Two small bathrooms next to each other????

[agentscully]

We’re looking to squeeze in another shower room upstairs as we currently have one family bathroom and need at least another toilet.

No space downstairs for one. Where we do have space is too far away from the soil stack and don’t fancy a saniflo system.

So, we’re think of dividing up the bathroom and taking some space from a (already small) bedroom to create two v small bathrooms.

Good idea or should we accept the fact we can only have one bathroom?

Two adults and two boys 10 and 11 in the house.

Advice appreciated, thank you!

Similar to photo below but access both spaces from the hallway.

Also, both bathrooms would be the other end of the hallway from master which is a bit annoying.

Have a separate toilet with handbasin and then bathroom without a loo? I had this growing up and it wasn't an issue.

Rarely do you all need to use the toilet.

Shower/handbasin with saniflo where you actually want it?

I've got two small bathrooms back to back. Both have a shower, a toilet and a sink. They do feel small but one feels smaller which might be because the other one has a window or it might be because it has ridiculously dark tiles so it's like a cave. They are perfectly functional though.

I can measure them if that's useful but both teens are still asleep. In their defence this is the first day after the exams.

A separate loo and basin would be useful. Could two people shower at once? Our water pressure isn’t up to that, though we have two bathrooms. Always have to check the shower isn’t in use in the other one.

If the space is big enough then why not? For a single family home it makes sense to me for both bathrooms to be accessible to everyone.

Our house still has the original 1920s layout with the upstairs loo in a separate room next to the main bathroom. When we had them refitted it was suggested we should combine them, but having a separate room with a washbasin and loo is really useful during the morning bathroom rush hour!

If you don't quite have space for a full second bathroom, I'd still recommend adding a second upstairs loo, or maybe just a small shower room, depending on when the bathroom bottlenecks happen in your household.

@Talipesmum That’s a good point, we have a combi so we wouldn’t be able to use the showers at the same time.

I guess i was thinking of having one with a bath and one with a shower as we got rid of our bath which i go regret a bit (though don’t admit it) but maybe a nice sized WC would be better.

Close up the ensuite and turn that into a loo and a handbasin.
Keep the loo in the main bathroom and consider ditching the bath altogether unless that's your thing.
Take no space from the 3rd bedroom.

We had a chat with a plumber about trying to keep a bath so there was at least one in the house [for resale purposes as none of us take baths] and his point was that most bathrooms last 10 yrs or so and buyers will often rip one out anyway. One really nice and efficient bathroom would trump small airless and damp spaces

Have you potential to go into the loft later? Also worth considering where the stairs would go but usually would turn outside your master bedroom and run back over the main stairs. Your layout looks just like our old house. We crashed the two rooms into one large bathroom with a bath at one end and a shower at the other. Sink and handbasin in between. Our kids were toddlers when we did it though. It would be a pain now to only have one loo in the house.

Are you absolutely sure you can't squeeze in a loo downstairs ?

@RandomMess the loo is the main issue really but definitely considering a separate loo as a shower room might be to much of a squeeze.

@MarigoldGlove measurements would be fab if possible!

@CasperGutman Thanks, so think with hood design it could be ok.

Do you have a large main bedroom?

Go for the free standing bath?

@TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams Can’t go into loft unfortunately as it’s too expensive so we’re just trying to make the best of the space we have.

We do have a very narrow cupboard under the stairs but that would leave us without any storage and we currently have our washing machine and tumble dryer in there.

Im reluctant to take space from bedroom 3 as it’s small but in a way i don’t think it would be noticeable.

@RandomMess Our bedroom is a decent size but it’s too far from the soil stack.

It’s so frustrating as we have a tiny 4th bedroom that’s too small to fit a bed in that would make an ideal shower room but would need a saniflo. We had one in a previous house and it was a nightmare.

Move the washing machine to the bathroom?

It's 210cm (door threshold to back of shower) by 145cm.

We put an en-suite in for our master bedroom in an old house and ran the soil pipe down the outside to meet the stack.

Currently, we've moved a bathroom from the front of one bedroom to the back - (house in the side of a hill and only had shared light through the existing en-suite - we've had to resort to a Saniflo option. otherwise, soil pipe would have had to run along the floor and compromise a cupboard and where the bed was going. But no a much better bedroom, smaller ensuite and a walk-in wardrobe.

That was what was in our house when we bought it -- two small, en suite-sized bathrooms next door to one another on the first floor. No loo downstairs or on the second floor. It had been a family home, but before we bought it, it had become a five-bedroom houseshare where the student aged sons of the family rented rooms to their friends, so I suppose it made sense. Famous for its parties, apparently.

We found we only ever used the shower in the slightly nicer bathroom, and in fact all defaulted (two adults, one child) to using the loo in the nicer room too, unless occupied, so the configuration wasn't that useful for us.

We've extended one min-bathroom into a proper big bathroom with a shower and bath and a linen cupboard, and added another full bathroom on the ground floor.

Definitely don't do saniflow if there's another option, though.

My downstairs loo is in the porch. Could that work, assuming you're able to add one?

Could whatever is in the under stairs storage be moved to the tiny 4th bedroom?

Could then have a nice sized upstairs laundry with washer, dryer, airers and ironing etc upstairs.

Then under the stairs becomes loo with basin?

I don’t know if it’s easier to plumb in for a washer than it is for a loo though.

Thanks @MarigoldGlove that size looks absolutely fine to me.
Love the orange!

Where is the 4th bedroom? To one side of the master with its own window?

It's messy [no pun intended] but it is possible to run sewage pipes through the house to join with the soil stack. You need to be able to create an angled drop or it will block. A really good bathroom installer will have a proper look. Direction of the joists is key and you will need a shower tray slightly built up too.

The reason I asked about the loft is that if you put in a decent sized family bathroom now, could you afford a loft extension in say 5 yrs or when you next remortgage? And would the footprint allow for a bathroom or would it be simpler to put bedroom 3 in the loft and repurpose the current layout in your pic to a bathroom and a shower room / laundry room if desired?

Hard to know without seeing the full floor plan but could you squeeze a loo in the cupboard under the stairs and put the washing machine and tumble dryer double stacked in a cupboard upstairs so you don't have to take space from the third bedroom? Would give you a separate loo, and nicer for guests to not have to go upstairs, or to carry the laundry up and down the stairs.

We've got two showers and a bath in 3 separate bathrooms, plus another toilet, and everyone wants to use the one (power) shower as it's much better than the bath and other shower. And although we've got 4 loos it's very rare that 2, much less 3, are in use at the same time. I'd go for a decent sized family bathroom with a powerful shower that can make for quick in-and-out, and a separate toilet downstairs.

Oh sorry, you said no space downstairs. Are you sure? My aunt has a tiny little WC under the stairs. Everything is in miniature apart from the loo but it's totally usable!

Thanks for all the advice.

I think we’re going to stick with one bathroom and move the washing machine and tumble dryer to the kitchen and forgo storage for a downstairs WC.

After measuring the bathroom I don’t think splitting it is feasible.

The WC will be quite narrow but i’m sure with some good decor it will be ok.

Thanks again everyone.