If you've got four people and 10x17 or 12x17 space, consider making two bathrooms. A 9x12 (or 10) and a 8x12 (or 10) are still very generously sized baths (says someone who has a 4x7 and an 5x9).

When it comes to resale, buyers will want a master bath and a children's/guest bath, not a shared space. Put the shower in one and a tub shower in the other. Four people - definitely nice to have two toilets upstairs.

If you make your plumbing wall be the 12' wall between the two baths, you will keep your costs down and have those pipes insulated. You'll only have extra plumbing for one toilet and one double or single sink.

IMO, you need more privacy for a toilet than just a wall. Even if you aren't thinking resale, talk with your children about how comfortable they are using the toilet while someone shaves, or shaving while someone uses the toilet.

Have to agree with the above post. Four people fighting to use one bathroom isn't good for family harmony or resale value. Is this bathroom area adjacent to the master bedroom so that the entrance to it will be from the bedroom and the other from the hallway? If you're worried about cost (as we all are), there are ways to lay out the bathrooms to minimize costs. I am one that needs to see a picture, so please post the layout when you can.

Gosh, I never even considered making the space into two separate bathrooms!

Thank you for suggesting this! I will speak to my contractor and plumber about this and see what they think.

Thanks,
Billie

I did speak with my contractor and he is not keen on the idea of creating two bathrooms out of the new space. And the more I think about it, the more I feel that one bathroom containing both tub and shower would be best somehow. We have a century home and all similar homes in the area have a single upper floor bathroom (the existing one was gutted to make a 2nd floor laundry room) and the addition was put on to create a new spacious family bathroom. So as far as resale goes, people wouldn't be expecting to find two bathrooms on the 2nd flor. These are small homes.

So I'd still be intersted in hearing what people think of the layout dilmma I am having. Will try to post a drawing of the layout later this evening.

Billie

We need to see you layout. But, besides that. Why is your contractor making this decision for you? You are the one living in the house. You have ample room for 2 full baths (with shower and bath in both, if you want). And, having a dedicated master bath, if it makes sense (ie, is in proximity to the master), is a huge value add for RE. And, just because you are the first in the neighborhood to change your house (add on, convert laundry), doesn't mean you will be the last. Do you want to remodel to house conditions of 40 years ago, or today?

All of this, of course, is assuming you can afford to finish out 2 baths.

(PS, I have a small house too, to which we added on a family room. And, I will be finishing a master bath addition when we finish the upstairs. I don't want to have to perpetually share with my growing children).

If you don't want to create 2 bathrooms out of the space, then I think you should at least create a separate toilet room with a door. You will have a lot more functional space with 4 people sharing it, if the most private functions can be well, private. You might also consider including the shower in the private area. That's how our master bath is. The vanities are in the main area, and the toilet and shower are behind another door. That way someone can be using the vanity while another person is in the shower.

We have a family bath in a 8.75" x 8.75" space. It is divided into two rooms: the first 66"x8.75' with a two sink vanity and the bathtub. A pocket door leads into the second, 36" x 8.75", with the toilet on one side and a 36"x42" glassed in shower on the other. Not ideal for most, but we carved this out to replace a standard 5'x7' with single pedestal sink and it's heaven.

i second at least separating the toilet into it's own private space! and, if you anticipate 4 people sharing this bathroom for quite a few years, possibly add the other 2 ft and another enclosed toilet...

we had a corner tub in our master bath and i didn't like the wasted space behind it- too much space to then clean and 'decorate'...and ours had 2 windows on the corner and it was a pain opening the windows/adjusting the blinds, etc because you couldn't do anything to them without climbing into the tub! when we redid the bath, i put the tub flat against a wall and like it much better!

Exactly what kirkhall said: ask the contractor what is POSSIBLE not what you should do, then make the decision for yourself. If you really want just a single bathroom, certainly that's your decision. But as others have said, it sounds like there's room for two. As for resale, you could check with a local realestate agent. However, in general, homes with two bathrooms would be worth more and probably sell faster than homes with a single bathroom.

Growing up, we shared a single full bathroom (and my parents had a half bath of their own). In the full bathroom, the shower and toilet were separated from the vanity by a pocket door. For us that was quite functional. If you do opt for a single bathroom, consider possibilities of separating functions into rooms with pocket doors or something similar to allow privacy.

If you post a layout here, I'm sure people would be happy to offer suggestions and options for you.

We just had this same discussion with our real estate agent (the one who sold us the house 2 yrs ago). We were going to do what you have planned - a good size bathroom with toilet & bathing separate from 2-sink vanity. She convinced us that having 2 full baths would be worth a lot more, and we can make 2 small ones fit in almost the same footprint.

I plan to live here until I'm old & feeble-minded ... but I thought that 2 houses back as well! So, since I'm lousy at predicting the future we're going for resale value & will create a small hall bath for the 2 other bedrooms on the second floor AND a small master bath for the master bedroom. Our bathrooms are 5x7 each, so in a large space like you have I think you can fit 2 bathrooms easily.

it's your house, your bathroom and your money. put in what you want not what the contractor 'thinks' you should have.

I vote for 2 bathrooms. do them very simply if needed - you can fuss it up later. If I were buying in the area and all was pretty much alike but 1 had 2 bathrooms - I'd go for the 2 bathroom one any day.

Most families I know would not consider a one bath home if they could have two bathrooms. You would add more value by making 2 basic bathrooms than one big fancy bathroom. I would do one with a tub/shower combo and one with just a shower.

I am wondering if your kids are all the same gender. When you have two genders going among high school age siblings, they aren't keen on leaving the door unlocked for any reason.