r/HousingUK • u/East_Hunter • 11h ago
Does adding a second bath downstairs reduce value of property?
Wife is pregnant, so we are planning to add a second toilet downstairs for her ease. However builder suggested that we can also add a tiny standing shower room.
Initial idea - add WC below under stairs.
Builders idea - close the kitchen door, use the space between outside understairs and living room wall to add wc + standing shower. This would mean kitchen is accessible only via dining room (and not via hallway)
Question - do majority people dislike having a second bath downstairs (in addition to a toilet)? i.e., could it make the property leas desirable to future buyers?
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u/shredditorburnit 11h ago
I intentionally included a shower in my downstairs loo.
Since picking up a rather frustrating health problem, it's been invaluable since upstairs may as well be on the moon when I'm having a bad time of it.
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u/East_Hunter 9h ago
Thanks, Did it block your kitchen access or did you install it somewhere else?
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u/shredditorburnit 8h ago
Not in the slightest, it's in a separate part of the house. It's a funny layout but that's what you get with old houses.
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u/ASGT908 11h ago
Not really in my opinion, possibly would increase it depending on local market needs.
The only point at which it would reduce the value of a house is if the additional bathroom was built at the expense of another room, which is not the case here, unlike with a terraced house where you building a bathroom upstairs can reduce the number of bedrooms.
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u/East_Hunter 11h ago
That makes sense. Thank you
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u/fubradculpepper 10h ago edited 10h ago
It sounds like the additional bathroom is at the expense of the main hallway, no? Would you now have to walk through the living room or dining room to get to the kitchen? This would be a dealbreaker for me, but I’m sure there are others who wouldn’t mind.
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u/East_Hunter 10h ago
That is true. I have an open plan living and dining. Kitchen has two openings, one into dining and one into hallway. The hallway one would get closed if i get the shower installed
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u/whiskitforabiscuit 9h ago
Personally I hugely regret buying a house with no hall. I have to walk the groceries through the separate lounge & then dining area before getting to the kitchen. It’s a lot of extra vacuuming as our lounge is now the hallway to everyone getting drinks from upstairs etc. get home from school, walk through lounge with lunchboxes etc.
Ultimately it’s your home & your preferences, but I’d give a lot to not have the extra mess!
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u/No-Cheesecake5718 11h ago
Depends on the needs of anyone who was to buy in the future. I don’t think anyone would actively offer less due to a bath. If anything it should add overall value for a downstairs toilet which will be new and an improvement
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u/Delicious-Product968 11h ago
I’d think increase. We want to add d/s bathroom eventually. One resident already has mobility issues so it would be a huge plus if using the stairs became difficult long-term.
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u/Same_Statistician747 11h ago
Ours had a shower cubicle when we bought it. They put it in for accessibility. It’s been great, especially now we’ve been experiencing knee and back problems making it difficult to get into the bath upstairs.
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u/East_Hunter 9h ago
Thanks, do you mind sharing where is it on the ground floor? Is it blocking any access?
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u/Same_Statistician747 9h ago
It’s in the hallway, not too far from the front door. It doesn’t block any access at all. It’s a shower cubicle, toilet and small sink.
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u/East_Hunter 9h ago
You seem to have a huge house mate! Happy for you. Most hallways in london aren’t wide enough to fit a wc and not block any access
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u/jxjxjxjdjdkdkd 10h ago
Would there be room to towel off and get dressed in there? Having to walk through the house in a towel to get to a bedroom to get dressed wouldn't be great.
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u/blurredlynes 9h ago
Honestly depends on your own habits I think. And whether the change in layout for getting into the kitchen would be problematic (maybe spend the week with the current access closed off and see how you feel having to presumably go the long way round to get in all the time?).
My parents added a downstairs shower/wet room when they did a small extension to add a downstairs loo. The second loo was definitely needed with 5 adults and teenagers in the house at the time, but no one ever used the shower. I think I used it a couple of times for the novelty of it but then it meant having to either get dressed in a small space or walk through the house back upstairs in a towel. In the end it got used as the dog's exclusive shower space after a walk.
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u/East_Hunter 9h ago
Thank you, that is such a great idea. I will try with closed access for a week. Though im leas worried about whether i like it or not and more worried about harming property’s future value.
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u/Appropriate-Sound169 1h ago
My daughter had a similar arrangement but she kept the door to the kitchen so you could access the loo from the hall or kitchen. I think nowadays people prefer an extra loo downstairs but I don't think having the extra shower too will be a negative
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u/LivingPage522 10h ago
Anyone with kids, specifically teenagers, especially girls, will see this as a bonus. If it doesn't outright increase value (it probably would) it would deffo increase saleability.
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u/TheoryLatter2108 33m ago
It’s a very personal decision. I would prefer a house have access to the kitchen from the hallway and would not enjoy having a random downstairs shower but people who are older or who have mobility issues may enjoy it. Think of it more as, does it suit YOUR needs now? You could ring an estate agent for their opinion on resale value before starting work.
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u/spyder_victor 10h ago
It depends how it’s done
If it’s at the expanse of functional space then yeah it will detract some
I have put a utility room with toilet in and 1.8 x 0.7m shower in enclosed glass in the corner, it takes up no room but is great for having guests or when you want to shower before going upstairs (coming home wet from running / dog walk etc) but it takes up very little space so it’s more seen as a feature, I did rip out a downstairs bath that just took up too much room before it
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u/batbuild 9h ago
If you ever get a dog would come in handy to wash him in the downstairs shower - it’s what I do. And regarding value as many have said - should add value if not reducing size of other rooms
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u/East_Hunter 9h ago
Thanks. Although it would block one kitchen door and i would only be able to access kitchen from the dining room (open plan living and dining)
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u/Strong-Pie5091 8h ago
I used to live in a house where you walked through the dining room to get to the kitchen. It was a large room so fine, but would have preferred not to.
I think a lot depends on the size of this room. Would it be a comfortable shower room where you'd be able to dress after showering or would it be crammed in?
Does it work well for your family's needs now and it future needs?
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u/Caliado 4h ago
Bit hard to envision without a floorplan tbh. How much understairs space do you have and what's the arrangement? Do you actually need to come out - if it's a straight run maybe you don't need to.
Do you look any access through house to garden from hallway? If Hallway currently runs front to back. And, do you loose any light currently coming through
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u/Particular-Quit-630 26m ago
Personally it would put me off a bit as for me the downstairs toilet is the guest toilet.
I want it to be presentable and clean and not have anything unnecessary in it.
Personally I don’t think it’ll add much value as I don’t think it’ll increase the pool of buyers interested in the property. But it’s unlikely to decrease it either.
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u/Playful_Beyond_2218 23m ago
I would normally say to add the shower to add value/ future proof. But if it’s at the expense of losing the hallway I’m not sure about it. How about keeping that kitchen door locked for a couple of weeks to see how you feel not having it? ( as long as the builder isn’t starting right now )
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u/RecognitionPrimary12 9h ago
It depends on a lot of factors. if you give up convenience or vital space for it, like blocking an access to the kitchen that you'd otherwise want to use and would make the flow better, then it could well reduce the value of the house. But if you don't give up anything then you're unlikely to impact the value.
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11h ago
[deleted]
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u/East_Hunter 11h ago
Tbh i hv a bath, yet 90% of the times im taking a standing shower due to morning rush
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u/palpatineforever 9h ago
honestly if your current shower is over the bath haveing a seperate walk in shower is a bonus.
If you have 2 or more bedrooms it will add value to have a second shower. In a 3 bed it will add more.
Also shutting a door in the kitcehn will give you some more kitchen counter space.1
u/East_Hunter 9h ago
I do have a 3 bed and having one bathroom just doesnt make sense. And very valid point about kitchen storage, i defo need extra storage in the kitchen. Thanks thanks!!
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u/londonhousewife 27m ago
The only thing that would give me pause is how awkward it would be to bring in the shopping to the kitchen without the hall door.
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u/MattDubh 11h ago
Bath, yes. Shower, no.
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u/East_Hunter 11h ago
Please Help me understand, why?
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u/MattDubh 11h ago
Who takes a bath at all, these days? Who needs two of them?
Anyone looking round a house to buy is adding up how much it'll cost to fix dumb shit previous owners have done. Two baths? Red flag.
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u/delizzuk 11h ago
We have a bath downstairs. It was put in by previous owners and we thought it was abit weird but when I was heavily pregnant and then again with the birth of our son it has been invaluable. It's great to be able to quickly wash the baby super quick after a mega nappy blow-out or now hes a bit older he can play in the bath whilst I tidy up and keep an eye out for him.
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