Why do new-build homes have no bathroom windows?

[BooseysMom]

Just that really. I'm sure that old homes have bathroom windows. We have a new-build 2 bed with an interior bathroom and we asked to put in a landing window to the side but were told no due to planning restrictions. The window wouldn't look into the neighbour's house. And even more ridiculously they have a side window which looks right into our back garden. So how come that was allowed but we can't have a window?!
Could it be down to never ending cost cutting or something else?

It was probably a condition of planning permission that there wasn't a window which looked into their garden. Our neighbours are building a 2 story side extension and aren't allowed a side window and can only have a frosted window at the back.

Pipe work might be going through the wall you wanted to use, frosted glass might cost more, if it’s new build it’s not easy to have anything bespoke about your house unless you’re paying for a multimillion pound mansion in Surrey. Is it the builder refusing? Or the planning department?

Did you look for one which had a window?

We’ve got a new build with a frosted glass window in the bathroom. I bet it’s the cost to them- not worth adding it in?

I've lived in 4 new builds, all have had windows in main bathrooms except the en-suites in 3 of them, I quite liked not having a window tbh as it feels more private and never had an issue with steam/damp etc they had good fans. Our new newbuild house has windows in all but is a more spacious layout out and tbh a higher end purchase vs our other ones, I imagine it also costs more money to put windows in so a bit of a cost saving?

And yes definitely can't amend large scale new build houses like that, we couldn't even choose the colour of our door in one house we nearly bought. It's very strict as to what can be done, and at what stage.

My new build has windows in both bathrooms?

Thanks for the replies.

It was probably a condition of planning permission that there wasn't a window which looked into their garden

But the thing is if there was a window in the side it would look down onto the cars and bins which might be useful if anyone came snooping around, not into their garden! Their window is further along and looks directly down into ours.

Is it the builder refusing? Or the planning department

It's a shared ownership house and the housing association refused.

Did you look for one which had a window?

Yes ideally we wanted one after having awful damp in a rented house with no bathroom windows but we had little choice due to location and affordability.

My new build has windows in both bathrooms?

It must be a bigger house then? The 3 beds here only have a window in the ensuite, none in the main bathroom. Not sure about the 4 and 5 beds.

I think it must come down to cost. I could insist there is one put in on the grounds it would not look into the neighbour's garden. Not sure if I can be bothered any more. Just shoddy building I think.

Thanks again.

@BooseysMom can you check the fan? The fans in our en-suites without windows were excellent, we've never had any damp issues. They were so good I could look in the mirror without mist within a few minutes!

@BooseysMom

Thanks for the replies.

It was probably a condition of planning permission that there wasn't a window which looked into their garden

But the thing is if there was a window in the side it would look down onto the cars and bins which might be useful if anyone came snooping around, not into their garden! Their window is further along and looks directly down into ours.

Is it the builder refusing? Or the planning department

It's a shared ownership house and the housing association refused.

Did you look for one which had a window?

Yes ideally we wanted one after having awful damp in a rented house with no bathroom windows but we had little choice due to location and affordability.

My new build has windows in both bathrooms?

It must be a bigger house then? The 3 beds here only have a window in the ensuite, none in the main bathroom. Not sure about the 4 and 5 beds.

I think it must come down to cost. I could insist there is one put in on the grounds it would not look into the neighbour's garden. Not sure if I can be bothered any more. Just shoddy building I think.

Thanks again.

It must be a bigger house then?

Nope! It's a 2 bed

Often because they are so tightly crammed in that windows need to be limited to prevent overlooking. Cannot have a bedroom without windows so its the bathroom that loses out.

@notheragain4..thanks for the post. It was the previous rental that had the damp issues and the landlord blamed us when it was a malfunctioning fan all along which he didn't change until we left! So our house now has no damp. We just wanted to prevent it happening again.

@Alwaysinpain.. No way, that is jammy! can we have one please?!!

@Dawnlassie.. yeah that sounds right. Here the houses are more spread out than the usual city developments but they've still left them out. Apart from the big houses. They have them of course.

You can always apply for planning to put in a window, you may have to get a frosted glass.
Have you looked at the original planning documents?

@BuildingThings.. thank you. I did think about doing that one day when funds ever allow. I haven't checked the planning docs tbh.

Our new build 2 bed house has no window in the bathroom or downstairs loo - both are interior rooms, so no possibility of putting one in. The silly thing is, both bedrooms (one to the front, & one to the back) are L-shaped, so either could have accommodated the bathroom there instead, & the bathroom could then have had a window. Ridiculous planning.

@SisyphusAndTheRockOfUntidiness.. yes that certainly sounds ridiculous! They must build them as cheaply as they can get away with. Ours is the same in that we've got an interior bathroom and downstairs loo. But the bedrooms are either side of the bathroom so unless they put the bathroom where the back bedroom is, it has to be in the middle. It doesn't make sense when other new 2 beds have windows in the bathroom. I've noticed frosted windows at the front of the bigger properties here. There was a 2 bed we looked at that had one in the front like this so better planning would mean putting the bathroom at the front. We decided not to go for this one though as it had a railway track at the bottom of the garden and the garden was quite short .

If it helps, it's a Bellway home. The Cropton to be precise

They must build them as cheaply as they can get away with.

Yes that’s how new builds are constructed. Some near us are made of cardboard I swear. Bulk build with cheap materials and labour to a very prescribed plan to maximise profits.

It's often the flats that have interior bathrooms with no windows. Yes, it's to do with creating layouts to squeeze more into the building.

I've noticed lots have just 1 room for living, dining and cooking and that often only has 1 window or run of glass doors too - often no window at kitchen end. So some flats lack window in both kitchen area and in bathroom.

If you look at older flats they have separate kitchens (with window) plus a living room (and either kitchen or living room will have space for a table) plus a bathroom with window and obviously bedrooms all have windows, as they do now. In my view, older flats are often better. Whilst people like a kitchen diner if possible, they don't really want everything in one room and to have the washing machine a few feet from where they watch TV and food smells permeating their soft furnishings, nor want the lack of windows. But that's what new build flats give you and those with help to buy especially.

I think you are more likely to get Windows with houses....what luxury!

@Alwaysinpain.. thank you.

@WombatChocolate .. I remember our many years flat hunting and we came across new places where it was the kitchen diner and lounge all as one. I never fancied that with no way of preventing the smells of cooking, as you say. Then we found an old house converted into flats and it had amazing bay windows and a huge bathroom window where you could lie in the bath and look up at the trees. I'll never forget it. The downside was there was zero soundproofing. We had to move in the end.

It's not true of all builders, I have a Bloor home window in everything bathroom and downstairs loo, plus windows in hall and on both landings. The utility room has a door not a window, but has it's own extractor.

It's easier to fit in a sneaky bathroom into the floor plan if you don't have to worry about a window.

And yes it's cheaper. Cost of window, making brickwork opening, internal window board, longer time painting round it. Really.

It's cheaper. And they can fit more bathrooms in so charge more for the house.

It’s not just a new thing. Ours was built in the 60s. En-suite has a window, the family bathroom doesn’t. It’s presumably the way it was designed, to get both in.
The family bathroom has a fan and extractor and TBH although we’d prefer a window, it’s never really bothered us.

I have thought about installing a sun pipe in there, but we’ve never done more than think about it.
What’s a bit odd about ours, though, is that the en-suite is quite a bit bigger than the other - not that I’m complaining!

Windows are expensive (not just Windows but the build up around them) and you don't "need" one in bathroom. - I work for a house builder and thats pretty much it. we put them in the more expensive schemes but not the high volume ones we need to churn out hugh volume cheaper house types.

Thanks everyone for your useful input. Well we will consider putting one on the landing wall as the bathroom is in the middle with no way of having a window so the landing it will have to be. I wonder whether with shared ownership the housing association allows this. I know we weren't allowed to do anything to the property for the first 3 years. The window wouldn't overlook the neighbour's garden although their bedroom one looks right down into ours!