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Every region's "real estate expectations" are different, I've come to find out.
Here in Texas, in suburbia land, it is literally the kiss of death for a home NOT to have at least the option of putting a bedroom downstairs. I sold real estate successfully for many years in this area, and historic homes are a biggie around here, but even with a desirable historic home, if there wasn't a downstairs bathroom and a room that could be converted into a guest bedroom/ MIL suite or something along those lines, it was a definite negative and sometimes would even kill all interest in the home.
I know you said that you plan on being in your home for at least fifteen more years so resale isn't a burning issue to you, but I am also a believer in the adage "Never unnecessarily limit your options." So that's why I brought up that scenario. Lest you think "It will never happen to me," let me tell you what just happened to ME - at the very healthy and active age of 52. I just tore my Achilles tendon and had to have surgery and now have a massive cast on my leg for the next four weeks and will be on crutches for the next 8 weeks. There is NO WAY I could drag myself upstairs to take a bath - no way. So my point is - do you really want to permanently sacrifice a bathtub on the ground floor? Maybe not.
Also, you mention that you have five bedrooms upstairs. Are you using all five bedrooms as bedrooms? I had a five bedroom house once and I converted one bedroom into a very spacious laundry room/project room. I LOVED it - and it became one of my favorite rooms in the house. I had room to do laundry, refinish furniture, leave projects spread out, etc. Have you considered converting one of the five bedrooms into a room like that?
How many family members are using the bedrooms upstairs as bedrooms? If one is a guest room, do you have room in an existing closet, or could you add a closet, to any of the bedrooms to put in the W/D if you still need five functioning bedrooms?
Also, think about it - the bulk of your laundry is generated upstairs. Most of it will remain upstairs. Why should you run laundry DOWNSTAIRS to do it, and then run it back up the stairs again?
Every region's "real estate expectations" are different, I've come to find out.
Here in Texas, in suburbia land, it is literally the kiss of death for a home NOT to have at least the option of putting a bedroom downstairs. I sold real estate successfully for many years in this area, and historic homes are a biggie around here, but even with a desirable historic home, if there wasn't a downstairs bathroom and a room that could be converted into a guest bedroom/ MIL suite or something along those lines, it was a definite negative and sometimes would even kill all interest in the home.
I know you said that you plan on being in your home for at least fifteen more years so resale isn't a burning issue to you, but I am also a believer in the adage "Never unnecessarily limit your options." So that's why I brought up that scenario. Lest you think "It will never happen to me," let me tell you what just happened to ME - at the very healthy and active age of 52. I just tore my Achilles tendon and had to have surgery and now have a massive cast on my leg for the next four weeks and will be on crutches for the next 8 weeks. There is NO WAY I could drag myself upstairs to take a bath - no way. So my point is - do you really want to permanently sacrifice a bathtub on the ground floor? Maybe not.
Also, you mention that you have five bedrooms upstairs. Are you using all five bedrooms as bedrooms? I had a five bedroom house once and I converted one bedroom into a very spacious laundry room/project room. I LOVED it - and it became one of my favorite rooms in the house. I had room to do laundry, refinish furniture, leave projects spread out, etc. Have you considered converting one of the five bedrooms into a room like that?
How many family members are using the bedrooms upstairs as bedrooms? If one is a guest room, do you have room in an existing closet, or could you add a closet, to any of the bedrooms to put in the W/D if you still need five functioning bedrooms?
Also, think about it - the bulk of your laundry is generated upstairs. Most of it will remain upstairs. Why should you run laundry DOWNSTAIRS to do it, and then run it back up the stairs again?
Just my thoughts.
Hi Kathryn! You raise lots of good points, although some are moot because I think I am going to go with the mudroom ... maybe as early as this summer if I can get a reasonable price estimate!!
I'm in New England and my house is a typical Colonial-style (which I will be "transforming" into a farmhouse when I add a front porch in a few years, but that is another story!) ... all five bedrooms are on the 2nd floor, which is very common where I live. The only room on the first floor that could conceivably be used as a bedroom is what I use as the TV room -- but that's also the room you enter from the side porch, so I don't think it's really suitable as a bedroom. (If I add a mudroom, you'd enter that room from the garage or the side of the house, then could go into the dining room or TV room.)
Because the house has so many bedrooms, it's really well-suited for a family with several kids, so the issue of being elderly is relatively unlikely (of course I am an exception, I bought the house mostly for the lot and wished the house itself were smaller, but that too is another story!).
I do kind of like the idea of a second-floor laundry room, but again, they aren't common at all where I live so NOT having one doesn't really hurt resale (in fact most people I know have the laundry room in the basement -- almost all houses up here have basements). I also suspect that it would be relatively expensive to run water and waste lines up there unless (perhaps) I could put the washer/dryer right next to the existing 3rd full bathroom, but I use that bedroom as a project room (sewing etc.) / guest room in a pinch (it has a sleeper chair) and I would lose a big chunk of that space. That bedroom overlooks the back yard, which is my favorite thing about this house, and you don't really need a view in a laundry room. I would also be worried about noise/vibrations on the second floor. I know they're not ALWAYS a problem with second-floor bathrooms, but I'd hate to go to the expense of moving the washer/dryer up there only to find out about a problem then!
(BTW very sorry about your injury ... wishing you a speedy recovery!!)
Hi Kathryn! You raise lots of good points, although some are moot because I think I am going to go with the mudroom ... maybe as early as this summer if I can get a reasonable price estimate!!
I'm in New England and my house is a typical Colonial-style (which I will be "transforming" into a farmhouse when I add a front porch in a few years, but that is another story!) ... all five bedrooms are on the 2nd floor, which is very common where I live. The only room on the first floor that could conceivably be used as a bedroom is what I use as the TV room -- but that's also the room you enter from the side porch, so I don't think it's really suitable as a bedroom. (If I add a mudroom, you'd enter that room from the garage or the side of the house, then could go into the dining room or TV room.)
Because the house has so many bedrooms, it's really well-suited for a family with several kids, so the issue of being elderly is relatively unlikely (of course I am an exception, I bought the house mostly for the lot and wished the house itself were smaller, but that too is another story!).
I do kind of like the idea of a second-floor laundry room, but again, they aren't common at all where I live so NOT having one doesn't really hurt resale (in fact most people I know have the laundry room in the basement -- almost all houses up here have basements). I also suspect that it would be relatively expensive to run water and waste lines up there unless (perhaps) I could put the washer/dryer right next to the existing 3rd full bathroom, but I use that bedroom as a project room (sewing etc.) / guest room in a pinch (it has a sleeper chair) and I would lose a big chunk of that space. That bedroom overlooks the back yard, which is my favorite thing about this house, and you don't really need a view in a laundry room. I would also be worried about noise/vibrations on the second floor. I know they're not ALWAYS a problem with second-floor bathrooms, but I'd hate to go to the expense of moving the washer/dryer up there only to find out about a problem then!
(BTW very sorry about your injury ... wishing you a speedy recovery!!)
Thank you - so far I'm healing nicely - and if one has to be housebound at least it's during the winter rather than the spring or summer!
It sounds like the mudroom is a great plan. My main point was that I would hate for you to sacrifice the downstairs full bath. Never know when you might actually need it - as others in my situation have come to find out. I am a member of an Achilles Tendon Rupture support group online, and one of the guys has exactly your situation - all bedrooms upstairs - and though he could make an area downstairs his "recovery area" - he has to drag himself upstairs, literally on his behind, to get to a bath - all the full baths are upstairs. He is HATING that - and it's actually unsafe and potentially harmful to his recovery. So...I'm very glad to hear that you're keeping the full bath downstairs.
Never know when you might actually need it - as others in my situation have come to find out. I am a member of an Achilles Tendon Rupture support group online, and one of the guys has exactly your situation - all bedrooms upstairs - and though he could make an area downstairs his "recovery area" - he has to drag himself upstairs, literally on his behind, to get to a bath - all the full baths are upstairs. He is HATING that - and it's actually unsafe and potentially harmful to his recovery. So...I'm very glad to hear that you're keeping the full bath downstairs.
Yes, I feel pretty elderly some days although I'm quite healthy and 50s isn't elderly, right? RIGHT?!! I have never used the downstairs tub so it does seem like a bit of a waste in my CURRENT circumstances, but you are right that you never know what can happen!! I am so interested in "aging in place" (unless I move to England when I retire -- I'm a dual citizen -- but that too is another story) that I have even looked at those electric seats for stairs, in case I ever need them!
Yes, I feel pretty elderly some days although I'm quite healthy and 50s isn't elderly, right? RIGHT?!! I have never used the downstairs tub so it does seem like a bit of a waste in my CURRENT circumstances, but you are right that you never know what can happen!! I am so interested in "aging in place" (unless I move to England when I retire -- I'm a dual citizen -- but that too is another story) that I have even looked at those electric seats for stairs, in case I ever need them!
You're thinking along the right track.
Here's another scenario - we had the joy (and I use that term loosely) of having my elderly mother in law stay with us a few weeks while my father in law was in the hospital. (We live in a town that's much closer to where he was hospitalized and she doesn't drive so it made more sense for her to stay with us rather than for us to drive back and forth to her house and then to the hospital every day which would mean at least 3 hours on the road every day.)
Anyway, she would not have been able to walk upstairs to use the bath either, or for that matter, use an upstairs bedroom. So...it's not just your own old age or infirmity to consider! Life is full of surprises!
I knew for about three months that I was going to probably have to have surgery and that I would be on crutches for several months, prior to the actual surgery. Our house was on the market at the time (took it off when we knew for sure I would be "down" for at least three months). We actually got an offer and we were considering taking it, so we ran out looking at available houses that WE could move into. We immediately removed any house that had no downstairs bathroom - but only because we knew what our situation was going to be shortly. We had the luxury of knowing - often people don't know that they will be on crutches or in a wheelchair or whatever before it happens! We had also had the recent experience with my MIL that reminded us of the bathroom situation.
In fact, we told our realtor that we don't even want to look at homes that don't have a downstairs bathroom - unless they are the deal of a lifetime and we could add one easily! (Not a likely scenario in our market.)
Back to your house. You're going to add the mudroom - great idea. You have a TV room that could, in a pinch, or for a short time, be converted to a downstairs bedroom if you needed on. I think you're covering your bases!
Hi Kathryn! You raise lots of good points, although some are moot because I think I am going to go with the mudroom ... maybe as early as this summer if I can get a reasonable price estimate!!
Being a NE person I'm sure you've already thought of this
Just be sure the contractor does a good job insulating the mudroom so the pipes don't freeze or need heat tape.
I am thinking of moving my washer/dryer (which are not in a good/convenient place) to the downstairs bathroom, which is a full bathroom including a full-size tub even though there are no bedrooms on the first floor (and no room on the first floor that could easily be USED as a bedroom in the future -- there are 5 good-sized bedrooms upstairs). Upstairs, there are 2 more full bathrooms, and I'll be adding a 3/4 bath to the master bedroom in the next few years. (So the house will have two full baths and one 3/4 bath on the 2nd floor plus one half-bath on the 1st floor.) I plan to stay in this house for at least 15-20 more years, maybe forever.
I would move the washer/dryer (maybe as a stacked combo like one of these: GE Unitized Spacemaker 3.4 DOE cu. ft. Stainless Steel Washer and 5.9 cu. ft. Electric Dryer-GTUN275EMWW at The Home Depot# ) to where the tub is now in the first-floor bathroom (keeping the toilet and sink where they are). Obviously there are already hot- and cold-water hook-ups there for the tub, although I realize they might have to be moved. The dryer would have to be vented out the side (which is an option with the model I posted), and I likely would have to have an electrician add a circuit for the dryer (current dryer in the inconvenient place is gas, but it's propane so not much of a bargain over electric -- no natural gas where I live). There is unfinished basement space right below this bathroom, so relatively easy access to everything.
Has anyone done this? How difficult/expensive a proposition is it? I realize I would have to have the tub removed, the electric connection made, and then the set installed, so it's a multi-step process ...
The other alternative I was thinking about was "enclosing" a side porch/adjoining area to make a mudroom that would be about 8' wide by 10' deep (and would have a little laundry area). I usually enter the house through that side door, so with this little addition I would be entering a mudroom instead of the TV room. I would love to do this, but of course this would (I assume!) be more expensive than replacing a tub with a washer/dryer.
Thoughts? Thanks in advance (and reps to all helpful replies, as I always do!! ).
That tub doesn't belong there. Put that space to good use. W/D is a good idea. Go for it.
We've been considering doing the same to our 1st floor hallway full bath (we have another full bath on the floor). The jacuzzi tub was there when we moved in but it's all kinds of nasty so we've never used it. We desperately want to place a washer/dryer in place of it since the plumbing is already there. But then along with removing the tub we'd have to re-do all the tiling. Another issue is the toilet sits right in front of the tub which means it would block either the washer or dryer if we had side-by-side. This would've been nice, but we just don't have the room next to the toilet. http://jp6.r0tt.com/l_faffdf70-ec8f-...ab80700006.jpg
We want a front-loader for capacity reasons (wash comforters more frequently because of allergy reasons) - I think we'll end up doing stackable front-loaders where the head of the tub is and have a table of some sort opposite of it in the space. Stackable front-loaders look pretty good imo. http://www.appliancist.com/amana-was...-ned7300ww.jpg
Last edited by ovi8; 02-16-2014 at 11:28 PM..
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I would also be worried about noise/vibrations on the second floor. I know they're not ALWAYS a problem with second-floor bathrooms, but I'd hate to go to the expense of moving the washer/dryer up there only to find out about a problem then!
