@apple_pie_order We will likely do the laundry room/guest bathroom renovation before we do the blue bathroom for my mother. That way, when we do start working on Mom's bathroom, there will be one she can use. I need to clean up my room. It's got too much junk in the way for her to easily get to the bathroom. My brother using my bathroom is short-term, but I eventually want to add some shelves, possibly cabinets, etc for more storage. I want to have storage for toilet paper, wet wipes, tissues, etc. It's so nice to be able to take a shower whenever I want instead of having to drive over to my friend's house and hope no one is doing laundry or having people wanting to come in to use the bathroom while I'm showering (friend only has the one bathroom). I made a To Do list for the bathroom (in no particular order) Remove tools & junk-- find storage for them Clean up floor & counter Install robe hook Move or trim peg on board with pegs that interfere with door Fix cut joist under the tub Cut access panel under tub from closet Change out overflow & drain for tub Replace faucet & lavatory drain Replace S-trap with either in-wall vent stack or AAV Open up wall behind toilet to examine any pipes (possibly merge tub vent) Sand & paint vanity Install new hinges & pulls on vanity + magnets to help doors stay shut Sand & paint dresser Install new knobs on dresser Sand & paint door Put mirror on door Sand & paint rough wood trim all around room (door, window, ceiling, etc) Replace trim on vanity with pvc cove moulding Install beadboard, chair rail, and baseboards Replace triple toggle switch with new 20Amp triple rocker switch Replace old GFCI with new Add light switch next to GFCI for vanity light Install vanity light Install light over shower Install bracket to hold mop and broom Build new mirror frame & install new mirror above vanity Figure out some storage for bath slippers It seems like a long list, but hopefully it won't be so bad. I'm thinking shelves or cabinets over the laundry cart will help. I might make cabinets though. It can start as shelves and I can add wood to make them in to cabinets. I was going to raise the toilet up with a platform, but it seems to be ok for now. I might add a small grab bar later on to help me get up if I start to have problems.

Some people really want/need an en-suite bathroom. Some people would like one, but can live without it if everything else--location, price, other amenities--fits their needs. Some people really don't care either way. And some people really don't want one. So if you buy this condo, you have eliminated the "really want/need" folks from your potential buyers and renters. But you still have a fairly large pool of potential renters and buyers to draw from. If you add the shower to the downstairs bathroom, I think you will make the condo attractive to non-related renters--three grad students, say. Do other units in the building have en-suite bathrooms? If so, then not having one could be a liability. But if there are other units without one, and the building itself is a desirable place to live, then you should be fine. You might have to lower your asking price to draw people in, but that would be the main drawback that I can see.

I'm assuming from what the OP said that they don't want or need hall access to a bathroom that one of the bedrooms isn't going to be used as a bedroom. I also LOL at how home builders are so overspecific in naming the rooms on their floorplans. Like everyone wants a game room in the middle of all the bedrooms and home office, just the thing to ensure a good night's rest or undistracted working at a desk. One small item I find really irksome in this floorplan: the door to the master bathroom toilet room is ideally positioned to (a) block the entry from the bedroom when open, which it assumedly would be when not in use, and (b) whack the person using the sink when unexpectedly opened from inside. Also, that door to the upper left bedroom is a weird one. Perhaps to keep it from blocking access to the J&J bathroom when open, it's hinged on what would otherwise be the wrong side. As it is, especially since the bedroom closet extends further than the door opening, the door must be opened an awkward 180 degrees to enter the bedroom from the hallway. Another reason that favors making the upper right and lower left bedrooms the two en suites. This post was edited by lee676 on Wed, Jan 21, 15 at 15:32

So ensuite or en suite is very clearly a British term (with French origin) and used in NA more commonly in Canada. It doesn't mean that Americans don't know what it means but the only reason I do is because of the Canadian origin on much of HGTV. Well - ok - maybe from travel to Europe before that. Where I live it hasn't become a common term. The fact is that pools are more common in warmer climates. Doesn't mean they don't exist of course in Canada but was trying to make an educated guess - house has pool using a British/French term - I would go with Bahamas or Aus. And - are we calling Southern Idaho warm? Back to the original question - the 4th bedroom will never have a toilet? I am confused because in one line you say ensuite means all 3 parts but then you say just vanity and shower is on the table. In the US, it would be a little unusual which is generally not good for resale value. Many people get up in the middle of the night to use the toilet. Having to go into a public area to do that (the hall) is not ideal if they are modest. But if that is already done, then it would still be helpful to have the shower in the suite but it would add a little to the "unusual" nature. So from a resale point of view, I would keep things as normal as they can be. Now - are in you in AUS or are you Australian? Clarity is helpful. Because resale in AUS - no idea. There are probably parts of the US that unusual is no big deal. In my area, it is a big deal.