Upstairs layout/bathroom help - plans included!

[harrietm87]

We have just bought a doer upper that needs a total refurb. It's a Victorian end of terrace with 3 double bedrooms and a single. There is currently only one (small) bathroom. We are converting the current kitchen downstairs into a shower room (and the reception at the back will be the kitchen).

The problem is that the upstairs bathroom is really small and poky. I could live with it but DH wants to knock through into the adjoining small bedroom and make a big bathroom. I'm loathe to lose a bedroom (and would quite like a study). I'm pregnant with our first child (would like to have more than 1) and we need to have a guest room as parents live abroad, so the other 3 bedrooms are accounted for. We may do a loft conversion in future and would add an en suite bedroom then.

So my question is what should we do with the current bathroom? We're not planning to move, but if we did (before doing the loft) which would add more value - a 4th bedroom or a big bathroom?

(Or should we add an en suite to the current master bedroom, which is massive?)

Sorry so long - all thoughts and advice welcome!

En-suit to the master, lots of properties like that around me and it works well.

En suite to the master. Leave the current bathroom alone.

Think it'd be hard to get water and waste into the master, it'd lessen the size of the room and you'd end up with two pokey bathrooms as opposed to one big one.

If you are seriously considering converting the loft I'd forsake bedroom 4 and knock it into the existing bathroom, allowing you huge family bath with separate shower. This'll work well for you with little kids, specially with a downstairs bathroom too.

When you convert the loft put in a really luxurious ensuite shower room just for you and DH. Is there room in the loft to make a study area on the new landing before entering the master bedroom?

Could also think about shifting the bathroom into the single bedroom ( still near water and waste) and using the existing bathroom as a huge walk in warbrobe/storage.

We are currently having our family bathroom made bigger and en suite made smaller after the wacky ideas if the previous owners of our place so have spent many hours thinking all things bathroom.

The Victorian properties near us like that have been able to take the waste out the front of the house to the main drains that way - that does have a huge bearing on the ability to do it!

What is the size of the master bedroom, I had assumed it is huge as they can be around here?

I would also considering using existing bathroom as toilet and handbasin and the single room as bath and shower - no nasty smalls!

Thanks so much for the replies.

The master is 5.3 x 4.6m, so 24.4m sq - certainly feels very big! And there is a bay window plus a separate single window.

17'4 x 15 - I think it should be able to take it comfortably if well designed and the drains work out ok.

If you went into the loft where would the stairs go up? I would look into that - get some quotes and drawings so that you don't impinge on that space that you may need in the future to do the conversion.

Thanks @RandomMess. If we go into the loft the stairs would be outside the master bedroom door and up towards the back of the house (so turning round and over the existing staircase) if that makes sense, so wouldn't encroach on any existing rooms I don't think, but that's a really good point. Will speak to our builder.

A 4-bed needs more than one bathroom. I'd say sacrifice b4 to make a bigger mathroom plus another toilet, and extend into the loft later.

Or sacrifice b2 to make a small ensuite and a family bathroom, and combine old bathroom with b4 to make a bigger bedroom. Again, extend into loft later.

I'd also be considering a downstairs toilet too! Especially if it's a complete refurb.

I would put ensuite into Master Bedroom. If you can get the plumbing to it.
I don't think I'd loose a room to make a bigger bathroom. I'd rather use that room as a study or toy room.

Bigger bathroom and lose the smallest room. Put a study area in the guest bedroom.

Another option - downstairs shower room into existing kitchen. Kitchen with space in the centre for a table into the back reception. Wall across the front reception room closing the back half of into a study (which could eventually become a playroom once you have more than one dc).

Some of this is personal preference.

I would love an en-suite (DH would not be permitted to use it) I like to have space away from my now teens and the mess they and DH leave behind!

It sounds like you will have regular longish term visitors - I'd def want my en-suite then...

How long until you could afford a loft conversion, again that would influence my decision. You could easily leave the bathroom as is now then if you build the loft conversion make that bathroom bigger and lose a bedroom.

That's more or less the layout of our previous house (albeit the bathroom was large - perhaps your house used to have just a bathroom and it's been divided into bathroom & bedroom).

I would leave the bathroom and bedroom as it is and incorporate an ensuite to the master (the single window becomes the window in the ensuite). It's what a lot of our neighbours had done.

Thanks everyone. Sorry if I didn't make clear - we are adding a shower and toilet downstairs (in what is marked as the kitchen on the plan), as @NapQueen suggests, so will definitely have 2 bathrooms.

The question is what to do about the bathrooms upstairs. I think I'm leaning towards extending the current bathroom into bedroom 4, as I think that will be more straightforward than adding the ensuite plumbing wise, and we can have an ensuite when we do the loft (probably in c.5 years time). Really interesting to hear different views though so keep them coming!

Just one thing to bear in mind. You are likely to want to be on the same floor as your child / children for quite some time so even with a lift with ensuite, you might end up using the front bay room (current master) for several years yet. Just something to bear in mind. A luxurious master suite on a separate floor sounds fab until you're up and down the stairs to crying baby / whingey toddlers 10 times a night!!!

Why are you putting a shower on the ground floor? That seems weird to me....maybe it's an English thing. I would put the shower in the bathroom next to the bedrooms and just have a toilet on the ground floor. You definitely need more than one bathroom for 4 bedrooms.

@SofiaAmes there is a shower in the bathroom (and a bath) as well. We just thought it seemed sensible to have 2 showers given the no of bedrooms, as we aren't planning to do the loft conversion for a while, and hadn't really considered an en suite until today. I don't think it's that unusual - I know lots of people with a downstairs bathroom. Would that put you off the house?

I don't think many people like a downstairs bathroom (do a search of various threads on here) albeit they are useful in specific circumstances (e.g. you have a room you use as a bedroom downstairs / very mucky sporty family members/ people working shifts etc as it's quieter). Certainly if it were a choice i' d have an ensuite over a downstairs shower room every time and I think would add more value / add to the saleability.

I would have a toilet, but not a shower on the ground floor. Enlarge the bathroom on the bedroom floor into part of the Bedroom 4 and use the rest of that bedroom to make a closet for bedroom 3. Add a closet to the Master Bedroom. You will have 3 nice bedrooms on that floor which is plenty for now. Little kids can share a bedroom for quite awhile. Then a little down the line, do the loft as a master suite + bathroom. You can also make an office in the spare bedroom in such a way that it hides away when guests come. I would also look at opening up the downstairs so that your kitchen connects to the living dining area....I can't quite tell which end is the front of the house.

I'd have the downstairs shower as a utility and wc. Then extend main bathroom into bed 4. Add small ensuite to master

I don't think many people like a downstairs bathroom (do a search of various threads on here) albeit they are useful in specific circumstances (e.g. you have a room you use as a bedroom downstairs / very mucky sporty family members/ people working shifts etc as it's quieter). Certainly if it were a choice i' d have an ensuite over a downstairs shower room every time and I think would add more value / add to the saleability.

This. Even if the ensuite was shower, basin and loo but no bath.

@SofiaAmes and all - thanks for your input, this is interesting!

The front of the house is at the bottom of the plan with the through lounge. The kitchen (currently reception at the back/top of plan) is at the back of the house and there is a bay with a door on to the garden. Definitely don't want open plan kitchen/living room (and anyway the downstairs utility/shower) is in between.

Verrrrrry long term we will extend out the back/into side return to make a bigger kitchen, but that's the 10 year plan.

I'd have the downstairs shower as a utility and wc. Then extend main bathroom into bed 4. Add small ensuite to master

I'd do this too. I'm not THAT keen on en-suites but everyone else seems to like them!