What would you prioritise? Upstairs bathroom or living space and ensuit?

[Tesstheteddy]

I'm new here but lurk a lot and love diy projects! Please let me know any thoughts.

We bought our house a few years ago, have done lots of bits and bobs since then (was a bit run down). Don't want to move.

It's a medium to small 1930s semi. There are 4 upstairs bedrooms (1 large, 1 medium and 2 small) and one downstairs bathroom. We have an 18 month old child and would like at least 1 more.

Our options are:

1. A proper upstairs bathroom. We really don't want to lose a bedroom. We can turn our medium bedroom into a smaller room and a bathroom. This would mean there is a new permanent bathroom that everyone can use. However this is a LOT of work and would mean we can't do anything else to the house for a good while. Dh and I have no issue with downstairs bathroom but we do wonder on safety and practicality of it all when ds starts using the toilet. This is why we're thinking of sorting it out now. Also if we do sell in 10 or 20 years.

1. Downstairs kitchen/dining extension. Hear me out! This isn't just a vanity thing. Our current living space is really small and just the kitchen, bathroom and living room. We struggle to get us all round the table in the kitchen and that's with only one child in the high chair! This is something we've wanted to do since moving in and a very typical extension in our area.

If we do this then we can't do our proper upstairs bathroom BUT we may be able to squeeze a cheap ensuit toilet into our medium bedroom. I think this would work when the kids are little and need to go in the night (dh and I would continue walking downstairs) but what about when the kids are older and this is part of somebody's bedroom? Will it also effect the saleability? We don't want to do something useless longterm.

We can do something next year when ds is starting to potty train. What would you do?

It sounds as if it's really a 3 bed house, and the original upstairs bathroom has been converted to a small bedroom. So I'd reinstate that, then if the layout allows extend the kitchen into the where the downstairs bathroom is.

Alternatively turn downstairs bathroom into a downstairs loo and utility room and extend later.

You are right about it being a 3 bed really, it would just be lovely to keep the number of bedrooms. Even if we don't have a third child, it is very useful to have as an office space (especially with all of the work from home).

If you move the bathroom upstairs would there be room for a home office area downstairs?

I wouldn't buy a house without an upstairs bathroom and would class yours as a 3 bed house missing a bathroom.

Though you aren't selling for 10-15 years so do what works for you now. I would imagine doing both would add the most value but it maybe in 10 years time you could add upstairs bathroom.

Ideally, would you like to have a two storey extension to make room for a proper bathroom on the first floor? I mean the first floor extension could be smaller to allow roof lights in the kitchen dinner.

A floor plan might help for other to give suggestions.

If I were you, I would wait and do that as selling will be 10-20 years down the line. When you do potty training, a downstairs bathroom is way more important and my kids wore a nappie at night for a while before they start to get out of bed on their own to go to the loo. I think it was around 4 for my DD, before that I got out of bed with her to make sure she was alright. You probably still have a couple of years.

Is there any way the ensuite could be accessed from the landing rather than a bedroom? could you maybe install all the plumbing so that you can have a loo, small bath with shower over and sink now bit could easily extend the layout at a later date? If that's feasible I would do that and the downstairs extension. I think having an extra bedroom that you don't need whilst having limited downstairs space doesn't make sense.