Would you rather have..

mummyroysof3

I don't mind a small bathroom as long as it has a bath with shower over. We are looking at 4 beds and don't really want an en suite but see the benefit of one when our children are older. I won't buy a house without a downstairs loo though.

phoebe1989seb

In your situation I'd go for option A......

Although, having said that we ourselves have recently sacrificed a bedroom (11' x 11') to make a large en suite to our master bedroom Our reasoning being that as we're restoring an old Georgian house that has quite an unconventional layout we can afford to lose a bedroom to compensate for the fact that the only upstairs bathroom when we purchased the house was approximately 6' x 6' - not really what I'd call a *family bathroom* in a house with six potential bedrooms, five of which would be served by that one tiny space

We really struggled with deciding if our decision was justified - there is just DH and I at home now, but even though we aren't planning to sell when we've finished, re-sale is always a consideration.

Like I said, our layout is quite quirky - two beds on the top floor, three (now only two) on the first floor and another in a later extension on the ground floor. The ground floor extension was built as an annexe and has a bathroom adjoining - although we are swapping the space around we will keep a bathroom next to this bedroom. There is also a downstairs cloakroom added as part of our own extension last year.

We came to the conclusion that one small bathroom serving the three bedrooms on the first floor (and for the tine being the two above), just wasn't adequate for the way we live today - we are converting the small bathroom to a shower room serving the guest bedroom, btw - and whilst we've *lost* a bedroom, we feel in our own case that this is more than compensated by having a really decent sized bathroom......which incidentally could be converted to a family bathroom as it still contains the original door to the hallway. There is also potential to add an additional bath/shower room in a storage area between the two bedrooms on the top floor at a later date if required.

Overall, I think in a house such as the OP's four decent sized bedrooms with three ok sized bathrooms is a better use of space than the smaller box room option. We've previously discounted houses with tiny box room 3rd/4th bedrooms as once babies move out of cots, box rooms are really only fit for use as small studies - kids do accumulate an awful load of *stuff*

Our large en suite is a luxury we felt almost compelled to add, but do feel it would also be appreciated by a larger family than the two of us - really though, we were governed by the size of the room available and a smaller bedroom could have just as easily been converted had it been available

chickaroonee

Thanks Phoebe, I agree that you did the right thing for your house though, that was too many bedrooms with not enough bathrooms.

I also agree about a boxroom being a bit useless; we don't want/need a study, and would much prefer a larger bedroom. I think I'm persuaded to go ahead and change it if possible, the only (big) issue we have is with drainage. Hopefully it can be resolved!

Strapped

Option A.

We have a huge ensuite bathroom, but it's the only upstairs one, so we are currently cutting it in half to have a separate "family" bathroom, which will be small but functional (shower over bath). I did think about just converting to one huge family bathroom (I do like the whole free-standing bath thing) but in reality, an ensuite shower room and separate bathroom works better for family living.

phoebe1989seb

Strapped wrote: »

Option A.

We have a huge ensuite bathroom, but it's the only upstairs one, so we are currently cutting it in half to have a separate "family" bathroom, which will be small but functional (shower over bath). I did think about just converting to one huge family bathroom (I do like the whole free-standing bath thing) but in reality, an ensuite shower room and separate bathroom works better for family living.

You're obviously much more sensible than me Strapped

notanewuser

phoebe1989seb wrote: »

Overall, I think in a house such as the OP's four decent sized bedrooms with three ok sized bathrooms is a better use of space than the smaller box room option. We've previously discounted houses with tiny box room 3rd/4th bedrooms as once babies move out of cots, box rooms are really only fit for use as small studies - kids do accumulate an awful load of *stuff*

DD is only 2.5 but she has a full size single bed, full sized wardrobe and bookcase, plus a 2'6" trundle bed in her 'box room'. I fully intend her staying in there until her teens, at which point there's an entirely different arrangement planned for her. I don't think toys in bedrooms are a great idea (I know others differ). She has books but not toys. That should do her for many years (I hope!).

Strapped

phoebe1989seb wrote: »

You're obviously much more sensible than me Strapped

Not really - just fed up with two sons trooping through the bedroom to use the loo at night Seems a bit mean to make them go downstairs when they could have their own upstairs bathroom. If it was just me & hubby I'd have the full-on bathroom with free-standing roll-top. *sigh*

Edwardia

I'd go for option A. I'd happily buy a house with three or four storeys but I'd want a loo per floor. Box rooms are useless even as a study or dressing room.

phoebe1989seb

Edwardia wrote: »

I'd go for option A. I'd happily buy a house with three or four storeys but I'd want a loo per floor. Box rooms are useless even as a study or dressing room.

This. In a previous house - Victorian, spread over three floors and a mezzanine - we had this arrangement.......

ground floor - *loo-tility* room
first floor - family bathroom with bath and separate shower
mezzanine - cloakroom
top floor - guest bathroom with shower over bath

There were only three of us in family, but it was good to have one loo each plus a spare and which ever floor you were on you were never far from the facilities, LOL :rotfl:

Riggster

citricsquid wrote: »

People spend a lot more time in bedrooms than they do bathrooms and the larger the bedrooms the more flexibility they provide. I've never heard of someone wanting a box room, they always seem to be a disappointing "oh" when a listing has 4 bedrooms and 1 is a box room. My parents house has a box room, as soon as my sister reached teen age it became an awful bedroom for her. A large bathroom is nice but not at the cost of having a good sized bedroom.

A.

Option A for me too.