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Love basically everything about our home except for the small master bathroom ( 9 x 15, with a lot of the floor space taken up by toilet closet, tub, shower and cabinets). For our final home before retirement, one of the things on my wish list was a bigger master bathroom with everything all spread out instead of kind of closed in. This house had so many other positives that I wasn't going to miss out on a great house due to something like a bathroom.
The thing with this house is that there is little room for modification that won't somehow alter the "flow" or the distinct design. It's a custom build, so there really isn't much empty space. Everything has a purpose/ties in together. The only thing I can conceivably do is remove one of the identical sized his/her closets that are side by side and maybe just make the remaining closet a little longer. Removing one of the closets would net me an additional 4 x 6 area. Not a lot, but maybe the shower could be recessed (taking over the old closet space) and make the bathroom overall more spacious.
However, what holds me back about implementing that idea is the fact that the master will now just have one 4 x 6 closet. Will that be an issue down the road re-sale wise? I renovate as I wish but when you're doing such a big thing like I'm describing I don't want to have something bite us in the butt down the road since closet space isn't such an easy add on.
As the man of the house (when she lets me), I wouldn't do anything.
When push comes to shove (or she asks/insists) if you're going to do anything with the 2 identically sized closets, get rid of or shrink his and make hers larger. She'll be happy.
The heck with resale. If you're in renovation stage and down to closet size, think of yourself.
FIRST QUESTION: Is this a "design phase" issue OR are you dealing with an actual BUILT HOME and thinking about modifications? IF this is a something that you are going to have to justify for resale cost and/or the hassle of tearing out the existing SHOWER my answer is almost certainly "leave it alone".... If this is a "design phase" issue I would suggest getting input from folks that actually make their living tricking out closets and having them use SOFTWARE to offer all kinds of alternatives BEFORE you change anything. A pair of 6'x4' closest can be configured in RADICALLY different ways and a portion of one (typical hubby's space...) might be outfitted to more compactly store "off season" items and really allow the other closet to be more a "diva's dream space" for in-season apparel -- this is far more cost effective and MUCH quicker than tearing out things like showers!!!
SECOND QUESTION: What is the total sq ft of the home? How does this compare to other homes nearby? What is the total amount of STORAGE for all the bedrooms / linen closets and dedicated "storage systems" in the garage or basement? In the broadest sense this is really what might "bite you in the butt down the road" as if you are way outside the 'norm' either by being too generous with these things or too tight it will turn off buyers...
Two people cannot share one 4 x 6 closet. In our main home, my closet is 6 x 6, which is adequate for me. My wife's is L shaped, 8 ft deep and then makes a right turn going 13 ft. She can live with that. In our winter home, my closet is 6 x 2, which works for me, since all I have there are shirts and a few pants I wear in the winter. It would never work if that was a primary residence. You'll either have to live with a small bathroom or you'll need a new house, because 6 x 4 is just too small and it will hurt you should you sell.
In a master? Most women want lots of closet space. Go look at your 4 x 6 closet and think about removing half of what is in there and finding a different space for it. That means 2x3 for each person, both needing full hanging space.
In a master? Most women want lots of closet space. Go look at your 4 x 6 closet and think about removing half of what is in there and finding a different space for it. That means 2x3 for each person, both needing full hanging space.
No, I would not do it.
Dividing that closet in half would either give you 4 x 3 or 2 x 6. Dividing it in fourths would give you 2 x 3.
The 4 x 6 would depend on where the door is located as to how the storage can be configured.
I believe the OP is considering ripping out a portion of ONE closet that is 4x6 and adjacent to an identical space. Their goal is apparently to use of that space to make the rest of the bath area more "spacious" but it would sacrifice space dedicated to clothes storage. --
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...remove one of the identical sized his/her closets that are side by side and maybe just make the remaining closet a little longer. Removing one of the closets would net me an additional 4 x 6 area. Not a lot, but maybe the shower could be recessed (taking over the old closet space) and make the bathroom overall more spacious.
The costs of shifting a shower into a former closet space quickly get RIDICULOUS as that almost certainly will necessitate a complete re-tiling of the whole bath space, likely relocation of plumbing, new shower doors, changes in electrical. I could see this being a job that quickly rivals the cost of a new luxury auto and being sort of negative to most buyers ... https://www.truecar.com/prices-new/bmw/x1-pricing/
Large closets, particularly in the master bedroom, is among one of home shoppers’ top priorities, according to the NAHB survey of builders and remodelers. Indeed, 31 percent of 1,000 home owners recently surveyed by PulteGroup said they’d sacrifice another household feature in order to have his-and-hers closets in the master bedroom.
Well, personally, as big an issue to me would be the idea of a small recessed shower shoved into what was closet space. One of my biggest priorities with my new build was a luxurious shower. I had size limits so it's not huge - the size of what would have been the tub. But it's open and beautiful with a small window in the shower and a frameless glass door, with the long side as the open side, so you can see the beautiful tile work. So I think if you are planning on making a pokey little shower in a closet, that could be a mistake.
As for the closet space itself, I think dual master closets are pretty much standard for a nicer new build, and it would be a big mistake to expect two people to share one 4x6 closet which isn't very large to begin with.
I know it shouldn't all be about resale but it's a reality that is likely to be an issue at some point. But even besides that, I think it's a whole lot more pleasant to have a good amount of closet space. My closet used to be like a black hole, and I never knew what was in there because I couldn't see it very well let alone find what I wanted. Now my closet is always neat and tidy with everything put away because there's plenty of room for everything to have its own home. And that's even with what most people would consider a ridiculous amount of shoes because I was able to build in 5 feet of shelving for shoes, boots, bags, etc.
Interesting. I built my current house at the end of 2014 and hit 5 out of 5 on this, with a little bit of downsizing/downscaling since the house isn't that large. My closet isn't all that big but it's a walk in and I put in custom shelving to make it as functional as possible, and then I also have a secondary reach in closet. Similarly, the laundry room isn't particularly large and luxurious but it's still a separate room with a few extras.
The one thing I'd add to that list is what I mentioned in my prior post - a luxurious shower. Even with a 5 piece bathroom, people want the shower to be something special, not a tiny little dark square shoved into a corner.
Last edited by emm74; 04-18-2016 at 04:04 PM..
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