Would you prefer a downstairs shower room or utility in a three-bedroom house?

[EzWin2]

We are currently in the process of buying a three double bed house and we would like to make a few changes. The first thing on the list is the downstairs wet room/wc. We are either thinking of adding a smaller shower with some cupboard space or leaving out a shower completely and making a utility room with w/c. I have attached the floor plan.

I guess my question is would you rather an additional shower and toilet in a three bedroom house or a utility room and toilet?

It depends how many upstairs bathrooms there are and how many people living there. If there are 2 showers/bathrooms upstairs I'd go for utility with loo downstairs. If there's only one upstairs bathroom, I'd have the shower/wet room.

I have a downstairs shower room.

A utility room would be far more useful.

I think all houses should have a downstairs loo in this day and age, but IME two showers is pointless as it's rare the water pressure can cope with both running at the same time.

Downstairs loo and utility all the way.

I have a small utility with loo sectioned off. When I was doing the works, I got a shower plumbed in but not installed, which I can do at a later stage very easily now. I haven't missed not having a working shower there yet, but I'm older now and the option is there if I ever need it in the future.

But everyone's circumstances are different. As pp said, depends on the bathroom situation elsewhere and how many people will use the facilities.

Like mentioned above, it depends how many people in the house. If I have dogs it would be nice to shower their Muddy paws near the back door. If you entertain a lot then utility can proviextra space to kitchen stuff.

If it's a house that might one maybe adapted for old age, a shower. But honestly, never in a million years would I use a downstairs shower unless I physically had to. I hate the idea of running around the house in a towel, or getting g dressed in a damp shower room. I also dislike washing in the kitchen, so I would always have a utility space in a different room.

Space looks limited, but there is the potential to have a utility/shower room combo. A sink/toilet together, shower in corner, then the washing machine in a cupboard.

I'm aware there are zonings for electrics and water, but believe if the washing machine is in a separate cupboard- its fine. you'd obviously need to speak to an electrician though.

This, no contest

I don’t have a downstairs bathroom but I wouldn’t be without my utility room. It’s so useful

Definitely would go for a utility room.

Utility with loo. I would never want to have a washing machine in the kitchen ever again! Very unhygienic and noisy and just so much more practical to have a separate room for doing laundry in.

Inlaws have a lootility. Toilet and small sink on one side, stacked washer dryer and storage in the rest of the room. A brilliant use of smaller spaces.

Definitely utility it makes a huge difference to how tidy my house is. Putting a loo in there feels icky though tbh due to toilet smells and flushing a loo spreading germs.

Utility room and toilet.
I agree with @Seaside3 about walking round either in a towel or having to take clothes on and off there.
I had a utility room with a double drainer sink which I miss. So useful for washing pet bowls, muddy boots or things you wouldn’t want to wash in the kitchen sink.

ETA: separate off the toilet if you can so all the germs aren’t wafting around the whole space.

I'd be minded to have a downstairs shower and curtailed utility. But I once had a child with a severely broken leg in a wheelchaor for five weeks. If we'd had straight up and down stairs she could have navigated them but they had turns at top and bottom.

As long as I got downstairs toilet I'd not be too bothered about downstairs shower or utility.

My home looks very similar and we placed a utility room (1) and a shower/bathroom (2) on the left of your plan with entry from the hall. The blue arrow is the hall to the kitchen. It did mean a fair bit of change to the plumbing and a very good extractor (through the ceiling to the back of the property). We use both up and downstairs bathrooms all the time.

Downstairs loo and utility.

If you’ve only got one bathroom upstairs then a shower room downstairs is very useful- especially if you have dc.

If you have 2 bathrooms upstairs I’d just go with a loo and utility downstairs.

Downstairs shower and loo. We have this and it's been great as we also have teenagers in the house.

I already posted about the washing machine in the cupboard idea, but if you co reversed the bathroom door so it opened outwards, or put in a pocket door, you've save 1m2 of floor space within the room.

I have both and the downstairs shower was great for teenagers and having another bathroom. It leads off the utility

I have loo, sink, shower and then washing machine & tumble drier in a cupboard. Works brilliantly if you can squeeze it in.

In that house a utility and toilet. As you have open planned downstairs and the washing machine noise would drive me crazy if in the kitchen.

Downstairs toilet and sink super useful, but extra shower isn’t too important if not space