TheMitchells Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 While renovating our Victorian house, we need to decide whether to move the bathroom upstairs, making a larger kitchen diner downstairs. But fitting in a bath and toilet/sink upstairs is causing difficulties. To include a bath will mean moving a bedroom window and its a 600mm thick rubble wall, which sounds expensive and disruptive. One option which does work would be to just have a shower room upstairs, with no bath. (One estate agent suggested that) So we need opinions. How would you and other halves feel buying a house without a bath? Just a shower. Would it put you off? Would you want a bath? And how do you feel about the bathroom being downstairs? Is that okay? Bear in mind this is a small two bed, end terrace house so space is limited. And the likely buyers will most be a young couple buying their first home or more elderly downsizers wanting to live near the town centre. The houses are not suitable for families as it is some way off the road and everyone who has had children has moved. All opinions will be gratefully received as we cannot agree at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 In my view a bath somewhere is important but a loo upstairs is the most important so you avoid having to navigate the stairs in the night. Don't know about others but here we, other half not me, use the bath 3 times a week for a soaking. We, me included, shower every day and use loo every few minutes. Your two markets will be happy without a bath I suspect. If children are involved a bath becomes more of a requirement. Our daughter, still with us at 25 says she has not had a bath in 10 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney12 Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 If you watch all the "usual" build/renovate/auction programs all seem to suggest that in a house of your type leaving the bathroom downstairs is perfectly acceptable and normal. The addition of a WC upstairs if practicle though would definitely be a good plus. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimp Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 I mostly use the shower as often just don't have the time to run & then sit in a bath. When I do have a bath I like to relax in there a while, but this is infrequent as like I said I rarely have the time. Personally I have had studio flats/rooms at uni with an en-suite shower and you don't really miss the bath that much as really the most important thing is to have a facility to wash the whole self and a shower does this. So for a single or couple buying it would be fine, not sure about an older couple they might be more traditional and prefer a bath, any disability may also be a factor. That said it depends on the area and what market you are planning to attract and their expectations. A professional city couple may not be bothered, but more rural types might feel it goes with the country living more to have a bath. Also, consideration of the traditional location of a bathroom if a very traditional house, that and further ventilation, and water protection considerations for upstairs bathroom. Set against that consider whether a kitchen dinner would really add much, it trendy now but is often for more modern homes and can be wasteful on space. Is there any other way you could plan out the space efficiently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSS Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 If there's room, and it would still allow a worthwhile increase in the kitchen size, i'd reduce the downstairs bathroom to a small shower room with WC and add an en suite shower room to bed 1 upstairs. I like a bath but I like en suite 'facilities' more and would hate to have no loo downstairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 I question whether sensible downsizers would go for a terraced house, unless younger elderly or financially constrained. I think it needs a shower or bath upstairs and a shower downstairs if you are after downsizers. Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stones Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 When my in-laws moved into their terraced house, they took out the bath, and replaced with a shower. Made a big difference to the amount / feeling of space in what was otherwise a very cramped space. They chose to tile the whole room floor to ceiling, making it easy to revert back to a bath with minimal disruption if it was ever required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fallingditch Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 8 hours ago, TheMitchells said: How would you and other halves feel buying a house without a bath? For what its worth, Mary and I are building a 200 sq m house with three bathrooms. Shower in each bathroom - no baths. We've been in a rental house for one year. Bath got used twice. (If a subseqent buyer wants a bath, they can install one) I entirely agree that moving the bathroom upstairs so as to give a larger diner is the way to go. And is it worth spending all that dosh to move a window, and laying out on an expensive bath just to increase the number of people who might buy the house at some stage in the future? I would say no. What I would say is if/when you install the shower, spend a bit more money on good quality fittings (try Grohe or Hansgrohe); dont skimp on space for the shower itself (walk in?) and spend some time on the decor - you can make bathrooms look really great without spending an arm and a leg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 You can leave a 1700 x 700 space for a bath and just put a big walk in shower in its place - the room will look much bigger and if someone wants a bath then it's not difficult to retrofit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 If you ask my wife, after this long without one (well at least one that's plumbed in) she would I'm sure say a bath is an absolute must! Tbh there are times I find a shower just doesn't cut it when you want to soak the aches and pains away. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 On 30 October 2016 at 21:42, PeterW said: You can leave a 1700 x 700 space for a bath and just put a big walk in shower in its place - the room will look much bigger and if someone wants a bath then it's not difficult to retrofit. Don't forget you can buy useable baths from 1500mm upwards. Captains baths are usually 1500-1600 long . I would do away with the bath tbh, and accept that a family with small children won't buy. Doesn't sound like that's your target audience anyhoo. Id do everything in my power to put a shower room upstairs, no bigger than needed, and fit ( retain ) a downstairs WC with wash hand basin only. Forget the downstairs shower IMO as no buyers will be expecting two bathrooms in this size house and will deffo not appreciate the lost space / size of the rooms sacrificed to achieve that. Make sure there is good ventilation and only part tile so your buyers can change the colour with different paint. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMitchells Posted November 1, 2016 Author Share Posted November 1, 2016 Thanks for all those comments. The bathroom downstairs can only just fit in a 1500 bath and even that means moving the wall out by 10cm. When we went to take out the bath, we discovered it had been recessed into the outside wall by couple of inches. We do not plan on doing that again. I shall let you know what we decide to do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 That looks like a nice walk in shower is the answer then ..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiking Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 My (not getting any younger) parents took out the bath from their upstairs bathroom a few years ago and replaced with a shower enclosure - 3 bed ex-council house. Always the option for someone to put one back in. @Nickfromwales Would you travel as far east as Bridgend? Not the posh end, 5mins south of J36. Cos' its shocking and and will no doubt need re-doing in a couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 As a nod to getting older with my ongoing bathroom saga (or should that be Saga...geddit?) I've: - Lowered the floor which was 60mm higher than the rest of the house. - Partially sunk the spa bath (1800x800) so the floor of the bath is level with the rest of the room. - Angled the bath sides in so when you stand next to it you're in effect a bit "closer". - Made provision for a wet room corner so I can be wheeled in straight from the doorway! By the time I finish it I'll need all these features! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 7 hours ago, daiking said: My (not getting any younger) parents took out the bath from their upstairs bathroom a few years ago and replaced with a shower enclosure - 3 bed ex-council house. Always the option for someone to put one back in. @Nickfromwales Would you travel as far east as Bridgend? Not the posh end, 5mins south of J36. Cos' its shocking and and will no doubt need re-doing in a couple of years. Bridgend is only 20 mins up the M4. I'm J45 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 ( 20 mins the way I drive ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiking Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 14 hours ago, Nickfromwales said: ( 20 mins the way I drive ). Duly noted ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMitchells Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 (edited) Things are maybe changing. We were looking round the house today and wondered about taking the bathroom out and swopping it with the kitchen. It would be a little unconventional as it would mean a door from the bathroom into a small utility room and back door. But would mean a nice kitchen diner in the centre of the house. And we could fit in a bath, if we move the window or make it smaller. As it was a recent extension, it would not be that difficult (compared to the thick rubble walls of the old part). It would mean we wouldnt need to remove the supporting wall between the current kitchen and middle room which we have been told would cost £2k so that woud go a long way to pay for the move and bathroom. Pro's - Will leave two large bedrroms upstairs. Nice kitchen diner in middle of the house. Would not need to remove the pillar, saving £2k. All pipework would be easier to instal and near boiler. Cons - slightly unconventional layout but alot of these old cottages have the bathroom at the back of the house downstairs. Not ideal for everyone. Acces to back door, via the bathroom and utility room. But it only leads to a small alley which leads to the neighbours house so not used much, if at all. Its certainly looking like a good option. I shall try to add a diagram showing the layout. Edited November 5, 2016 by TheMitchells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stones Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Sounds like an interesting proposal, although I would suggest caution. I think this is the type of change you really need to run past an estate agent to try and ascertain what impact (positive or negative) it would have if you were looking to sell. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 (edited) The layout sounds as if you could move the outside door to be from the new kitchen diner to the back, rather than via the ss extension. That is, in the position where Kirsty from Homes Under the Hammer is always gagging to put patio doors. Plus room for a small canopy or porch? Ferdinand Edited November 7, 2016 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMitchells Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 I'll certainly ask the estate agents for their take on it. Especially as it was the last estate agentwho suggested to ditch the bath and just put in a shower. However, I cant see the back door moving - those rubble walls are too thick to want to knock out a doorway. If we do move the bathroom into the kitchen area, we may also be able to add a small cloakrrom upstairs to help those who dont want to have to go downstairs at night to get to the loo. That would not take much room away from the back bedroom and I would personally like that. Great ideas! Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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