Removing a bathroom for bigger bedroom - which option?

[BedroomsAndBathrooms]

I have attached a plan of the middle floor of our house. We've lived here a very long time, and although we're outgrowing it, we've decided that rather than move, we want to adapt what we've got.

Currently we are using the bedroom with ensuite, and our four year old twins share the smaller room. However, it's a three storey house and there's a huge bedroom upstairs which is currently being used rather extravagantly as our "evening living room" away from all the toys downstairs!!

In a couple of years we want to move up to the big bedroom, and give the twins a bedroom each. We'd like to knock through into either the ensuite or the bathroom to give both of them a decent sized room. We have a downstairs toilet too, so not overly worried about losing a bathroom. And in terms of value, I can't imagine us wanting to move for at least ten years, possibly ever! I personally feel like so many bathrooms in such a small house is a bit ridiculous. We could even get an ensuite added to the top bedroom if we ended up missing it.

I know it's not ideal being on a floor above the children, but we've weighed up the pros and cons and we really don't want to move! It would also be difficult to split the room upstairs, because although it's a large floor area, the ceiling slopes.

Just for extra info, there is actually a window in the en suite (we're semi detached), and the airing cupboard could go because it no longer houses a water tank. We could then use that door to the remaining bathroom, if that was the one we kept. The floorplan is a bit wonky around the bathroom - it's actually a completely square (well, slightly rectangular) room with no weird sticky out bits. Also, we won't be having more children!

So, with all that in mind, which bathroom should we sacrifice?

I would merge the ensuite and airing cupboard and would make the family bathroom part of the smaller bedroom especially as the ensuite has a window.

Keep the family bathroom and use the en-suite plus cupboard as a bedroom. Its the simplest and cheapest option and the better sized space is the bedroom.Eta Sorry I misread. Keep the family bathroom and add the en-suite to the small bedroom.

So your house currently has a family bathroom, an en-suite and a downstairs loo and nothing on the top floor? I think this is basic requirements in a family house.

For resale value I wouldn’t change any of this and as a family of 4 I think you will regret only having one bathroom. I would leave as is - at a push incorporate storage for smaller bedroom from old hot press. Maybe even make that en-suite a Jack and Jill for the kids to share whilst you have the main bathroom (clean and tidy) to yourselves.

Our bedroom is below our four bedrooms for the DC. It's not an issue unless one of them is unwell.

I think it sounds like a good plan.

I think you may be glad to have two bathrooms when your twins are teenagers. I would definitely put an ensuite in the upstairs bedroom if you are set on getting rid of one of the other bathrooms.

Do you have a bathroom on the top floor? If so I'd lose the ensuite. If not keep both you might be able to change the airing cupboard so it's not accessed in the hall but from the smaller bedroom and gives extra storage.
If you lose the family bathroom you're going to have to reconfigure the ensuite anyway so you end up doing more work.

I would not get rid of a bathroom unless you are putting in an ensuite on the upper level at the same time. If you get rid of a bathroom and then have to sell for some reason, I think you might find you have really limited your market.

First question: as electric heating solar panels etc become more common, are you sure you won't need the water tank?

Do you have full bathroom on the top floor?

If yes and yes, id make the ensuite a family bathroom, and then make the smaller bedroom and family bathroom, plus a bit of landing into the other bedroom.

Alternative suggestion - make the en suite into the en suite for the smaller bedroom rather the larger and this is the trade-off for the child who has a smaller bedroom.

Hmm, lots of food for thought here, thank you!
I find it interesting that it would devalue the house (although I agree that it would). It's so rare to find a three bed house with three really good sized bedrooms, it's a well known complaint that houses (especially this sort of size) have a box room. I'd always go for extra bedroom space over an extra bathroom. But then, I suppose that's why we're considering this in the first place 😅

Turn en-suite and airing cupboard into a jack and Jill for the 2 rooms. Bathroom becomes part of the bottom bedroom, then rooms are similar size.
You need to put an ensuite upstairs in your big bedroom if there isn't one already.

lose the family bathroom and make the en-suite (including the cupboard) into a family bathroom. This give two nice size and shape bedrooms not a long skinny one.

Add an en-suite upstairs if you later need it or want to sell and decide it’s worth it. I don’t agree that a 3 bed needs two bathrooms although obviously it’s nice to have. Any three bed built before the 90s will have a single bathroom (vast numbers of 30s
semis etc).

I’d remove the ensuite. It takes up useful space and only serves one room and combining it with the bedroom would give you a decent-sized room for a child. I’d keep the main family bathroom so you still have one proper bathroom on the floor. It just seems more practical imo. If you’re unsure, try sketching it in something like Interiorbox 3d or similar apps to visualize the whole plan and see whether it works.
Also since the ensuite has a window and you can remove the cupboard, it gives you the best gain in space, so it's a win-win.

I think two nicer room shapes for first floor are if you merge family bathroom with the smaller bedroom, and reconfigure the en-suite / airing cupboard to be the main bathroom off the landing.

But the alternative merging the en-suite and airing cupboard with the smaller bedroom, and keeping family bathroom as is, is fine too. Probably worth costing up the plumbing.

Questions to add flexibility:
Could you add sinks into the bedrooms at some point, to take the pressure off the one bathroom? We were in a 3 bed with one bathroom only as children, and my sister and I had sinks added to our rooms as teens which was excellent.

Can you add a bathroom in the loft, or at least a loo / sink? And if so, the location of that might determine which of the downstairs bathrooms you keep (keeping the same downpipe). I would strongly recommend doing something like this.

Just here to say not to be worried about being on another floor than the kids. It is utter bliss when they are a bit older (ours are 8 and 11 now). Utter bliss! Personally I would never used the second bathroom.

Ideally I would make sure you have:

• Downstairs loo
• One family bathroom on this floor
• Another bathroom / shower room upstairs. Better if off a hall than an en-suite.

So I would go for removing this family bathroom and making the ensuite into a new family bathroom.

• Makes the front room a really nice sized room with two windows.
• Probably have a dressing area and wardrobe where the current bathroom is.
• Possibly move the wall to the current en-suite towards the front of the house (assuming stud and not structural) to give a bit more bathroom space and square up the room a bit.
• Not sure what you'd do with the doors because it isn't clear where the stairs are. I assume keep the current bathroom door, but alternately having a new angled wall with new doorway might work well to aid flow.
• for the new family bathroom move the door so it is in the middle of the room so when you enter the bath is on the left or right and toilet and sink the other side. That layout works really well for small bathrooms and leaves access to the window. (2nd one here: https://hydrangeatreehouse.com/5x7-bathroom-layout/)

All depends on structural walls and where pipes run for toilets (and for the upstairs bathroom too). A previous poster mentioned that a system hot water tank might be needed in future with the phasing out of gas boilers. Do consider where that might go. Do you have a loft?

This was going to be my suggestion as well.

Personally I'd drop the ensuite in an instant. Two bathrooms for two bedrooms is a crazy waste of space. What would put me off buying is if the bedroom on the floor above didn't have at least a loo on the same level.
The big question would be around supporting walls. It may not be simple to just absorb that space across the two bedrooms.

I wouldn't do this. Waste of money to devalue your house, and like pp says, when your kids are teenagers two bathrooms will be brilliant. So lucky to have your upstairs escape lounge!