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?

Our street have downstairs toilets in some 3 bed styles, but they are small as it was built before the regulations on the size where changed. Now downstairs toilets have to be wheelchair accessible.
Someone in our street removed there's when they extended as they wanted a bigger entrance hall.
However since the house was originally built with a downstairs toilet, they had to put one back in but it needed to be the size of the current regulations so much bigger than what they had.
We're in Scotland.

I also lean towards doing this. Depending on how structural the two partial walls are (continuing line of living room wall & side of stairs), you may be able to put stacked washer/dryer in existing shower space and bump shower along beside window with a bifold door (so can also have a clothes airer in there if not used regularly) to get all items into one space.

Would benefit from swapping main door to outward opening, as others have said. If you can reduce the understairs wall back a bit too, may benefit from switching to a corner loo as shown.

Or if you have enough room to add a sliding door, could hang that to run on washer/dryer side of the understairs wall so you have better segregation between loo & laundry, as many would prefer!

I currently have a utility room and downstairs loo (3 bed one upstairs bath) and it’s amazing - a room for washing, ironing, airing and drying boots.
Previously had 4 bed with upstairs and downstairs bathrooms, I’m well used to showering downstairs, but I’d never go back to no utility.

Definitely utility room, with toilet, toilet downstairs is essential IMO

The other thing I would consider is whether there is anywhere a stacked washer dryer could go upstairs? Either in a space where current hot water tank is, then move a combi boiler to loft (if you have enough water pressure!)

Or I've seen them in spare bedrooms - which is a sensible use of space if 3rd bedroom isn't in regular use. Keeping laundry all upstairs makes loads of sense if you have the room to shuffle it and the plumbing (totally normal in US, with a tanked/20cm deep silicone 'tray' for the appliance to sit in in case of leaks). You do need to be reasonably good at cleaning filter/helps if you don't have 3 long-haired ladies in the house if considering an upstairs washing machine though!

B&Q sell either 70cm wide or 120cm wide with additional mop/hoover etc utility cupboards, 74cm deep. The pull-out shelf between the 2 appliances is what makes the stack work best if going this route.

Reversing downstairs door would still give you space to add a decent 20-40cm deep utility shelving run on the opposite wall as you walk into that room - might be enough to make the most of everything you're after with the least expense overall, depending on what your upstairs plumbing setup is?

I'd go for a utility room for sure.

Yes I know it's the law now.
I just don't understand why.

We have a utility room and separate downstairs loo. I’m glad we have both. I don’t think we would use a separate shower room downstairs. Seems a bit of a faff to bring clothes down etc. We do have a sink in the utility room to wash hands etc and an outdoor shower which we use for the dog.

My answer may differ if you have teenagers and no en-suite?

Probably to do with not excluding disabled people by design.

We have two showers and they run at full pressure at the same time, married to a plumber so he knows what he’s doing 😂

We survived years with just one shower but having two is wonderful especially as children now occupy the bathroom for far longer than they used to.

But, in this instance I would add a utility as a downstairs shower is a PITA, we used to have one and someone would always turn up when you needed to cross the house in a towel 😂

Isn't the whole point of new build is you are buying off a plan and get to
choose parts of it?
So why can't you choose downstairs toilet or not?
(this is all irrelevant to me as I'm not likely to be buying a new build any time soon.... I just really do think in some of the teeny tiny new builds it's taking up precious space)

*I think it’s hard with a combi boiler but easily possibly with a hot water tank/cylinder

Unless youre planning on flipping the house then go which is best for your family. Personally I don't like the idea of a shower off the kitchen but we're not all trying to dash out of the house at the same time. A utility area means more cupboard space in the kitchen so my DH would automatically go for that.

Think it’s for disabled access to a toilet.

I agree that a downstairs toilet should be a choice but it isn’t. The thing I most hate about new builds is that even a. 2 bedroom new build will have an en-suite which takes up more space from a bedroom usually.

My sil has a downstairs shower room. It’s utterly pointless, no one wants to traipse down stairs and use it, she’d be way better off with a utility,

Well yes but not all families will require that.
(and I say that as a parent of a child who sometimes uses a wheelchair)

Oh yes.
En suites are pretty pointless too in an average family 2/3 bedroom house.
In my personal opinion 🙂

Utility

I just recalled a family member bought a three bed house that had previously been owned by an elderly lady who'd spent a couple of years living downstairs as she was confined to a wheelchair. So the space had been reconfigured to include a large downstairs bathroom (in addition to the small bathroom - with shower over bath - and separate wc upstairs).

They have two young DC and a dog, so decided to lose the downstairs bath, swapping it for a shower and moving the washing machine in from the kitchen. It's now a kind of hybrid shower room/utility with small Belfast sink and toilet. However, the shower is rarely, if ever, used and every time I've been there the large cubicle has a clothes rack with drying washing. Imo, it would be better as a lootility without the shower and instead, more space to do ironing (at the moment you can just about squeeze an erected ironing board in).

Perhaps the shower will get more use as the DC get older.....

Toilet with utility downstairs if that’s an option.

Absolutely loo and utility! I never use the downstairs shower, prefer to be upstairs close to the bedroom.