Shower room or en-suite?

[CatStoleMyChocolate]

We are planning a loft conversion, and I wondered what other people thought about this. Our plans have been drawn up to create a double bedroom and an en-suite in the loft.

Personally, I think we’d be better with a shower room (ie to have it opening into the hall rather than our bedroom) so anyone in the family can use it rather than them traipsing through our bedroom. But when I mentioned this to a friend, she said people expect en-suites these days.

Is this true? I mean, we have no plans to move and are doing this for us rather than a future buyer, but I’m curious as to which would be the “better” option or if there are advantages to en-suites that I haven’t considered?

Sounds like semantics to me. It’s no less part of the master suite because the door is not into the bedroom. I’d rather it off the hall outside-no steam into the bedroom for a start.

I like your idea better, especially if bathrooms are at a premium in your house. Make the alterations u need for your family life - not for what you imagine a prospective buyer may want in the future.

Would the design work with two doors: one into the hall, one into the bedroom? I’ve stayed in a house like that.

Door into the hall, definitely.

A Jack n Jill bathroom is one that has two doors into bedrooms either side of it . Why not have the same accept bedroom / hallway ?

Can the whole reno work as a private master bedroom and bathroom if the bathroom door were outside, but still very accessable to the bedroom? Just a step away and hidden from living areas if in the nude etc.?
I prefer not to have a direct door to an ensuite too.

We recently did this and went with a door into the hall as opposed to an en suite. It just works so much better for the household to have the bathroom available for anyone to use.

I vote for door into the hall. You lose wall space in your bedroom otherwise and if anyone else ever needs to use it, they won't be able to without invading your privacy

Definitely hallway access. It will still function for selling purposes as an en suite in that it's an extra bathroom right next to the master bedroom and there's no other bedrooms on that floor.
I think en suites can make the bedroom smell if someone does a bad poo! I also don't like using it as the other person can hear everything. It's not so bad if it's next door as you don't necessarily know who's in there?! If that makes sense...

Sounds like a great idea to have the shower room off the hallway. Still part of the master suite but others can use it if needed without coming into your bedroom. Our ensuite is occasionally used by others and it feels a bit odd that that means going through the bedroom.

I had this debate with my DP when we were getting ours done and we ended up going for separate rather than en-suite which was my preferred and I am so pleased we did. I think it offers so much more flexibility, and the space of a loft conversion means you’re not exactly having to walk miles from bedroom to shower room - it’s right next door 🤭

Shower room. I’d hate an ensuite personally.

I love having an ensuite, and having had one for so long it would be one of my priorities for a house purchase.

In the situation you describe where the bedroom and bathroom (ensuite or otherwise) are the only rooms on a floor and there were other bathroom facilities on the floor below I would be perfectly happy. It is basically a bathroom for that bedroom.

I'd only be living with my children (and spouse who I'd expect to share any ensuite) and those children would be told that whilst the loo could be used if all others were occupied the bathroom was otherwise off limits.
This is pretty much the same situation for my ensuite anyway, if unoccupied my bedroom door is usually open and if both other loos are in use the kids would use the ensuite loo.

That’s a really good point, actually - the wall space would be beneficial in terms of furniture. It’s a slightly awkward space - plenty big enough for one bedroom but I also have concerns about the door hitting the bed!

Thanks everyone - this is really helpful and confirms my thinking. It’s an older house and as such, I think would (at whatever point we sell) not appeal to the kind of person who expects multiple en-suites in way that you sometimes find in new builds.

We had a door to the hall - older house too and so helpful when there were lots of guests to have an extra loo available

I wanted a separate bathroom with a door in the hall for many of the reasons on here but the plans/space just didn't work. The landing/ hallway space required for a door in to the bedroom and a door in to the bathroom was too much. We'd have lost too much bedroom space. It felt like wasted space to have a bigger landing. So check that you have enough space to do it.

So ours is ensuite. It's actually much better than I thought it would be. When we have guests for example, we put them in the loft so they have their own bathroom and privacy.

Another vote for the hallway. It's a matter of a step or two, and saves you having the bedroom filled with the joyous smell of poo or damp from steam.

And absolutely not to jack and jill - absolutely pointless having a second door which can be opened into such a private space. I've refused to look at one house with this on the main bathroom.

En suites seem to be becoming less attractive, but the proximity remains important.

I'm team hallway door, but can you put the shower so it's not against the wall to your bedroom? That way if you ever sold the house the buyer could have the option of making a door opening from the bedroom if they wanted.

I don't really understand why it would affect resale, it is still a bathroom for the master bedroom, but is shareable if needed. If this suits your family better, then its a fair bet it will suit other families looking to buy as well. I'd much rather have your idea than a dedicated en-suite.

Open to hall - it means it’s useable to everyone. I really don’t understand the point of en-suites, I don’t want shit smells in my bedroom!

I think have the door in the hallway, so no to en-suite, then everyone can use it without trapping through your bedroom. Far more flexible.

We did a similar loft conversion and have the bathroom door into the hall. I think we'd have been able to fit a slightly bigger shower if we went for the ensuite option, but the flip side is that we've made a big office space on the wall where the ensuite door would have been, which works better for us as a family at the moment. I don't think it will make that much difference to future resale value - as long as there is a bathroom up there!

We are doing this build right now and have gone for door off the hall because (a) I dislike en suites, (b) it’s much more flexible - we are adding a second room in the loft which will be an office but it means that in future could be two bedrooms/I can still use the loo in there if working in the office even if we’ve got guests. It will still feel like an en suite as it is right beside the main bedroom.

Downside is that you do have to take landing space that would otherwise be incorporated into your bedroom.

It shouldn’t affect resale value as would be very easy and inexpensive to convert into an en suite if someone wanted to do it in the future.

I want an ensuite, completely private to anywhere else in the house and ALL MINE!