I would vote for the finished garage room solely based on timing because you will get more use out of it with the kids and if you are doing the roof soon, it makes sense to add the dormer now.

Master bath would be my second choice because you will enjoy it every day, and AC only part of the year.

Good luck!

Finished attic room would be the cheapest way to add square footage.

If you do a master bath, I am not sure that I would recommend a wet room. 5 x 7 is large enough for a small conventional bath, or a bath with a conventional shower of 60 x 32. It would be cheaper and less technique sensitive than a wet room. Without seeing a plan I can't really say but a size other than 5x7 may fit better in a 12x23 room

If 5x7 means part of the room will just have a bite taken out of one corner leaving the length 16 along one wall but leaves an additional 7x7 space next to it (12-5=7) that may not be the shape. Can't tell without seeing a floorplan.

I think if you live in an area where central air isn't essential, the upgrade of a master bath may be more of a selling feature than A/C.

I would appreciate more inputs, to help confirm my decision.

Jrueter/Palimpsest: thank you so very much for sharing your thoughts.

Since we have to address the roof now, I plan to put in the dormer now. Whether I finish the room above the garage sooner or later, we'll get to that then.

As for my mbath, here's the newest layout idea.
Or do you think the previous layout is better (see link below)?

The shower area = ~40"x48".
That's why I think it needs to be a wet room, and not have to deal with glass doors (just another surface to clean).

If you were to guess, how much would putting in this bathroom in cost?
I read that the avg cost = ~$16K.
Just trying to work on my budget planning.

Closest cabinets = wardrobes like these IKEA PAX.

I did a quick search for comps and more than 50% do not have central air.
So yes, ranking =
1. finish room above 2-car garage
2. master bathroom
3. central AC

My problem was that I would ask my friends, who have crazy large expensive home, who responded that they couldn't possibly live w/out central air.
But that's because they have all 3 of those items.

Jrueter: congrats on your newly finished gorgeous bathroom.

palimpsest: I'm sure you were just as helpful in my kitchen reno (started planning in ?year 2009).

Thank you!
Amanda

Here is a link that might be useful: link to previous layout, but I think the closest will be too tight (and it'd be nice to have a double sink)

I can't envision a 5x7 master bath being a "wet room" but then again I maybe I don't know the exact definition of "wet room". Living in Texas, I can't see past the fact that you have NO central AC :o Does it get above 70 up there? Surely it does. Is it humid? Are you uncomfortable in the summer months? Does having a high amt of humidity in the house not bother you? If the answer to these question is "no", then LUCKY YOU (lol) Upper 90s with 80 and 90% humidity here. I guess I'd go with the master bathroom then. That's a near necessity. Extra space for the kids is "nice". IF you do decide on the heat pump, please do some research on you choice of a heat pump vs a non heat pump. Heat pumps don't work well in the colder climates. It'll save you money and cool you in the summer months but won't heat well in the winter months.

With a wet room you are really going to have to get someone who knows exactly what they are doing.

Here, in Philadelphia, the conventional 5x7 bath I did before I sold (American Standard fixtures + Toto Toilet, white subway and octagon and dot, no floorplan changes) was more than $16K. One of my clients did a bath for about half that, but there were some workmanship issues, and I really doubt they could have handled a wet room properly. I would guess more than $16K for a wet room bath.

Huango,
I live about 40 miles NW of Boston. My house is worth about $500K in a town where many homes are worth $1M+. I also put HW floors upstairs last year. Hey, are you my husband?!?!

We are just finishing our master bath. And debating whether to finish the room over the garage or install AC.

I would do the bathroom first. It hasn't been horrible sharing a bathroom with the teenage daughter but we are all tired of it and now that she has a summer job it's a battle for who showers when. Our cost in the Boston burbs was about $23K for an 8' x 13' bathroom from scratch. We saved between $5K - $10K by doing a fair amount of work ourselves. We did use some expensive finishings and tile. If we had been a bit more frugal we probably could have done it for closer to $15K.

I would only finish the room over the garage if you have storage elsewhere, basement or attic. If that's the only area you have I would keep it. We are only considering semi-finishing ours as we were gifted a really nice treadmill with all the gizmos and I don't want to ruin it. Our room over the garage has no heat so I fear the cold New England winter will do it in. But we have no other place for it.

After this summer I am rethinking adding AC. We would probably only have used it once or twice.

I'd do the master bath first.

On your floorplan, I don't like the cramped, closeted entry into the bedroom. I'd swap the layout so the bed is seen on entry and the bathroom is on the RH side of the drawing. The bath could be the full 12' long with a center opening door, and closet cabinets on the walls on either side of the door.

Really bad Feng Shui to have the door open right to the bed. Not a big adherent of Feng Shui, but this is one thing I wouldn't want. Also adds to privacy to have a "vestibule" of sorts.

That said, I agree that it's a little tight but I would just turn the 5x7 the other way.

I live in Southern California, near the beach. Here are the priorities in this area: 1) master bathroom; 2) a 4th bedroom, 3) A/C. Very few homes have a separate garage with a room above it. A/C is rare in new construction; some families add it. Few homes have more than 4 bedrooms; some high-end, new construction homes ($3M price tag) offer 6 bedrooms (actually, these are intended to be used as 4 bedrooms and 2 home offices).

My parents owned a home in southern NH. House had 4 bedrooms upstairs. They converted a downstairs parlor into a master bedroom en suite, added a new garage that included a room above, and screened-in the porch. They never used the room above the garage.

Is a wet room where there's no shower barrier of any kind? Water can just go wherever it wants? That gives me the willies. I would take it off any list of possibilities.

By master bath, do you want a spa-type experience a la Houzz? Or just a nice private third bathroom you don't have to share with your daughter? Will you share it with your husband?

I live in California and don't have A/C. I know a lot of people who don't. It's so far down my list as to be off it, but I'd do A/C before a wet room. There are maybe 2-3 days per year when I think it would be nice to have A/C, but nothing I can't tolerate.

Sounds like the space over the garage is the place, esp. since you have roof work anyway in that area. Given the size of your house (4 bedrooms), it suggests a family with kids and that area would be a good place for sleepovers and such.

My vote:

1. Bonus room
2. MBR (close second)
3. A/C (distant third)

Thank you so very much for your inputs.

Except for Monicakm, central AC is rather low on the ranking, which really surprised me.

Meeting with contractor to get a realistic price for putting in a dormer on garage attic, before doing the roof.
Will make decision on bonus room once I know more about costs.

So it seems like it's definitely master bathroom (and master bedroom make over) is next on the project list.

I truly do not like the small conventional pre-fab shower stalls, usually 32”x32”.
I’m a small person (4’11”) and I feel that is way too small.

So I was trying squeeze 10pounds of “wants” into a 5pounds of real estate space.
Wanted:
- larger shower stall/area
- double sink (not that we need it since DH and almost never get ready at the same time, but would be good for resale)
- wet area (so I can hose everything down; we used to own a Chinese restaurant and I love being able to hose everything down in the kitchen area)

But I have read many many online reviews against small wet-room, how everything gets wet, how you track wet feet in/out of the room, no place to put your clothes, and how many potential buyers would look at the room and would think about how much it would cost to gut the room/renovate it to “fix it”.

Well, DH talked me out of the need for double sink, so I get to keep my larger shower.

By moving the wall-hung toilet toward the entrance/furthest from the shower, there should be less water/moisture.

What do you think of this?
- I get my larger shower area: 4’x5’.
- The shower floor will be one piece (stone/onyx or solid surface still researching); easier install, no grout/seams, easy to clean. See link for options
- A glass wall between the shower and the sink
- I don’t want to put another glass wall next to the toilet because I want the toilet area to not feel tight (both areas of my toilets now are pretty snug)
- the bedroom is still a decent size 15'x12'.

Masterbedroom layout:

2nd floor layout:

Would you hate to open the door to seeing this right as you enter?
I thought to put the shoes shelves there since the shelvings do not need to be as deep as a wardrobe, so there's more space in the landing area.

sink: w32”x20”. I like the lip around so it keeps the water splashing in the sink area, instead of against the grout/wall tile.

Yes, my King bed will be in front of 2 windows, and I will do lots of curtains like this:

Monicakm:
We do put in window air conditioners. Yes, a must have for those crazy humid nights.
Yes, I do have to do more research on heat pumps. The HVAC guy who did my radiant floor heating told me about the newer tech ones that goes down to 17degrees (or even lower?).

Lotteryticket:
Yay on finishing your Mbath. Can you share pictures?
I have no clue on the cost yet. Need to find potential bathroom contractors before I set a budget.
Our 2-car garage is oversized. With the dormer planned, we would still have 1/3 of the attic for storage. Also have the basement for storage.

Weedyacres:
I don’t know much about plumbing, but I don’t know how to get plumbing across to put the bathroom on the right side of the room.
Where I have the bath planned, it’s a straight shot UP from the basement, through the 1st floor pantry to the masterbedroom.
I don’t think we can get the plumbing to cross the hallway from the 2nd floor bathroom (see 2nd picture).

LARemodel:
My elementary school days were in Pasadena/Glendale area, and I thought most homes have AC, so I was surprised to see your ranking.
If we finish the room above the garage, it’ll really be for the kids and their friends/hanging out, and for the additional GLA so it helps when we list the house in the future.

Linelle:
Yup, just a nice 3rd bathroom so I don’t have to share w/ my future teenagers.
Already, my 8yr DD keeps getting into all of my stuff/makeup, etc, that I leave in the vanity and medicine cabinet.

Again, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts.
Amanda

Here is a link that might be useful: link to low curb one-piece shower floor

I'm wondering if you can move your door into the bedroom to the right, You have a lot of wasted hall space. Perhaps a walk in closet of your bathroom and do double hanging rods.

Hi Huango. I will be posting pictures soon. Just a wee bit of carpentry to be done. Oh, and window treatments as I am reminded every night. Must do something about those. I do plan to take my first bath (haven't had one in a YEAR) this weekend. I don't think I'll post pictures of that. :-)