If you have two bathrooms/one bathroom and an ensuite...

[QuentininQuarantino]

Our lovely first home has two bathrooms (bathtubs) which are extremely outdated. Think khaki tiles and yellow bathroom suite, mold and staining... ew.

So, we're saving up to redo them and are at the planning stage. We'd like one to have a bathtub and one to have a biggish shower. The smaller could easily be made into an ensuite by moving where the door is.

For those of you who have lived for a while with two bathrooms, what works best for you? And what do you think we should do? Both to live with and hopefully not to decrease the value of our property (although no plans to leave!). We have DC under 10 if that is relevant. Thank you.

a) bathtub in family bathroom and shower in ensuite
b) shower in family bathroom and bathtub in ensuite
c) two family bathrooms and no ensuite.

We’re happy with the bath (with electric shower) in the family bathroom and a large shower (not electric) in the en-suite.

I wouldn't choose an ensuite. I've recently moved into a house that was built in the 80s when having an ensuite was considered pretty posh. The reality is that you have a toilet in your bedroom. I would go for two family bathrooms any day. I also think that probably one bath is sufficient for most families, most adults and older DC prefer a shower.

I have an en-suite off the master bedroom. It has a double size wet room type rainfall shower and no bath.
The family bathroom has a bath which has a circle at one end and a shower over.
I like having my en-suite as it's always clean 😄. DS and occasional visitors use the family bathroom.
I also have a downstairs cloakroom - toilet and sink.

A

I assume you'd get one of those bath tubs with a shower attachment anyways? Our old house had an L shaped bath and the extra space was very good.

Whereabouts are they?
We have a ground floor bathroom & have pinched part of a bedroom to put in an upstairs shower room. Lots of people suggested making it an ensuite but that would mean the future occupants of the other two bedrooms would still need to traipse downstairs for a 3am wee or walk through our bedroom, so we made it accessible from the landing instead.
It's right next to our bedroom so not much difference in having an ensuite really.
We have a large shower upstairs & are keeping a bath downstairs for the dog / future muddy children.

We're the opposite to most here but love having an en suite.
It has a shower and the family bathroom has a bath and separate shower, but if there isn't enough room I'd opt for two showers now the DC are older.

I would have two family bathrooms. One with big shower and other a bath with shower attachment ( we have one that sits above the taps, great for quick wash or washing hair in bath.)

We've got a bath and shower in the main bathroom and shower in the en suite. The en suite is husbands and the bathroom is mine and at the moment I share with GS who is living with us.

A.

I have a bathroom and a wetroom, neither en-suite, which is perfect. I don't want a bathroom off the bedroom.

A

I wouldn’t choose to turn a second bathroom into an en-suite (I don’t understand why anyone wants a toilet directly off their bedroom) and I definitely wouldn’t install the only shower in the house in an en-suite - everyone who wants a shower then has to traipse through your bedroom to do so. And if this is a long-term home and you have more than one DC, I’d have a shower in both bathrooms or else you’re going to have one hell of a morning queue once they’re teenagers.

I have two bedrooms.
The bath is in the ensuite to the master bedroom, with a basic electric shower over it, which is never now used.
The shower in the bathroom that opens off the landing. I use that shower, and the bath in the ensuite. Guests are (mostly) not offered baths!
It's that way round just because of the room size and configuration, not through a specific choice. But it works.

We have 2 family bathrooms. 1 is downstairs and is a wet room so large shower area. One upstairs has a bath with shower over and so it mainly used for baths or if the wet room is occupied to have a quick shower.

I would have one larger with bath and overhead shower combo. Then the smaller as nice large walk in shower

I wouldn’t make either en-suite. I think it’s gross tbh. Someone using the toilet next to bed, or disturbing whoever they share bedroom with using bathroom when they are asleep ie teeth/ toilet/ shower.

We had two bedrooms both with an small en-suite here, knocked through and converted so it’s now one bigger bathroom between the rooms, with access only from landing. ( we have two other bathrooms as well, both non en-suite)

We have option a (the house came like that, I didn't design it). The bath has a shower over it. If I could choose, I would have a separate bath in the en-suite as well as the walk in shower. Ours is big enough so it's annoying they didn't put one in!

Thank you for all your input, it’s really helpful as we’re clueless.

It’s actually a flat so both bathrooms are on the same floor, there’s a cluster of two bathrooms and three bedrooms at one end of the flat, the other end has a big living room and kitchen/diner. They aren’t next to each other so they couldn’t be converted into one bigger one. They’re both smallish, like 2mx3m and the second slightly bigger.

Yes, don't have an en suite - they are not as nice as you think they are! We have one large bathroom with a bath (which DH uses) and I have my own lovely shower room with a separate door onto the landing, not into the bedroom. I think en suites are going to become increasingly unpopular in the coming years - who wants a loo in your bedroom??

I've found that having an en-suite has almost become a basic requirement in modern homes so I'd put one in to increase/maintain house value.
As PPs have said, if it's a choice between a bath a shower go for the best of both worlds with a shower over a bath. Architects told us that to not devalue our home that at least one bath is a 'requirement'.

There’d be a shower head above the bathtub, definitely. I like the slightly wider ones too.

Interesting to read about the en-suite, I had assumed it was a must have and would be harder to sell without one!

We have two family bathrooms and 3DC. The larger one with a bath and separate shower and the second room with a shower only. We have had children using both showers and the bath all at the same time. I think two family bathrooms is much more flexible than having an en suite. You inevitably end up with teenagers traipsing through your room to get to the only shower if you have an en suite.

We have never had an en suite but stayed in temporary accommodation recently during house renovation work for a couple of months and had an en suite there. I hated it. After a couple of nights I'd moved my toothbrush etc to the main bathroom and banned my husband from pooing in the en suite.

At home we have two bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs. Upstairs has a bath with a shower over, downstairs has shower only but it's more spacious than the shower over the bath. This is pretty much my ideal.

I don't like ensuites and wouldn't choose one for same reasons pps have said.
What about one with bath and shower and one with shower and put washing machine and dryer in there. Free up kitchen space? Might be noisy for the bedrooms though as I see you're in an apartment.

Mumsnet hates an ensuite, but in the real world they are an expectation for 3bed+ in my experience. Maybe speak to a local estate agent if you can and see what buyers in your area typically expect/want.

Yes - don't make it ensuite. 2 bathrooms is a great selling point. I'd have one with a great shower and one with a great bath.