Do I really need an ensuite?

Do I really need an ensuite?

The modern bathroom as we know it is a relatively recent development. It was only in the late 19th century that public water pumps in cities such as London were replaced with water being piped into the home. In 1971 the General Household Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics found around 10% of British homes still had an outside toilet.

So how, just over 50 years later, have we reached a place where a bathroom attached to a bedroom (ensuite) is not only commonplace, but considered essential by some when buying a house? And is it the right way to go in the future?

We are influenced by what we see, so there’s no doubt that beautiful properties in films and TV shows have affected our expectations. Travel also influences us, and long gone are the days of queuing for a shared bathroom. A private bathroom, directly accessed from your room is now an essential in even the cheapest hotel or B & B. I fully admit I wouldn’t book a hotel or ski chalet room without one. I don’t want to share that bathroom with strangers, and I don’t want to have to walk down a corridor in my pyjamas to reach it! On a ski holiday a few years ago I was even lucky enough to have this beautiful ensuite attached to our bedroom.

But just because we enjoy something on a holiday does that make it right for our own home? Before fitting an ensuite, I’d advise carefully considering the following.

Do you have the space? I mean really have the space. While you’re collecting images from magazines or pinning them online, look carefully at the size of the rooms shown. Our ski chalet ensuite above had a separate shower and the overall floor area of that bathroom could have easily accommodated a double bed. If you’re dreaming of a spa-like experience, you won’t achieve that in a tiny closet.

If you are considering turning a bedroom into a bathroom, or carving out a large chunk of a bedroom to create an ensuite, talk to a local estate agent first, they can look at your property as a whole. It is true that ensuites usually add value – but small bedrooms with no room for wardrobes and other furniture, or fewer bedrooms overall may reduce value. Consider what you’re losing, as well as what you’re gaining.

Will you actually use it? Before you yell ‘of course!’ consider the people who live in (and visit) your home. Many couples, for example, won’t use an ensuite loo during the night, for fear of disturbing the sleeping partner.

If the issue is personal time in a busy family home, and you’re fed up with someone knocking on the bathroom door while you try to enjoy a soak in the tub, will that actually stop just because you put the tub elsewhere? If an ensuite is for visitors – how often do they stay?

Is it the best use for your money? With high street retailers claiming the ‘average’ bathroom costs around £4500, but spends of £10000 being commonplace, it’s certainly worth some thought before you commit.

So what other options are there? Here are some possibilities.

• Upgrade your existing family bathroom to give it that spa-like feel.
• Create an extra shower room / wet room – if you have the space a shower downstairs is great for gardeners and sporty types (even muddy dogs).
• Create an extra WC. For families and shared homes, separate WC’s may offer better usability during the morning bathroom ‘rush hour’. (Separate WCs have recently gone up in my estimation after reading a disturbing article on how far germs travel in the air if the lid is not down when the loo is flushed!)
• If you need an extra bathroom for some of the time, rather than attaching it to one bedroom, make it accessible from a hall or landing. Back to back with another bathroom is often the most effective place from a plumbing point of view.
• In a home with more than one bathroom, for infrequent guests consider ‘designating’ a bathroom for their private use during their stay.

If you’re struggling for inspiration, don’t be nervous about asking a professional for help – an objective pair of eyes may be all you need to make best use of the space in your home.