bathroom as part of the loft conversion - yes or no?

[Ravenspeckingearly]

Currently have 4 beds 3 are decent sized doubles and one is huge with an ensuite. DH will be WFH at least 2 days a week forever and wants a proper study i.e. a room that doesn't double as the spare room for the 2 weeks a year his parents come to stay and is at least 9sqm. We have 2 tweenagers. DH wants to do a loft conversion to provide the extra space. The loft conversion will provide at least 16sqm of head height space in addition to space for a bathroom. DH says he thinks that putting a bathroom in the loft is unnecessary and a waste of money that we can afford. I think that having a small shower room leaves the open option of making the loft space a bedroom (which I'm sure one of the DC will want at some point). I also think going up and down stairs to the toilet, even if its a study is a PITA. I almost think there isn't any point in doing the conversion is there isn't a bathroom. Thoughts please.

You absolutely need a shower room up there!

Definitely add a bathroom/shower. I would use it as the master bedroom on a separate floor and make the office on the floor below. I wouldn't buy a house with a loft conversion without a bathroom.

@Brakebackcyclebot thats what I want, but he doesn't because it will be quite a bit smaller than our current master, although with the bathroom and walk in wardrobe and huge window with a fabulous view I think it would be worth the compromise in size. But then we'll have to draw straws between DC as to who gets the enormous bedroom with ensuite.

You do need a bathroom up there. You're right and he's (very) wrong!

Yes do put one in. We have a loft conversion with a main bedroom, small single bedroom and bathroom with bath upstairs and a shower room downstairs. It definitely adds value to the house and the "convenience" of having two loos!

As a compromise you could put in a very spacious 'cloakroom' with a toilet and sink, but with enough space to add a shower with a small amount of rejigging at a later date? That way all the plumbing etc would be there already so for future buyers etc it's a very small job to make it into a shower room.

However I'm with you - put the shower room in now! A wise person once said 'it's better to regret the things you did do, than the ones you didn't'

I agree with you op. If you were to sell it would be much easier with an en-suite up there. I wonder if you could put in the plumbing for one but use the room as a store room? It would save on buying the sanitary wear.

Dad's input here, and one who is doing the loft thing now.

Is this a "forever home"? or at least going to see out the children-leaving-home type forever? If so, I think the decision is weighted far more in favour of your family's needs (as oppose to thinking as much or more about the consequences for resale).

A family bathroom and an ensuite on the master is more than enough for a family of four. So if the intention is for it to be an office and hobby room, but not a bedroom, then I don't think a bathroom is worth the initial expense. or work and expense to clean/maintain.

However, if you actually want it as a master bedroom, or if you think there's a high chance of selling in the next 5-8 years, then yes I would probably put a bathroom on.

If you haven't actually reached a firm agreement between you as to what you're really trying to achieve, then it's going to be hard to see the decision the same way.

If you have a big bedroom with an ensuite already, I can easily see why your husband has no interest in creating a new en-suite master bedroom in the loft. Loft rooms are hot and noisy, not to mention the often disappointing shower pressure!

@oldwhyno sums up pretty much what I was going to say. We did a loft conversion without an ensuite. it was a nice big bedroom for one of the kids, would have been an equally nice office or play room. A bathroom would have been nice but would have been a bit squeezed in. We had a family bathroom on the first floor and a master with a lovely big en suite on the first floor too.

The house was a 4 bed family home - terraced. I think you can have too many bathrooms.

You can't have too many bathrooms.

We did a loft conversion and managed two double beds and a decent size shower room but this involved an entire new roof/raising the roof height.

If you are going for a shower room make sure there is enough head height and don't get a macerator toilet. They often go wrong and are a PITA to fix. If you can't manage the head-height, decent toilet, usable space don't bother ... poky cramped loft shower rooms are useless

Posted that before I saw @BarkingUpTheWrongRoseBush comment. Now mine seems rude and I didn't mean it to be. Sorry @Barking

And we have no issues with shower pressure, neither it is hot or noisy. But it was expensive to do properly

I would put one in and then you've got a really nice and private guest suite up there. Perfect for lodgers or au pairs too.
Your DP could have the existing spare room as his office.

@Willdoitlater no offence taken!

If you can have a lovely sized room and a decent bathroom great - why not?

But we looked at quite a few houses where a loo/shower room had been shoehorned in.

I think the answer is get quotes with and without, look carefully a the plans and how easy it would be to do. Ours would have been a bit of a pain due to where the soil pipe was - not insurmountable but not worth the disruption for us.

I would at least put a toilet and basin in.

I asked DH.
He said that you need to make sure the window opens wide enough to empty the chamber pot, and no Velux as it'll just trickle down the roof.
Put in a bathroom.

@NotSoLongGoodbye

We did a loft conversion and managed two double beds and a decent size shower room but this involved an entire new roof/raising the roof height.

If you are going for a shower room make sure there is enough head height and don't get a macerator toilet. They often go wrong and are a PITA to fix. If you can't manage the head-height, decent toilet, usable space don't bother ... poky cramped loft shower rooms are useless

How much space was there in the roof space before/after the roof had to be raised? We are considering a loft extension (now with bathroom after reading all the replies here!)