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.

Two ensuites to the largest bedrooms plus family bathroom and office would be perfect for a 4 bed imo.

Wow if bedroom 4 is too small at that size you must have huge rooms. My front room is 4x,4.

My parents really appreciate having an en suite in our guest room when visiting, so they feel they're not disturbing anyone when they use it in the night. I also tend to wake in the night - so I guess I can see that having one for our master bedroom avoids me having to disturb anyone else. But more than that seems overkill - the younger generation sleep through the night, don't they? I suppose now they're all staying at home as adults, maybe it's less disturbance if they come home at all hours. However I'm not sure that justifies the extra cleaning, and I'm not convinced that young kids having en suites is a good idea at all.

I personally like an en-suite if possible for quick, private acess in the evening, night and early morning. Prefer not to be wandering about the landing in a state of undress with teens and young adults in the house. But you don't need them for every room and I agree that there are often too many bathrooms relative to the space in new builds. I think for a 3 bed, an en-suite plus family bathroom and downstairs toilet is ideal. For a 5 bed I'd have 3 bathrooms. For a four bed, two bathrooms is probably fine, but wouldn't consider 3 outrageous if you have plenty of space.

I love an ensuite but only in following circumstances:

• Outside window
• Proper size sink with vanity space
• The associated bedroom is a decent size double
• floor lighting for night

Ideally they’d all have a dressing room between the bedroom and the bathroom.

All my bedrooms are ensuite, plus family bathroom and a downstairs cloakroom.

I couldn’t go back to sharing a bathroom with my DC!

We have 5 ensuites but our 4 kids were young teens when we did the rebuild. We all left together at 6:50 and came home at 7 so it would have been miserable if we only had a family bathroom.

So, it's a 4 bed but with one of the bedrooms downstairs? I'd go with ensuite for downstairs bedroom plus 1 ensuite for upstairs master bedroom plus family bathroom. Otherwise you've got only one bathroom for 3 bedrooms upstairs. That would be my ideal for a 4 bed - 2 ensuites and 1 family bathroom.

Two decent sized bathrooms, possibly one that can be accessed from master bedroom or guest bedroom so it can double as an en-suite if necessary. Then you can have four decent sized bedrooms. I hate claustrophobic, en-suite cupboards that make bedrooms into weird shapes. They are difficult to clean and there is little room to manoeuvre, they usually don’t have a window so forever damp and have a noisy fan that disturbs everyone’s sleep if you need a wee at night.

Most of all the smell after someone has a poo. Ideally I’d have bathroom as far away as possible from my bedroom. with high volume extractor fan. I live with two grown men who create obnoxious odours, which despite fans and open windows still drift rapidly around the house. I now understand why outhouses were preferred historically. We do live in a smallish house though.

If I was to design a house I would have a separate bathroom wing with automatic double doors that were hermetically sealed.

Bedroom downstairs is a mistake. Families that want to use that as a kids bedroom won't want it downstairs. It will limit your buyers to smaller families. If going for a 4 bed then make it a proper one and move that bedroom up with en-suite. 2 en-suites plus a family bath plus WC downstairs is fine

In a 4 bed house IMO an ensuite and a family bathroom, plus a downstairs loo, are pretty much standard now. Certainly wouldn’t be without our ensuite. In a 5+ bed I dare say an extra bathroom would be fine - as long as it doesn’t mean one of those bedrooms they like to call a double, but where in practice you’ll be lucky to get a standard double plus a chest of drawers in.

The problem now is IMO of bathrooms squeezed into smaller new builds, when some extra storage space would be much more sensible, and often probably more popular.

I find the obsession with as many bathrooms - and especially toilets - as possible bizarre. It’s just more to clean. And the likelihood is that in a 4bed house at least one of the bedrooms will be used for a different purpose anyway.

For me, I would have an en suite in a guest bedroom, then one family bathroom and one downstairs loo. Max.

It's certainly too small to carve out an en suite from. It would make the bedroom really small.

It is a perfectly fine size as a bedroom though.

1 en suite for the master bedroom, 1 for the guest bedroom so guests staying can be somewhat self-sufficient and not running through the house in a towel etc.

Any more than that is a complete waste of space in a 'normal' house

I think they are great and save you stumbling round a house in the middle of the night, especially when you are older.

A lot of people moan about how can you possibly have a toilet next to a bedroom. Probably because they are pissed off that they don't have one.

Here's the good news. You can use them how you want to. And how many people do you know that wake up and do sleep shattering bowel movements in the middle of the night.

Still, I think one or two in a house to take the pressure off the main bathroom if you have a family or guests is probably enough and one for every bedroom a bit extreme unless you have pots of money and access to a cleaning team.

I used to flip properties. But I'd go with what the convention is in the area. En suites for every bedroom is very uncommon here. I think many above a certain price range expect an en suite to the master bedroom, a family bathroom and downstairs loo.
And if space is tight then definitely don't do it - space is prized above a secondary en suite. Make sure storage/closets are large though.

I like ensuites, why do you want to share a bathroom with anyone other than your spouse?

Even young children benefit from having a bathroom each, they have their own products, potty training seat and steps, own towels, toothbrush etc. You teach them how to keep their own bathroom clean, hang up towel, wipe sink. As they get older they clean their own loo and shower, as teens they have privacy eg girls starting peroids have a private bin to put used pads/tampons in. Boys can set up their shaving stuff etc.. and nobody fights over who used/moved their things or made a puddle on floor or forgot to replenish loo roll.

And nobody has to queue or use a smelly one. Saves so many arguments between children as well as teaching them to look after own space. They can go to loo in night without creeping down a dark landing trying not to disturb others. More hygenic as bugs like norovirus easier to contain. Skin infections or fungus/cold sore virus/bacteria don't spread between towels being shared or touching. I hate bathtowels all being squashed together, or having to take child seats on and off toilets, it's outdated and primitive! And I can't imagine guests sharing the family bathroom, awkward and grotty for everyone. The days of queuing for shower in my dressing gown are long gone.

Currently we have a dressing room between our master bedroom and bathroom, giving privacy and space. Windows and extractor fans in all ensuites. Guest ensuite needs updating but is functional, with space for them to leave their stuff on shelf and in drawers. I keep it set up with a basket of spare toiletries and sets of towels. Currently both children share a large bathroom, but we plan to convert garage soon, as ages and gender mean they have different needs, products, want to use it at same time, use the wrong age toothpaste etc.

If you have a huge family bathroom with 2 sinks, multiple shelves, space for everyone to have a basket of stuff maybe it's easier.

My ideal house would be an ensuite per bedroom, plus a large family bathroom downstairs with a double shower, large spa type bath and storage space for all re-fills, cleaning caddy.

I find it easier to keep several bathrooms clean as you set aside an hour then go from one to another with steam mop, steam hose attachment, bleach, soap refills etc for deep cleaning. And a daily wipe down to reset and tidy, change towels and mats, remind older children/teens of chores. The same as going from bedroom to bedroom changing sheets, dusting, organising, delegating jobs.

An extra downstairs loo or spa bathroom means couples have the option of privacy too, or someone can have a long soak in the bath. Nowadays I think baths are less fashionable, one per house is enough as people don't have time for regular baths. It's quicker and uses less water to shower before work/school. And easier to clean, less damp. We only have one bath in our house, and 3 shower rooms.

I agree with your architect!

Home office is awkward within a bedroom and home working not as common now.
We have a small office/study downstairs, which doubles as a gaming room and man cave. I wouldn't want anyone gaming or playing VR upstairs when children are asleep or I'm trying to relax in bed.

You could add a small office to the lounge or dining room. If one bedroom is downstairs then it's ideal to have guest bedroom and ensuite downstairs, so it's closer to front door and guests don't need to go upstairs, giving everyone extra privacy.

I know many families who have converted garage into a guest ensuite, that doubles as a playroom or office or gym or gaming room between guests. Keep it multipurpose.

Lots of families have adult children living at home, sometimes with partners staying over or moving in.

Our old house had a big ensuite in nursery, which was great when firstborn was a baby as I had a big room to keep changing table, nappies, nappy bin, all the stuff that comes with a baby.

People can always convert an ensuite into an office or storage room or wardrobe, but it's much harder trying to add plumbing.

The configuration and where it sits on the floor plan can make or break and en-suite. A office in a bedroom is an absolutely not. Most people who have 4+ toilets aren't cleaning them themselves so that point doesn't really hold. Having a dressing room lead to an en-suite even if the dressing room is more of a closet against one wall creates enough separation.

Have a look at the Redrow Stratford houses - same size, different floorplans:

• Lifestyle version - 3 bedroom, 3 en-suites - https://cdn-web.redrow.co.uk/-/media/redrow-2020/global/collections/heritage-lifestyle/stratford-lifestyle/the-stratford-lifestyle-floorplans.pdf
• Standard version - 4 bedroom, one en-suite and a family bathroom - https://cdn-web.redrow.co.uk/-/media/redrow-2020/global/collections/heritage/stratford/the-stratford-floorplans.pdf

Their Woburn site has both properties available. The 4 bed is from £580k and the 3 bed version is £585k!

They certainly think there's no price difference between them!

Of course, a house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it!

@FateReset if every bedroom has an en-suite, why on earth do you want another family bathroom downstairs?! Who for??

I just want decent storage spaces. We've been to every new development in the area, and they all have gazillion bathrooms but no storage space. Once I pointed out to the agent that there really isn't anywhere to put wellies and jackets etc. Apparently, you can fit a few hooks next to stairs, and rest can go in the garage. Great. We can all just get dressed there every morning. Box room with an ensuite but no space for a closet. One had an amazing mudroom hall area. I was ready to buy it just for that without cheking any of the other rooms. My flat has better storage space than these 4-5 bed houses! End of rant.

We renovated our house and looked round new builds and had to laugh that the ensuite sacrificed the storage space in the main bedroom which wouldn't have enough space for 2 adults, and yet the next bedroom had loads.

We decided to have a nice size master with decent storage, a decent dbl (as in you can walk around the bed) and a largish single with an upstairs family bathroom, we also put in a shower wet room downstairs and made space for a utility room.

Depending on how the house is being pitched I would say min. is a main bathroom with a toilet downstairs, if the ensuite is shoe horned into the master bedroom I wouldn't want it. I'd prefer bedrooms of a decent size.

I'd say 1 en suite to the master + a family bathroom and an office would be much more preferable for me than multiple en suites

Master bedroom needs an en-suite shower room, it was a red line for me, as you get older they become more necessary . Otherwise bedrooms on the same floor can share a bathroom but if you are marketing a downstairs bedroom it will need an en-suite unless you have a shower downstairs in the cloakroom

I bloody love my en-suite, it’s my bit of pure luxury. Very welcome in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t buy a house without one and I’d most definitely buy a house with en-suites in every room. In real life I don’t know anyone that wouldn’t.

I think once you get to 4 bedrooms then it's really nice to have one en-suite, especially when there's a full house. But in a two story house that's the most you need. I'd go for a downstairs loo rather than a second upstairs en-suite any time.

In every bedroom it would put me off - no need and a waste of space. I've only ever had an en-suite bedroom once, and it was great, but I don't miss it.