Would you convert a downstairs shower room into a utility?

[CrapBag]

We are (hopefully) moving soon.

The house we are buying has had a single storey side extension built and they have made the kitchen bigger, have a small study and a downstairs shower room (normal bathroom upstairs with a shower over the bath).

Now whilst I like the idea of having a second bathroom when the kids are older, I would never have bothered to waste extension space to put one in. I would love a utility room though and would just keep the toilet and sink in there. I am not bothered about partitioning it off, a toilet in the utility wouldn't bother me at all.

If we had to sell in the future, what would you rather have? A second 'bathroom' or a separate utility room? There is plenty of space for a washing machine in the kitchen but its the drying washing that bugs me. I hate having washing hanging around the kitchen, like we do now. We do use a dehumidifier though to prevent damp and dry the washing quicker. The door wouldn't be off the kitchen. The door to the shower room is off the study so you would need to access it from the study which is at the front of the house rather than the kitchen at the back. I can't see that this would really bother me although if I had been planning the extension, I would have put the door off the kitchen and had the extra wall space in the study as it isn't that big.

WWYD? and which way around would you have it? Changing the door around seems like a bit of a pain but I don't know how awkward it is to do in reality. Or would you just keep it as it is and hang the washing up in the shower room?

I would love a utility room. Don't like having the washing machine in the kitchen - would be great to have it somewhere else.

How many bedrooms is it? I'd prefer a utility personally. Can you put a separate shower in the upstairs bathroom instead of one over the bath?

It is 3 bedrooms. If we ripped out the airing cupboard in the bathroom, then a separate shower would fit but I was looking forward to having an airing cupboard to put sheets and towels. At the moment, they are all stored in plastic boxes under our bed through lack of storage. Plus there is a redundant chimney stack in the airing cupboard that would need taking out.

Interesting, we're just turning a downstairs utility into a wet room. Albeit having a separate extension so adding a larger utility/bootroom.

But for me, a downstairs shower room has the following advantages:

• when DH comes home muddy from cycling he will go in there and not traipse through house
• same for the dc's
• when we come to sell - hope it will mean house will appeal to older people as well who may prefer to have a shower downstairs

But, the main thing I think is to make your home work for your family.

We used to have a downstairs utility (of sorts) - it was a fairly cramped room with toilet, sink, washing machine & tumble drier in it. We re-did our kitchen and the downstairs 'utility' at the same time, and installed a downstairs shower, moving the washing machine & tumble drier into the new kitchen.

I've never been that fussed about a utility room & the washing machine in the kitchen doesnt bother me, plus our new downstairs shower room is off a large playroom / study / guest bedroom, so it works for us.

Like others have said above - if it works for you, don't worry about it and just go ahead and do what will be best for you as a family. If you do remove the shower, there will still be plumbing there if future owners wanted to turn it back into a shower room.

If i'm honest, I've always wondered why people worry so much about what a future buyer might want or like (particularly given you've not even moved in yet!). Unless you're literally only planning on staying in this house a few years, surely making changes that will suit you as a family for the next 5-10 years will be worth it?

We are about to rip out our downstairs shower room to extend the kitchen, and will only keep a downstairs cloakroom. Utility room will be a bit smaller as cloakroom was previously part of it, but still room to stack the washer and dryer, plus a full size freezer.

Our shower room is old and poky, and miles away from the bedrooms so it was a no brained. We have 3 beds and will then have one bathroom upstairs and a downstairs loo.

Utility room everytime, downstairs bath/shower rooms are a bit odd and put me off when we were looking at houses

Utility room every time.

Agree with doing what suits you and your family if you plan to be there for a good few years though.

When we were looking at houses our priority was to have two bathrooms so the utility conversion would put us off - and having the utility off the study would be a bit odd.

But I would focus on what you like rather than potential buyers

I'd preferably second bathroom but NOT downstairs.... I have a problem with downstairs bathrooms for some reas

on so I would go with a utility too.

Utility for me too...

Utility. I hate having the washing machine in the kitchen, it seems vaguely unhygienic and messy. I'd move the door though. Annoying to have to traipse through the study all the time.

Utility for me too...

This week the downstairs shower is being taken out and replaced with a utility room keeping the loo:)

You have to go through the kitchen to get in there. Previous owner was a builder, so I expect it worked for him, straight in the shower from work nit messing up the bathroom. It doesn't work for us though.

A utility room would be my preference for sure. I don't like downstairs bathrooms.

How many bedrooms are there? I think if you have 4 bedrooms, it would be best if you can find a way to have at least 2 bathrooms upstairs though.

We have both. A downstairs shower room and loo and a boot room/utility next to it so DH can come in the back door from work, throw his clothes in the washing machine, jump in the shower and only walk through into the rest of the house when he's all shiny and squeaky clean.

I wouldn't have a shower room over a utility though. Utility wins if you don't already have one.

Utility room here too, as long as you keep the loo.

If there is any way of squeezing in another shower upstairs that would make the decision easy (are any of the bedrooms big enough to have a titchy en suite incorporated?)

Good, I'm glad people are saying what I thought was better.

DH was surprised, he really likes the shower room but I think it is a total waste of space.

Door will be swapped, although that will be a bloody pain but I think it would look better and be better to have access through the kitchen and give the study extra wall space as it will have to house my craft stuff as well, shower cubicle will come out and washing machine will go in. Toilet and sink will definitely stay although the sink is right where the new door will open so will have to be moved. That's a pain really but I always thought it wasn't a particularly well thought out room and a bit of a waste of space as its a decent size shower room but a tiny study.

Just watch out there OP with the door swap. You might not be allowed to have a WC (because you are keeping the toilet) opening directly from the kitchen, building-code wise. I vaguely seem to recall something along those lines.... or chances are I could be getting confused with building code in Canada!

Yes I vaguely recall something like that Hearts. Do check OP.

It is what your family wants now that's important isn't it? I prefer a downstairs shower room. That's because MIL will be staying with us. We are planning to extend kitchen and turn a dining room into a bedroom. I assume it will appeal to older people. Or those with older relatives staying. I have seen houses are extend this way with a playroom and shower room downstairs.

Besides like others say. It's easy enough to remove a shower and just use it as a utility room.

Ooo thats a good point about the toilet. Thanks for that. In fact, I remember looking at some new builds and there was a toilet basically in a cupboard in the kitchen and I found it horrible and it put me off. Maybe I will keep the doors the way around that they are. It doesn't really bother me, I don't need to access the utility room directly from the kitchen anyway.

Its really a family house (which is why the vendor is selling) so I am not too concerned about it being bought by older people one day, and we won't be having overnight guests so that is not a concern either.