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Original poster

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

206 replies

QuentininQuarantino · 16/01/2022 18:56

Our lovely first home has two bathrooms (bathtubs) which are extremely outdated.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.

OP posts:
Caspianberg · 17/01/2022 13:44

It’s not the distance as such, but the door being in room.
Bathroom door is less sound proof that wall. So more likely to hear water running, flushing, electric toothbrush.
Every time you go in and out the en suite, if sharing room you will be waking partner up with bathroom light, the extraction fan, toilet cistern refilling.

If you don’t share bedroom, or you always both go to bed and get up at the same time, no electric toothbrush, no over night toilet, never ill or having children gatecrash bed, then en suite works fine.

I had en-suite for years basically as lived in a Studio flat. But I was single, no partner, no children, and no space for family staying.

ExConstance · 17/01/2022 13:45

If you are getting older or intend to stay there forever go with the ensuite. There might come a time when you will be very pleased to be close to a toilet, the alternative being a commode - pretty yucky!

wonkylegs · 17/01/2022 14:37

@QuentininQuarantino sinks in bedrooms used to be fairly common, all the rooms in my house had them when I was growing up in the 80's.
Changes in electrical regulations means they have generally gone.
We had them in all the bedrooms rooms when we moved here but when we rewired and added plug sockets it was problematic due to proximity so we took them out (was also a bit concerned about small children flooding rooms when not supervised)

ThePoetsWife · 17/01/2022 18:50

@Zonder

I'm wondering if those people saying two family bathrooms have teens yet? There's no way I want my teens using our bathroom.
Yes my teens are now young adults. We tend to use one of the bathrooms and they the other one and they have learnt to be considerate about leaving the bathroom in a decent state.
tinkywinkyshandbag · 17/01/2022 20:40

L shaped bath with shower over in family bathroom and shower in (small) en-suite. Works well for us, I don't feel it's like having a toilet in the bedroom, DH and I respect each other's privacy and are considerate about when we pooh!

Kite22 · 17/01/2022 21:36

I'm not sure why an en-suite is so desirable. It can only realistically be used by the occupants of bedroom 1, while everyone else shares the main bathroom.

That’s what makes it desirable! I like not sharing my bathroom

But, whilst it is your house, you can make your own rules - for example that that particular bathroom is yours and only yours, but, having lived with two bathrooms here for 18 years, the dynamics, the make up of the family, and the needs of the family have changed at different times. As we have both our bathrooms accessible from the landings, we've not had to do any building work to meet those changing needs.

and

You clearly don't have sporty teenage boys

I have 2 footballers and 1 rugby player, plus all 3 are into camping and any opportunity to do outdoor sports, including water sports. Makes it all the more useful that when they all need a shower at the same time, they can do so without coming through our bedroom.

Annabelle69 · 17/01/2022 22:02

Victorian house. 2 adults. 2 bedrooms. Main bedroom has a walk in wardrobe room and that leads into an ensuite with a large shower. This was originally the 3rd bedroom where you had to walk through another bedroom to get to. Common in victorian houses. I love this set up.

Downstairs is the main bathroom. Bath no shower. Off the kitchen. I know some people hate this, but it's super convenient.

backtolifebacktoreality · 17/01/2022 22:30

@ExConstance

If you are getting older or intend to stay there forever go with the ensuite. There might come a time when you will be very pleased to be close to a toilet, the alternative being a commode - pretty yucky!

A bathroom off your hall is not necessarily any further away than your en-suite.

Shmithecat2 · 17/01/2022 23:21

We're currently renovating our newly purchased house. There was one massive bathroom upstairs which we're splitting on two - ensuite will have a shower, family bathroom with have shower and separate bath.

Shmithecat2 · 17/01/2022 23:24

There's also a wetroom downstairs for visitors etc.

Grasping · 18/01/2022 07:45

I’m currently still in bed with a coffee.

I have my bedroom door locked and the sanctuary of my en-suite to look forward to.
I don’t want to be bumping into my sons on the landing. I don’t want DD barging in and raiding my t-shirt drawer. DH is allowed in, but he will need to knock Grin

CiaoForDiNiaoSaur · 18/01/2022 08:00

If it were me I would go for an ensuite with a shower and a family bathroom with a bath.

But. I'm single and have no sense of smell so the issues of being woken up by sounds/smells won't happen. And a bathroom that's all mine with no teenage boys in sounds lovely.

And my DC hate showers. Always have, so having a shower in the family bathroom would be a bit silly as they'd use the ensuite all the time.

As it is I shall just lay here and dream of being able to afford a house with 2 bathrooms Wink

12345FishAlive · 18/01/2022 08:15

Ensuite. After having had one it would be a requirement of our next house if we choose to move. Either an ensuite or a layout where adding one wouldn't be too expensive which we would factor into any offers we made.

Adeleskirts · 18/01/2022 08:22

I think it’s a really bad idea to have the only shower in the house in the en-suite, so that everyone needs to walk through your bedroom if they wish a shower.

What does your family use most? That’s what to have in the main bathroom. For most families that’s the shower, particularly as the kids get older.

Personally I’d have two family bathrooms, one with a shower and one with a bath, and if one of them can take a shower and a bath, I’d do that too,

Blackmagicqueen · 18/01/2022 08:32

You can always have a shower over the bath and shower screen and a separate shower cubicle too.

SollaSollew · 18/01/2022 08:39

We have a family bathroom with bath and shower and an ensure with a large walk in shower.

I think keeping a bath in the family bathroom is a good idea In a family house as any one with small children would expect it. However whether you keep one in the other bathroom/en-suite would depend on whether you prefer baths or showers. I have 3 children from 8 to adult and I am the only one who loves baths. So much so I’m wondering if we can squeeze a small one into our en-suite so that I don’t have to use the family bathroom and clear away all the clutter in there before I get to relax.

Personally I’d also prefer an en-suite because it discourages the kids from using it but not sure I’d go to the trouble of making a new entrance and changing all the plumbing etc. I think it’s the number of bathrooms that would matter when buying a house for most people.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 18/01/2022 08:43

I don't like en suites at all. I wouldn't not buy a nice house because it had one, but it's not on my list of wants

Family bathroom with tub and shower head for hair washing (either on the taps or an over the bath shower), then a separate shower room accessible from a hallway.

TheHumanSatsuma · 18/01/2022 08:49

We have a 3 storey house.
Family bathroom on middle floor with bath and walk-in shower.
Another, separate toilet on that floor.
Upstairs a smaller shower room, with toilet, next to bedroom but door on landing. Not en-suite, I don’t fancy the idea of a toilet in bedroom and this way, guests can use it if necessary, without going into my room.

Original poster
QuentininQuarantino · 18/01/2022 08:50

Thank you everyone so much for your input. I think we’re leaning towards two family bathrooms now.

It’s true that DH and I use different bathrooms at the moment because I don’t like sharing with him. The kids and him all use the bigger one and I use the smaller. I realised he would feel entitled to use the en-suite and I would have I share it with him Blush …

Also the cost would be higher and I’d lose a lot of wardrobe space. However the wall is there if a future buyer wants to knock through.

OP posts:
Lampzade · 18/01/2022 14:56

I would have two bathrooms.
The bigger one can have a bath and separate shower
Th smaller one can just have a sink with storage underneath and a shower, but no bath

I really don’t like en-suites so deliberately bought a house without one

Lampzade · 18/01/2022 14:57

@ComtesseDeSpair

Regardless of my personal dislike for en-suites I don’t see the point of having two bathrooms in a 3/4/5 bedroom family home but making one exclusive for the use of one bedroom / inconvenient for the inhabitants of the other bedrooms. In a larger home surely it makes more sense to have as many bathrooms available to everyone as space allows?
This
Grasping · 18/01/2022 15:41

All of DH and my stuff is kept in our en-suite.

DCs stuff is in the other bathrooms. It would drive me mad having to move stuff or if I wanted something and can’t access it because someone else is in there.

On the rare occasions the DC want a bath. I allow them to use the one in our en-suite. They love it and see it as a treat themselves.
DD gets her candles, heated floor on etc

Zonder · 18/01/2022 15:43

But surely it makes perfect sense if two of you use the en suite and two or three children use the other bathroom? It's a good division.

Zonder · 18/01/2022 15:43

Anyway this whole thread is like groundhog Day!

Covidclaire · 18/01/2022 15:57

I personally would never chose an en-suite in a master bedroom, for a few reasons. But when we rented a place for a while with one the most annoying part was if one of us got up early the shower would wake the other.

I also think general bathrooms provide more flexibility.

The only time I think it’s ok in a house is for a guest bathroom. But even then I’d still opt for a separate bathroom close to the guest room so others can also use it at other times.

I haven’t had a bath for about 10 years but I do prefer to have one for the kids, but they’re young. I would never opt to do away with a tub completely though as I do think plenty of people want one and I don’t think anyone ever really disliked a house because it had a bath.