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Original poster

En-suite for the master or separate bathroom next door

73 replies

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 26/02/2023 10:58

What do people this is best?

We currently have a bathroom next door to the master, which is just to be used by the master. Architect wants to knock through to make an en-suite, as thinks a master suite is better. But this involves a bit of structural work to two load bearing walls (and therefore £££). Would having the bathroom next door to the master and accessed by the main landing put you off?

If it helps we will also have a family bathroom and the guest room will have an en-suite

OP posts:
RecentHouseBuyer · 26/02/2023 11:38

I personally think that ensuite bathrooms are overrated, unless you sleep naked and do not want to put on a robe to walk two steps down the hallway to go to the bathroom. If somebody takes a dump then the smell can waft into the bedroom, unless you open the window which then makes the bedroom cold as well as the bathroom. If somebody takes a shower while the other person is still sleeping, then the light and the sound from the bathroom may wake them up. Sure you can hear a shower through the wall, but not as much as through a door.
Converting it to an ensuite might improve the resale value a little bit since a lot of people seem to like them, but I am not convinced it would improve your quality of life while living in the house.

Original poster
A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 26/02/2023 11:51

@RecentHouseBuyer thank you. Yeah this is exactly what I was thinking also re: using the loo - smells! Plus steam from the shower in the bedroom.

I'm happy with bathroom next door but it's not our forever home so got one eye on resale. As you mention I'm thinking maybe more people like an en suite

OP posts:
Pollywoddles · 26/02/2023 11:53

An en-suite was on our list of must haves when we bought our house. If you have an eye on resale then you’d have to consider how many people wouldn’t view your house based on this. The market won’t always be like this and if there’s plenty of stock then buyers will have lots of other options.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 26/02/2023 11:55

On thé other hand, I wouldn’t look at a house with an ensuite ( at least if it was not accessible from outside the room as well.) I’ve had two en-suites, never again for the reasons listed above.

WasteOfPaint · 26/02/2023 12:00

I hate ensuites. Many people seem to like them though.... but with the layout described, it sounds like a future buyer could change this bathroom to an ensuite reasonably easily if they're that bothered?

CatOnTheChair · 26/02/2023 12:19

How much of a second bedroom is the guest room with ensuite?
Sounds like you've already got one "master with ensuite" and are looking at a second? I think a second bathroom rather than a second ensuite in this case is fine

NeverTooLateToSing · 26/02/2023 12:21

An en-suite would put me off buying. I like the bathroom and loo to be separated from the bedroom by a couple of doors!

Porridgeislife · 26/02/2023 12:24

If you need to sell the house in the near medium term go for an ensuite.

Personally I’ve never had any odour or damp issues across five or six houses, it’s a peculiar Mumsnet issue.

The only ensuite I’ve thought pointless was the house with a boat style cupboard ensuite with a shower over toilet arrangement!

Dillydollydingdong · 26/02/2023 12:29

Depends on the size and position of the ensuite. Ours is as big as a normal bathroom with its own outside window. No problem with smells. If it was tiny with no window, that would be different.

Chersfrozenface · 26/02/2023 12:33

I wish we had a second bathroom.

Another bathroom accessible from a common space gives much more flexibility than an en suite.

daisypond · 26/02/2023 12:35

I too hate en-suites. It doesn’t matter the size of the room, or whether it has its own window. I would 100% have the bathroom coming off the landing.

BruceAndNosh · 26/02/2023 12:37

As the guest room has an en suite, that should satisfy future buyers who will only consider a house with an en suite. Your existing set up will satisfy those buyers who don't like a master en suite!

RidingMyBike · 26/02/2023 12:40

Hate en suites. We currently have one in the house we're renting and I am determined not to have one again! We avoided viewing houses (to buy) that had one. It's much more practical to have a bathroom that's accessible from the landing.

Mumsnut · 26/02/2023 12:40

If you could put up a doorway to block off that end of the landing, with the bedroom and bathroom beyond it, you would have a master bedroom wing ;)

Wonderfulbutwornout · 26/02/2023 12:41

I don’t like ensuites. It wouldn’t put me off buying a house because most stuff can be changed.
I wouldn’t spend more money adding one if I were looking to seek eventually.

Original poster
A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 26/02/2023 12:54

Mumsnut · 26/02/2023 12:40

If you could put up a doorway to block off that end of the landing, with the bedroom and bathroom beyond it, you would have a master bedroom wing ;)

Haha yes, if wings were tiny!

OP posts:
Original poster
A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 26/02/2023 12:57

The guest room with en suite is probably the third bedroom, to answer a question above. About 10 ft x 10 ft, and the en-suite is a small shower room.

The bathroom that would be an en-suite does have a window

OP posts:
UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 26/02/2023 13:03

We had ensuites in our previous houses and now don't. I don't miss having one at all, and actually I love what we have now: instead of a family bathroom, we have one room with a loo and sink, and another beside it with the shower, bath and another sink. It's so much more practical than having them all together that it absolutely compensates for the lack of an ensuite.

Original poster
A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 26/02/2023 13:07

Mumsnut · 26/02/2023 12:40

If you could put up a doorway to block off that end of the landing, with the bedroom and bathroom beyond it, you would have a master bedroom wing ;)

This actually is a really good idea. Two doors to get to the bedroom, and two to get to the en-suite, with a room inbetween

OP posts:
Original poster
A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 26/02/2023 13:07

Sorry I mean a DOOR in-between

OP posts:
ramonaquimby · 26/02/2023 13:10

Unless the en-suite is quite a big one I’d do without. We have a new build and 2 bedrooms are en-suite. Honestly it’s a faff having them both. I’d rather have no en-suite

Ariela · 26/02/2023 13:16

We are going to extend and are planning a master 'en suite' with it's own door separately off the landing adjacent to the main bedroom door

TheOnlyKoiInAPondOfGoldfish · 26/02/2023 13:16

I moved from the situation you describe - bathroom next door - to a house with en-suite shower & loo off master plus family bathroom.

Having never lived with an en-suite before it wasn't on my list of wants. Now I have I wouldn't want a house without one!

mogtheexcellent · 26/02/2023 13:46

cant stand ensuites and the rest of the house would have to be heart stoppingly perfect for me to even consider buying with one.

I dont mind if you have a dressing area, then an ensuite so its seperated but I dont want to see my DH taking a shit while im in bed.

ParentsTrapped · 26/02/2023 13:49

I also hate ensuites. Never understand why a cupboard with a toilet in it is a desirable thing to have in a bedroom. Unless you live in a mansion where the en suite can be a really good sized room, probably with a dressing area in between it and the bedroom, I’d go with a separate bathroom every time.

Even if someone was really keen on them, it sounds like it would be easy for them to knock through if they wanted so wouldn’t necessarily put buyers off?