Turning my ensuite into a makeshift walk-in wardrobe?

[Asvan]

Hi everyone,

I live in a new build and the master bedroom is a square shape but 1/4 of the room has been boxed off and has been made into an ensuite (with a shower, toilet and sink inside). We never use the ensuite as we have another bathroom right next door to the bedroom.

The bedroom itself is not huge, we only have a bed and a chest of drawers in it. Even if we got a wardrobe it would have to be a fairly small one and wouldn't fit all mine and DHs clothes in. Our clothes are currently placed in the box room/office.

I have wanted to turn the ensuite into a walk-in wardrobe for a very long time but my DH is against the idea as we are planning g to move in the next few years and he thinks it will devalue the property.

A friend of mine has suggested that I could buy some clothes rails and tension rods etc and turn the space into a makeshift wardrobe. Would this be a good idea? And if so, does anyone have any recommendations for clothes rods and rails etc?

Thanks

IKEA is good for stuff like that. But if I was going to be living there for a few years I’d take the plumbing out, get the toilet capped off and do it properly. Then when you sell get a cheap bathroom suite put back in, it’s not that expensive. The expensive bit is soil pipes, tiling, electrics etc.

An ensuite is worth more. It depends how long you'll really be there for. I'd turn the shower into clothes rails and add makeup storage so you can use the basin for skin care.

How long are you planning to be there for? Personally I hate en suites (got one in the house we're renting and it's so annoying) and would much prefer more storage space. Especially in a small bedroom.

We're trying to buy a house at the moment and so many of them have en suites which is putting us off! But great idea to turn into clothes storage.

Thanks for your responses everyone. I'm not keen on the ensuite at all, neither me or my partner feel comfy using it, especially as there is a perfectly good bathroom right next door to the bedroom.

We are hoping to move within 3-5 years so dont want to devalue the house.

En suite is one of the top of the list fir many buyers. If you had kids (you don't mention any) then you would be prizing it! Ask an estate agent in your area how they think it will affect the value, then weigh it up - your house is yours to live in as you want, after all.

Who wants a master bedroom where all you can fit is a bed and chest of drawers.

Get rid of the en suite

The house doesn't sound balanced. Ensuit making bedroom too small.
I'd get rid of ensuit but get the pipe worked cap so it can be sold as being able to turn easily back into one.
Get a walk in wardrobe. That would be very appealing to many.

En suite’s add more value, especially useful when you’ve got older kids

I don't get the trend for having a bathroom for every room of the house, especially sometimes at the expense of extra storage, which I would prefer.

If I was looking to buy I would absolutely love a walk in wardrobe and plenty of storage, but I'm guessing I'm probably in the minority.

If you’ve got an en suite, I’m guessing you must have a few other bedrooms. Can you not turn one of those into a room for clothes storage? Realistically, unless you rip out the bathroom suite, will you be able to get much clothes storage in there?
We have a small walk in closet and I have to admit I do like it - it’s nice being able to stand surrounded by your clothes and shoes as it makes it much easier to see everything.

I would have a cubicle around the toilet and bring the bath (a fancy bath!) out into the room ( either in the dresser or in the bedroom) as a feature - and definitely have built in wardrobes (maybe fronted with a mirror) so you can't see clothes everywhere

That way you get to keep a private master suite - which is always a good selling point.

If there's room I'd keep a shower in there but it's not necessary if there's one next door anyway.

I'm with you OP, I would value a walk in clothes space more than an en suite.

How big is the house - 2 small doubles or bigger?

Sound like a dreadful new build where the bedrooms are ridiculously small.

We have three bedrooms and to be fair the other two rooms (which dont have an ensuite) are quite big. Both rooms are big enough to fit a double wardrobe, a double bed and a chest of drawers and there is still floorspcae left for the kids toys etc. Its just the master bedroom which is pretty small as a result of the ensuite.

Can you do a floor plan?

I was wondering if there was a different tweak that would make sense/compromise?

You don't have to use the "master" as your room . Why not just make the other room your bedroom?
Keep the ensuite always useful if you have guests

I would be put off buying a house with an ensuite and it's a myth that they add real value, they're used as marketing but don't translate to sales unless the rooms are huge. Estate agent friends told me this when cheerfully ripping out their own ensuite to extend their bedroom.

It sounds as if your room would benefit from the extra wardrobe/dressing area space so I'd go for that.

I wouldn't buy a house without an ensuite.

I want my own bathroom space away fromt the kids and which i can access without having to leave my room.

Sounds exactly like our house, is it a Hanbury? We don't have kids so bedroom 3 (boxroom) is our wardrobe room. However we love the en-suite and if we stayed here we would change the main bathroom into a walk-in wardrobe as neither of us like baths.

Probably won't stay though so no changes at all which is my advice if you know you will be moving

I think the logical thing is for you to move into one of the bigger bedrooms and put a wardrobe in there.

Though personally I hate en suites when they are just a box in the corner of the room. Especially when they are pokey and the bedroom is small. Even so, living in a house with four people and one bathroom is a bloody pain, and if I’m still in this house when I have teens I’ll probably have no choice but to put in a teeny en suite.