To en-suite or not, that is the question

[Yorky]

We have just started the process of extending our house, and have so far got as far as 2nd draft plans.

We are struggling to get 2 good doubles on the 1st floor of the extension, as there is an en-suite shower room, and a laundry room between them. I wondered if by moving the door to the 2nd bedroom so that the shower room is not en-suite, it would be more useful as a family shower room (we currently have a bathroom with shower over)

My thinking is that by removing the en-suite any of the double rooms could be the 'master' bedroom, but would this have a negative effect on future resale value - is an en-suite more 'valuable'?

I don't particularly like en-suites. (I hate the term "en-suite" for a start!) But we have one and I do like the element of privacy if we have guests.

With 4 bedrooms I think it needs two bath/shower rooms of some description but it's not necessary to have one joined to the main bedroom.

I don't really understand the "don't want to sleep next to a toilet" theory. Because unless you have a totally detached bathroom, the bathroom is always going to share a wall with at least one other bedroom so someone will be sleeping next to a toilet. Unless all bathrooms are downstairs I guess?

In our new pad we decided to go for an ensuite. And the planners decided it had to be cos it has 4 bedrooms (potentially 5 if you count the office) so 1 bathroom was not enough. Its not huge but enough to include a sin, WC & 900 x 760 mm shower cubicle. x

And I can't wait to use it - have a poo with no kids asking "what you doin'? How long will you be?"!!

YCQ - in that case you'll need a lock. To get to my en suite you have to walk through my dressing room & bedroom but that doesn't stop the kids!

Oh I have a lock on each bathroom door - plus one on the bedroom door too ;)