How many en-suites are too many?

[Bellywobble]

We have 5 bedrooms with en-suite shower rooms. I really believe the en-suits attract couples as well as families and we get bookings because we have them.

[ccazes]

I think the minimum you can have is 1 full bath/shower room downstairs with a separate loo and two bathrooms upstairs.

But like many others have said you will attract more couples and those for whom an ensuite is a must by having them.

Can you regroup rooms upstairs by 2 to propose "family quarters" where 2 bedrooms (with one bigger than the other) share a bathroom, then have the 5th bedroom upstairs as an ensuite? That would make 4 bathrooms in all?

With so many bedrooms you could maybe save money by not having a WC in every ensuite (maybe only in one or two feature bedrooms) and then having a separate powder room upstairs too.

Maybe you will find your answer with a little market research to find out what price you could get for a type of rental with only ensuites and a rental with more shared bathrooms than ensuites. This will help you see how long it would take to recoup extra costs associated with extra bathrooms.

[Giddy Goat]

4. In bedrooms which had 2 windows, one is taken by the en-suite making the room a little darker.

If you were going to operate as a B&B and book by the room, then there is no question but that ensuites in every room would be the way to go, but as a holiday rental house, I think would be overkill.

As an initial gut reaction, that was my thinking too for what it's worth. You need to weigh out the "cost" (by that I mean in terms of physical compromises) against the possible advantages as a rental proposition. Surely, if every bedroom has an ensuite, they lose some space as well as windows?

[Ju]

I don't think it is overkill to have every bedroom en-suite. I would do it if I could.

BUT you need a downstairs WC for common use, people don't want to go back to their bedrooms during the day if they need the loo, and at least one of the bathrooms needs to have a bath rather than a shower.

So ideally a 5 bed house would have 5 en-suites plus a cloakroom.

[Ben McNevis]

Thanks all for your help. I think we've reached a decision without even needing to reach for a divorce lawyer.

There will be 1 full bathroom downstairs, next to the downstairs double bedroom.

Upstairs, the current bathroom and airing cupboard will have its dividing wall removed and its door removed. A new stud wall with 2 doors to be built inside the room to access a compact full bathroom and a smallish bedroom.

2 other bedrooms to have en-suites with shower, basin & w.c.
1 bedroom left without but we will arrange the plumbing in the adjacent room with capped junctions to allow for adding another en-suite later.

Next step is the Listed Building application

[Bellywobble]

"So ideally a 5 bed house would have 5 en-suites plus a cloakroom."

That's what we have. It is ideal. Till you have to clean them all!