To ensuite or not to ensuite?

[PorridgeOatsSuck]

Currently planning a property for resale. Architect has insisted on an ensuite for every bedroom plus family bathroom but that makes everything tight. I would instead prefer to use some of the space for an office reflecting the change of use of our homes since 2020. Nevertheless, I'm told by a professional house designer this is the way forward, people expect ensuites. I have freinds who like to flip properties and they always squeeze ensuites into any available space which I have always thought absurd.

AIBU to think ensuites have become something of a noughties obsession. Times have changed and there is a greater emphasis on time in the home be that spent working, working out or for hobbies. The world is awakening to the fact that more ensuites mean more white surfaces to clean and who wants to sleep in a room their partner has just taken a dump in?

Or am I just a twentieth century anachronism. Every bedroom should ideally have its own ensuite because sharing is grim.

How many bedrooms in total? If it's 4 or more then I think having 2 ensuites can be good if people want one as the master bedroom and one as a guest room but I really don't think you need one in every bedroom plus a family bathroom, particularly if it makes space tight.

I don't understand ensuites in domestic homes. Never have. Family bathroom and separate downstairs toilet is completely sufficient.

Why on earth would you want 4 bathrooms to clean?

We have a 4 bed with two en suites. One is in the guest room which I think is nice for people when they come to stay. I don't think you need any more than this!

An ensuite would put me off buying a house. It's like sleeping in a bathroom, or taking a shit in your bedroom.

Will you really recoup the cost of installing ensuites in every bedroom?

I'm assuming the architect is a man who has never cleaned a bathroom in his life! 😁

Unless it's going to be used as a HMO it's a bit pointless. We have an en-suite on our master bedroom but there is room for one. Having them crammed into new build houses left right and centre is a waste of space.

Our last home had 2 ensuites, a family bathroom and a cloakroom.
When we downsized I wanted just a bathroom and downstairs cloakroom.
The only time I miss the ensuite is if we have a houseful.

I think if it’s being sold with a family in mind then two bathrooms and a cloakroom is perfect.
Anything else is just a waste of space and extra cleaning imo.

An ensuite for every bedroom is excessive but a lot of buyers expect at least one in a modern house. They are quite unpopular on mumsnet though. It might be worth talking to a local estate agent about what's popular and desirable in your market. Maybe check out sold prices for similar properties and see what their setup is.

It depends on the number of bedrooms. Why don't you have a gander on Rightmove at the price point/house size you're looking at in your area, and see what other properties/owners have done? But to be perfectly honest I didn't even view a 4 bed/4 bath house because that's 5 toilets to clean including the downstairs loo. Five! Who needs 5 toilets? It's so wasteful of space and keeping all those bathrooms updated in the future will cost a bomb too.

I think you want one or two en-suites for the master bedrooms, a small child’s room doesn’t need an en-suite.

Perhaps you should have worked with an architect who’s vision aligned with your own?

We live in an older house, we have no ensuite, feel a bit of an oddity!
Downstairs loo and one bathroom, family of 6, generally it absolutely fine.
However a friend who went from same situation to a house with 3 bathrooms and said it was surprisingly easier to clean 3 lightly used bathrooms than 1 very heavily used one.
Im not a fan of bathrooms with no windows and not sure I really want my DH using a bathroom so closeby to when I'm sleeping.
However I have stayed at some places on holiday where the ensuite has been a joy! So I think it depends on how it's done and if there is truly room for it but also doesn't compromise the rest of the house, ie massive master suite, ensuite/dressing room which uses up bedrooms and means not really enough bedrooms for size of house and/or other bedrooms don't have access to a full bathroom.
I also really dislike the trend for baths in bedrooms!

We have one in our bedroom and I wouldn't be without it - being able to get up and get ready without venturing onto the landing and into the sight of young DC is invaluable. I also love the extra layer of privacy when we have visitors. Our bedroom/dressing room/en suite is the only adult space in our house.

We don't have an en suite on any of the other bedrooms though and don't feel the need.

If possible, I would do an en suite off the main bedroom and a home office. That's a better fit for family life IME than loads of en suites.

My ideal bathroom/ toilet situation would be downstairs loo, upstairs family bathroom, and a guest room with ensuite.

Lack of ensuite certainly wouldn't be a deal breaker but I do think it's nice if you have people come to stay. Depending on house size/ number of people living there I might also like a second family toilet & sink upstairs.

Under no circumstances would I want a room with an ensuite in for myself, it's one of my least favourite things about going on holiday

Three beds or more I'd go with en suite . They are pretty common now. And can alway use a bedroom as office

I hate en-suites. Especially in smaller properties where the space is needed for storage or just living. They can be noisy for the other person in a double room and someone has to clean and maintain all those showers. My ideal would be a spacious downstairs shower with toilet in case of disability, and a full bathroom on each floor with bedrooms. A loo on any other floors without bedrooms.

This... why on earth would I want DH's shits wafting around my bedroom?

Agree that it depends on number of bedrooms and if it’s a family home or HMO. I suspect that your architect is thinking about the latter hence this suggestion.
I think en-suite in a main bedroom makes sense, especially if it’s on separate floor. If there is another bedroom on a separate floor it makes sense to get there en-suite as well if possible. But in a classic semidetached house with 3 bedrooms on one floor there is no need whatsoever to make 3 en-suites - 1 en-suite and one family bathroom is fine.

Plus en suites are horrendous for shift workers. I get up at 4.30am for work, I'm not going to be popular with Dh if I'm showering inches from him.

What price point? How many bedrooms? Overall square footage?

I think en suite to master bedroom, family bathroom and downstairs toilet is enough, I would not buy a property with multiple en suites, I have enough to clean. Many houses have them in each bedroom now, it's ridiculous. Our en suite is just shower and basin, as I don't want a toilet in the bedroom.

We rip them out. Why on earth do people want to sleep in a room they poo and wee in!!

It's your project and your home and I agree office space is now more important than cleaning multiple bathrooms.

En suites are bleurgh. It wouldn't entirely put me off a property, but we are light sleepers and wouldn't be able to use the loo in the night without waking the other one up, so it wouldn't get much use anyway.

I hate ensuites with a passion. I probably wouldn't immediately tear it out if I bought a house with one, but I'd not put one in my own house. Equally, if I was between two houses, one with an ensuite and one with a storage cupboard/small walk in closet occupying the equivalent space of the ensuite, I'd 100% go for storage. I just find them grim and pointless. But that's just me, others love them.

I agree with this! We have an en suite for our master bedroom, but when I need to do a poo and my OH is still in bed I go to the other bathroom because I just prefer that there's at least one other door between me and him to reduce any noise or smells! (He does the same for me too 😂😂).

An en-suite to master bedroom is very normal these days, especially in new builds. But I wouldn’t want them in all bedrooms. Especially if you’ve got young kids, I’d worry about them getting up in the night and messing about in their bathroom. I also think it’s a bit pointless taking up bedroom space with a tiny en-suite. Would rather have the extra space for storage etc.
The ideal would be one en-suite, one nice decent sized family bathroom and a downstairs toilet.

@creamsnugjumper
"We rip them out. Why on earth do people want to sleep in a room they poo and wee in!!"

This 100% 😬😬😬