Possible en-suite - is this location weird/not feasible?

[nanodyne]

We're coming to realise that we need a second bathroom so have been trying to figure out where we could squish it in. It'd realistically need to be an en suite because we don't have anywhere it could go downstairs, and our loft room has a very low ceiling height so couldn't realistically accommodate a shower.

The red rectangle on the floor plan is where I think it would be most practical (obviously not to scale, thinking 1m x 1.5m). It wouldn't take much room from either bedroom, and we don't mind it being the absolute minimum size since we're all really small (I'm 5ft1, DH is 5ft6) and we'd try to get it built as a wet room. I'd probably look at installing a pocket sliding door to maximise space. It's along an external wall so ventilation/a window should be feasible, and I imagine the waste pipe would go under floor, although could potentially wrap around exterior of the building.

Box room is the baby's bedroom and will probably become a media room for the kids as they get older, so wouldn't be a viable site.

What do you think, is that a sensible location (especially in relation to the existing bathroom)? Is there anything I'm missing, any considerations I've missed? I want to have a good idea going into any conversations with contractors to avoid any misunderstanding.

I might be inclined to take it all out of bedroom 2. Squaring off the room except for a little bit.

The cheapest and easiest place to put it will be next to the existing bathroom where the built in cupboard is. I assume you want a shower, sink and loo?

If so, then the the best use of space is a long thin room with the shower at one end and the loo at the other with the door in the middle of the long wall and the sink opposite the door.

It needs to be next to an external wall or you will have to put a macerator in and they are really terrible.

Why isn't it going beside your existing bathroom?

Ours is 1x 2.5.
I wouldn't want it to be much smaller for shower, loo and sink.

Agree with others - next to the existing bathroom would make much more sense.

Cheapest next to existing bathroom in the main bedroom.

Yes, the bedroom wall with the cupboard, adjoining the existing bathroom would be the best option really.

You need a long thin room along the wall of the existing bathroom within the front bedroom. Toilet next to the existing toilet, shower at the other end, sink in the middle with the door opposite.

I did think it might, but that's the boiler cupboard (very old house, lots of things in strange places) - is it ok for a boiler to be in a bathroom..?

Yes. Lots of people have a boiler in a bathroom

Our new build has an en suite above the stairs, is this an option? If not then I'd be tempted to take all the space out of bedroom 2.

The only thing I'd say is to consider saleability in future if that's a consideration.

If it works for you that's great but I'd hate a tiny ensuite squashed in and the resulting smaller bedroom or bedrooms that would cause...so be aware it might well put people off if you try to sell.

Is there really nowhere downstairs? Maybe post a floorplan, there might be an option you haven't thought of.

Depending where the boiler is in the cupboard and exact sizes of the space as the floor plan didn't have the size for the bathroom and cupboard on it you could possibly just move the bedroom door and create something along these lines?

There's the complete floorplan - like I said, it's a weirdly shaped little house. I had thought about the basement, but I think the plumbing would be nightmare, and I'm not sure how waste pipes would work.

@Sonnics that'd definitely be my first thought if the family bathroom wasn't so tiny, I don't think it'd fit a bath anymore with this layout.

@SpringingJoy I know what you mean, but from chatting with estate agents they're of the impression that a second bathroom - even a tiny one - would always be a plus in our area. The family bathroom is absolutely miniscule so I think anyone put off by poky bathrooms would avoid anyway.

@Geneticsbunny aha I didn't know that - I'd certainly be happier with another wall between me and it at 6am 😂

Hm, i don't think the original placement between bedrooms is really practical. I was going to suggest taking out your original bathroom, widening the space, and then putting in two next to each other, but why not put one in the cellar, your concerns about plumbing might be resolvable.

What about the 2nd floor? Why not there with waste above the existing? Is it actually a bedroom?

It's a loft room but the apex ceiling height is about 170cm, so there's nowhere tall enough to fit a shower or even a bath in. Otherwise we'd definitely be putting it up there and making it a master suite.

What's in the 'dead' space next to your current bathroom? There seems to be a door coming from the landing (towards the side of the house) but it's not clear what to? It looks like your first floor is wider than the ground at this point, which feels unlikely!

Would this work? Making the main bathroom the en suite accessing from the bedroom. Steal a bit of space for the new main bathroom, recessing the entrance to you main bedroom to create that in front of the new en suite?

The door leads to the loft stairs (which overhang next-door's staircase). The first floor is indeed wider than the ground at that point, our bathroom is over next-door's porch/kitchen - it's a very old cottage and was originally one property, I believe it was split sometime in the early 20th century.

I don't think this would be possible because of the loft door. It's a real head-scratcher because it's not a desperately small house, but nothing is in a logical position.

Putting a bathroom in the loft room really makes the most sense, even if you don't turn it into a master suite. How about installing a seated shower, or putting the shower over a tub with a built-in seat? Or just putting a shower stool in the shower? You would have to install the shower-head itself at a lower height than usual, and preferably use a shower-head on a hose, rather than a fixed one.

This. It's the cheapest as it will be easier to get drainage and water from the existing bathroom. We have fitted a number of rooms like this over the years- the room is as wide as the shower tray, small sink opposite the door , loo at the other end. If you go for a concealed cistern back to the wall type loo, you can continue a narrow cupboard round to meet the shower cubicle and use it to sit a counter top sink on. That way you get storage and all the pipes are hidden.

This sounds really sensible! Silly question, could you put the loo under boiler?