites and make one family bathroom Grin

I can see all the crappy property programmes saying "now what you couild do to add value is knock the bathrooms through and create a good size bedroom" as though it's an inspirational idea Grin

OP posts:
ThisIsANickname · 22/02/2012 19:19

I actually much prefer smaller bedrooms and an en suite bathroom. But then, I wouldn't be cleaning them.

SoupDragon · 22/02/2012 19:20

Personally I think many recently built homes are a total waste of valuable space.

cutegorilla · 22/02/2012 19:20

I saw one house which had 3 bedrooms on the first floor with one en-suite and the other 2 sharing a jack and jill bathroom, plus a family bathroom, then on the second floor 2 more bedrooms with en-suites. I couldn't work out who would use the family bathroom.

tabulahrasa · 22/02/2012 19:21

I was half watching E news as I was flicking through channels earlier and someone's house was for sale (no idea who it belonged to) anyway, it had 7 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms...

I spent longer trying to work out why you'd need nearly two bathrooms for every bedroom than I did watching the TV to start with, lol

MerryMarigold · 22/02/2012 19:21

I hate en suites too, unless they are massive. I mean, why do you want your bedroom smelling of poo in the morning? No ta. We don't have one, so maybe it's just sour grapes and I'd find I just couldn't live without one. But we do have a pretty big family bathroom, and I love it. I love the space, I love the huge window, I love the big shower, I love being in there and feeling like it's a proper room, not a aeroplane toilet tiny cupboard.

drummerswife · 22/02/2012 19:22

i don't like en suites either the waft of dh's bowel action in the bedroom no thankyou

coraltoes · 22/02/2012 19:22

A master bedroom benefits from an ensuite. All others can share a family bathroom / small cloakroom etc. I prefer good sized bedrooms to every bedroom having an ensuite for sure.

Bonsoir · 22/02/2012 19:22

I have a big bedroom and a small (hence lovely and warm) en suite bathroom, with a loo just outside the bedroom door in the corridor. This is the perfect arrangement IMVHO.

coraltoes · 22/02/2012 19:24

My ensuite is the size of my master bedroom...so plop sounds are not audible from the bed!!! Grim!!

Original poster
helloclitty · 22/02/2012 19:24

OMG Tabulahrasa

Do you have a link?

OP posts:
trixie123 · 22/02/2012 19:28

we do have an en suite in our new build and its great cos the bedroom is huge but one we looked at was a 3 bed house with groundfloor loo, family bathroom and ensuite to the "master" which made it so small you could not have fitted a wardrobe in there. Completely pointless. On the whole though, I like the convenience of having a sink so close for last minute teeth brushing - smelly visits happen elsewhere Grin

Vasilisa · 22/02/2012 19:32

Well, our family bathroom is an ensuite, it's the only one we've got - we live in a strange flat, it's got a big hall, lobby off that into the kids' (small) room with a toilet and sink/cloakroom off it too. So that's where visitors go.

Our room is the other way off the hall, it's a huge room and has an ensuite bathroom in it which is I suppose 2.5 metres x 2 metres (I know, I just finished tiling it!) but it is poky and has no window, just a fan.

The kids have to use this bathroom for baths, not sure how we will organise it when they are older, but it's Ok for now.

I'm not sure I could cope without the other loo tbh, though have had no use of the en suite bathroom for almost a year as we were refitting it...nearly done and is lovely. Will be nice to have our own loo again. The kids' one is always dubious Grin

Vasilisa · 22/02/2012 19:33

Trixie...yes we use the other one for anything antisocial Wink

balia · 22/02/2012 19:38

I love my ensuite, am a total convert. Sharing a bathroom with my DD would push me over the edge - one of the reasons we bought our (then) new build house was so we could have the ensuite (with shower) DD could use the bathroom on her floor, and the boys could use the family bathroom. And I can get in the shower in the morning without waking the younger ones.

rhondajean · 22/02/2012 19:38

Nah I love my ensuite, the bedroom isn't any smaller because of it but I have all my makeup and beauty stuff etc of which there is a lot in the ensuite too so it actually saves room. I'm about to make an extra bedroom and eventually knock two cupboards into an en suite for it for dd1 too.

nizlopi · 22/02/2012 19:47

I have an ensuite, and I LOVE it. My house isn't new build either.

Original poster
helloclitty · 22/02/2012 19:52

Balia, rhonda and nizlopi

I am not talking about one en suite I am talking about a small terraced 3 bed with 3 en suites and a loo downstairs and bedrooms you can't fit a wardrobe in.

OP posts:
shockers · 22/02/2012 19:53

We were going to buy a new house off plan. I asked if one of the four bathrooms could be lost and the space absorbed into the smallest bedroom. (bearing in mind that there was also a downstairs cloakroom too). The saleswoman looked at me as if I was barmy and told me that the house wouldn't be worth as much with only 3 bathrooms (it was a 4 bed house). Utter madness.

BarmyBiscuit · 22/02/2012 19:54

I have an en-suite and now I wouldn't buy a house without one. They are convenient. I don't actually have a family bathroom though, which I miss, as it's a town house with a small downstairs loo with shower and 2 ensuites in 2 of the bedrooms.
With regards to the smell, you could alway close the door and put the fan on. I never have smells in my bedroom because of the en-suite

Original poster
helloclitty · 22/02/2012 19:57

Barmy
Would you buy a house with one en suite and one family bathroom though? That's my point? Do we an en suite for every bedroom?

OP posts:
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