Add a bathroom or not? (rent, how much, townhouse)

[ZA4123]

Please help me, I'm paralyzed by options. I bought a two bedroom townhouse last year with 1.5 bathrooms. I would like to convert the upstairs full bath to two separate baths. I also don't want to live here forever and want any major remodeling to be reasonably attractive to future owners. I for sure need to rip out and replace the tub and tile surround even if I don't change the bathroom layout.

The current layout is attached along with ideas for remodeling. Right now there is no door between the bath and master bedroom, but that was just covered up by a previous owner and easy to put back in. There is a double vanity in the master bedroom.

I'm concerned that people may not like the bathroom if it turns out cramped and not want the house. The first idea also probably leaves too little space in front of the toilet and not a great view from the room...

Do you like any of these options? If you were going to buy my house, would you want the two upstairs baths, or prefer to just have the one roomier bath like it is now?

[zitsky]

IMHO you are over doing it and over thinking it. It's a townhome, not a stand alone house. If I were you I would save your money and not do it. You won't get back your investment. Sure it might be nice but instead of a big main bathroom you get two small ones. Can't you add a small bathroom someone without changing the one already there? How about take the 1/2 bath and convert to a full bathroom?

Don't do it. There's your answer.

[jbunniii]

As long as there are already two toilets in the house, I personally would prefer to keep one larger bathroom instead of two tiny ones. That said, I wouldn't put the possible desires of hypothetical future buyers above my own, if I was planning to live in the place for a reasonably long time (10+ years). And if I wasn't planning to stay that long, I probably wouldn't bother with the remodel unless it's really inconvenient to have only one full bathroom.

[zombocom]

Originally Posted by ZA4123

Please help me, I'm paralyzed by options. I bought a two bedroom townhouse last year with 1.5 bathrooms. I would like to convert the upstairs full bath to two separate baths. I also don't want to live here forever and want any major remodeling to be reasonably attractive to future owners. I for sure need to rip out and replace the tub and tile surround even if I don't change the bathroom layout.

The current layout is attached along with ideas for remodeling. Right now there is no door between the bath and master bedroom, but that was just covered up by a previous owner and easy to put back in. There is a double vanity in the master bedroom.

I'm concerned that people may not like the bathroom if it turns out cramped and not want the house. The first idea also probably leaves too little space in front of the toilet and not a great view from the room...

Do you like any of these options? If you were going to buy my house, would you want the two upstairs baths, or prefer to just have the one roomier bath like it is now?

I have to ask - why?

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I'd like to see the layout of the upper floor including where the bedrooms are located.

It is awkward to share a bathroom between a master bedroom and another bedroom. If you never have any company that would make things awkward, then I'd leave things alone for now. Then, when you're ready to sell, revisit the idea.

Personally, I would prefer either #2 or #3 to sharing a bathroom with guests/roommates. Also, I would rather have the bathtub in the master bath, instead of shower only.

Another option would be to convert the one downstairs into a full bath with a shower, and close off the entire upstairs bathroom so that it's only accessible from the master bedroom upstairs, and not also accessible from the hall (guest/roommate has to go downstairs). That way you've got a private master bath suite.

[ZA4123]

I do like the idea of adding a shower downstairs instead of messing with the upstairs bathroom, but our half bath is just a 9'x3' long rectangle with the toilet on one side and sink on the other. It is too narrow to add a shower unless you are going to get a toilet/sink combo (talk about attractive) and there is no where to move a wall.

I attached a rough sketch of the upstairs. It is approx 600 square feet. The bedroom ceilings are 15' high, so while building out into the master is possible, I'm not willing to do that.

The main motivations for creating the two bathrooms is privacy from 2nd bedroom inhabitants and to let two people shower at the same time.

We don't know how much longer we will live here - it could be a year, it could be ten. It will probably be closer to ten.

[jbunniii]

After looking at the upper story floor plan, I wonder if would be feasible to extend the bathroom to enclose the vanity in the master bedroom. Then you would have a significantly larger space to work with. You may be able to split it into two decent-sized bathrooms. It may require moving more stuff around, though (more $$$).

[otterprods]

Unless you're a professional (or semi-pro) house-flipper and know what market your after, then the only really good reason to remodel is because you want or need whatever your going to get out of it for yourself and your family. I think it's a shame when people spend a lot of money making their house nicer for someone else to enjoy.

That said, it is good to think about return on investment whether you plan to sell it or not. The value of 1-big-bath vs 2-small-baths really depends on each potential buyer's preference, but if you live in a place that tends to attract families w/children, then it's likely that the extra bathroom will be more attractive. On the other hand, if it's mostly bachelor/ettes and empty nesters, they'll no doubt prefer the way it is now. In either case, things like upgrades tile and other finishings tend to be less of a gamble because they look really nice and don't require tearing down walls and irrevocably lettering your floor plan.

If you do decide to go with one of those split-BR plans, you'll need to work out a way to get a sink in both bathrooms. Perhaps I'm reading the designs wrong, but it looks like you're expecting people to use the toilet and then wash their hands in the tub or shower (or not at all???). That won't go over well at all.

EDIT: I just saw that larger floorplan and noted the vanity outside the BR. I get that now, but I do agree with the other person who suggested to extend the whole thing out to utilize that vanity as part of the bathroom space, then you can have two normal-size bathrooms instead of two tiny ones. If you're going to do it, do it right. Otherwise just skip it and spend the money on some other upgrades that offer more potential ROI.

[Zeya]

I'll take this a different direction: is there a female in the house? (I'm assuming the OP is male.) If so, ask her opinion. I'm going to guess she'll prefer a big bathroom to a small one.

In my ranch single family house, there's a very small bathroom attached to the master bedroom. It's almost comically small and barely fits a standing shower, sink, and toilet. It's the perfect size for me (I'm a guy), and I get it all to myself. But my wife uses the larger bathroom, and even that isn't enough for her. Not enough shelf space for giant bottles of product.

Anyway, let the lady of the house decide. And make sure to pull out a measuring tape and lay it out to show her where the walls would land.

Barring that, I'm in the "leave it alone" camp. It'll be a big project, and you run the risk of having prospective buyers think it's odd, and a low chance that they'll love it. To me, your diagrams look too cramped for my liking.

For resale value purposes, look into upgrading the kitchen (counters and cabinets, large fridge, big hood, recessed lights). And for the bathrooms, make sure the equipment is modern. We replaced just our sink and put a small cabinet/shelf over the toilet, and the change made it seem like new - more pleasant for us and future buyers.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Now that I see the upstairs layout, I'm going to throw in one more option. I think you ought to close off the hallway entrance, and put the door to the new bathroom inside the 2nd bedroom. Then you've got two bedrooms with private bathrooms. That would be really appealing to me.

I'm picturing me living in the master bedroom. I wouldn't want guests sharing my bath, and my guests would love having a private bathroom without having to put on a robe and go into the hall to get into the bathroom. This should be a minor adjustment.

I think your idea is really good.

I also think trying using up any of the master bedroom space to make a larger bathroom would make the space too small.

Because the bedrooms are upstairs, you're not going to be selling to families with small children, in all likelihood. So, someone looking to buy who wants a guestroom or has a teenager, is probably going to love the private bathrooms. Could you imagine having to share a bathroom with a teenager? Brrrrrrrrr! Shiver!

Also, if you plan to possibly rent it out, I think the private bathrooms would be appealing in that case, too.

So, my vote is to create two private baths and close the hallway entrance. Tub and shower in master bath, shower only in 2nd bedroom.