Ottakee Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 If you are building and planning on staying long term, I would certainly think about the future both for resale but for when you are not quite so young anymore. I would make the full bath on the main floor with WIDE doorways--at least 32 inches if not 36 and put in a large shower in place of a tub. As you get older you might need to get a walker or wheelchair into the bathroom (even for guests) and a shower is much easier for the elderly to use than a tub. If they want a bath, they can go upstairs. Make the entry doors and one from the garage 36 inches. This makes a HUGE HUGE difference for moving furniture as well as access for the elderly/handicapped. my mom is in a power wheelchair and when we were looking for a house, that was a huge consideration for us. Both for allowing her to visit us as well as possible future needs of our own. Could you design the future main floor master/school room to have access to that bath? While it is certainly not a need (we had up to 9 of us with one bathroom in our old home), I can say that now that we moved and I have a master suite with my OWN bathroom, it is a HUGE plus. I think you are wise to be thinking of these things now, before you build. Try to go through your daily life and see how the plan flows---homeschooling, getting and putting away groceries, cooking, doing laundry, etc. A main floor laundry has also been a huge bonus to our new house. In the future dh and I could live totally on the main floor which is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I tend to agree, while it is certianly not a NEED, having more bathrooms is so nice. Right now the girls have a full bath upstairs for their use. Dh and I have a full bath master suite on the main floor. There is a 1/2 bath on the main floor for guests/general use. We just added a 3rd full bath in the basement for ds and his friends to use. Our situation might be a bit different as all of our kids have special needs and will be with us longer term/forever and this plan gives them each more privacy and their "own" space. We could even turn the basement into a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment if we wanted to. Right now it has a large family room, 2 bedooms and the new bath with laundry hookups down there. We would just had a kitchenette if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 we only had two bathrooms for a family of six, and then seven for a couple years before we finished off a third bathroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 any other advice would be greatly appreciated (as in "i wouldn't eliminate a bathroom' date=' i'd ________")[/quote'] That's such a personal call though. Personally, I'd rather have the slightly smaller bedroom space and an en suite full bath in the master than have all those bedrooms share one bath. But then again, I don't mind sharing my master suite with my kids. If someone is in one bathroom, the other one is open. I don't think we'd like having to go downstairs to take a shower/bath. As it is, my dd20 has to come upstairs to the bathroom because we don't have any kind of bathroom on the bottom level where her bedroom is. I am also another person who can't help but think of resale value. An en suite master bathroom is usually a major preference. I'd rather have 2 smallish bathrooms upstairs than one big one. But at the same time, I do see the appeal to having one large one. If you're going to stick to one bathroom, do make it as large as you can. I would think the large size would offset the inconvenience of having only one full bath upstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We are a family of 7 with 5 teenagers, and we have never had more than 1 1/2 baths. We have worked it out with any great sacrifice. Occasionally we have to think ahead and have some people take showers the night before a big event, but other than that it has been fine. Many things such as blow drying hair and putting on make-up don't really need to happen in the bathroom. We have found it quite helpful to have our sink/vanity area separate from the shower/bath area. At one point we looked at a house with 7 bathrooms! My husband was so excited---my ? was--Who's going to clean all those bathrooms!:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson'smama Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Could you design the future main floor master/school room to have access to that bath? While it is certainly not a need (we had up to 9 of us with one bathroom in our old home), I can say that now that we moved and I have a master suite with my OWN bathroom, it is a HUGE plus. I think you are wise to be thinking of these things now, before you build. Try to go through your daily life and see how the plan flows---homeschooling, getting and putting away groceries, cooking, doing laundry, etc. A main floor laundry has also been a huge bonus to our new house. In the future dh and I could live totally on the main floor which is nice. well, that downstairs full bath is right next door to the schoolroom/potential future bedroom. not connected as in you have to enter the schoolroom to use the bedroom (as in a suite), but literally right next door to it - so good access. it was gonna have a tub/shower when we were thinking to full baths upstairs but after thinking of eliminating one of those, we were gonna go shower only downstairs for elderly consideration ;). the first floor is also home to the laundry b/c i prefer to have my working area contained and then have to haul it to put it away. if it were upstairs (which i know some prefer to have it by the bedrooms), i'd be walking way too much to tend to it's washing and drying - not to mention i like line drying outside. so a first floor laundry/mud room is right off the kitchen. i'm just trying to imagine my life with teenagers. right now, we share one bathroom and the only thing i feel like we're lacking is a second toilet. there are mornings when dh is showering and the boys pee in the yard! that leaves me and dd slightly at the mercy of dh in the shower! while i am a proponent of children doing chores and taking care of the home, i am ultimately responsible for cleaning because i 1)enjoy cleaning, to a certain extent and 2) have a private mentality that it's not really clean unless i do it - the kids aren't aware of this but i really do feel that no matter what, i'm gonna wanna have a hand in cleaning the bathroom even if they are the only ones who use it. that's just me. i don't want wasted space but i don't wanna look back with regrets of this magnitude. you just can't throw in a second story bathroom on a whim. right now, we're looking at about a 5,000 savings by eliminating it, which is quite enticing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Family of 5 here. Go for the 3rd bathroom. Your oldest is old enough to start helping you clean the bathrooms. By the time she is 9, she'll be able to do a whole bathroom herself in half an hour or so. By 12 she'll be as fast as you are, and the others will be able to help. There's no need for you to do it all. I'm facing the other side of this- my kids are grown and nearly all gone. Now I have 1800 square feet up upstairs to clean, including a bathroom. When the kids move out, that extra space still has to be cleaned...not as often, but still. It was great when they became old enough to take care of the upstairs by themselves (dh and I sleep on the main floor and rarely use the upstairs at all)- but I didn't realize how fast they'd grow up and move out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Yep. We have 1.5 baths for 8 people. You just work with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson'smama Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) I'm facing the other side of this- my kids are grown and nearly all gone. Now I have 1800 square feet up upstairs to clean, including a bathroom. When the kids move out, that extra space still has to be cleaned...not as often, but still. It was great when they became old enough to take care of the upstairs by themselves (dh and I sleep on the main floor and rarely use the upstairs at all)- but I didn't realize how fast they'd grow up and move out! THAT'S what i'm talking about. yes, right now it seems like a long time, but in 16 years my last will be, hopefully, heading to college. even if we look at children living with us into early adulthood, it's still about 20 years. and then that's it. now i know a zillion things could change, but i can't plan for every.little.thing. and 20 years is a long time. and this is their home too. and one of these days i want all my kids and grandkids visiting. i'm just SUPER practical and again, can't stand wasted space. so i'm looking at anything that can be eliminated or reworked to make this the best house possible for us. and for those who are working with 2 or less bathrooms - would you like to have more even though it's working for you? i mean, 5k is nothing to sneeze at, but it's not gonna prevent us from doing 3 baths if that's really what would be optimal for us, ykwim? keep it coming! Edited July 31, 2012 by jackson'smama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We have 2, but one has been broken for months. There are 7 of us. You'll do just fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 in a family of five? we do great with one right now but our oldest child is 7. everyone keeps saying "when they're teenagers' date=' you'll need more". and for them, they're meaning the formal dining space in addition to the eat-in kitchen...the formal living room so you can 'escape' the kids in the family room...the master en suite to have your 'private retreat' for bathing...etc... we are building and we are increasing sq footage by about 400 feet. i want enough space but can't stand wasted space. this house has 2.5 baths on the plan but we're making the downstairs a full bath instead of half because this is our forever house and we're planning for when we're old and may make our bedroom downstairs. that leaves the kids a bath upstairs and a master bath for just us. i don't wanna clean 3 bathrooms. and it just seems too much. i don't see why a family can't share the upstairs bath and then have the downstairs one as the "spare". am i crazy? most people in real life think i am so i thought i'd ask here.[/quote'] I haven't read beyond this first post, but here's my thoughts: We have 1 bathroom and 6 people (7 for the next 3 weeks with our Japanese exchange student) and we ALL use it. We're living just fine with 1. Two would be awesome, but isn't necessary in my opinion. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We are a family of 7 with 5 teenagers, and we have never had more than 1 1/2 baths. We have worked it out with any great sacrifice. Occasionally we have to think ahead and have some people take showers the night before a big event, but other than that it has been fine. Many things such as blow drying hair and putting on make-up don't really need to happen in the bathroom. We have found it quite helpful to have our sink/vanity area separate from the shower/bath area. At one point we looked at a house with 7 bathrooms! My husband was so excited---my ? was--Who's going to clean all those bathrooms!:confused: :lol: we looked at a bed & breakfast and though the space would have been great...I don't want to spend every waking moment scrubbing toilets!:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I always wonder what happens if everyone gets a stomach virus at the same time. But, I figure people survived for eons without a toilet for each person, so we can do it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I also grew up in a family of four with one bathroom (three of us were girls) and now have a family of 6 sharing two. Right now, we only use one...the boys just use our master bath, but I'm sure that'll change as they get older. I don't anticipate any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 and for those who are working with 2 or less bathrooms - would you like to have more even though it's working for you? i mean' date=' 5k is nothing to sneeze at, but it's not gonna prevent us from doing 3 baths if that's really what would be optimal for us, ykwim? keep it coming![/quote'] My home is split level. The main floor has 3 bedrooms, bathroom in master, bathroom in hall, and living room/dining area/kitchen sort of in a U shape. Downstairs is a large storage room and one large bedroom. If I could, I would put a bathroom with shower downstairs. I think it's a good thing to have a bathroom on every level. My dd20 has gotten used to having to come upstairs, but when she's sick, it's not fun to be rushing up the stairs hoping you don't throw up before you get into the bathroom. Obviously that doesn't happen often but it's a stress for her when it does. Cleaning an extra bathroom really wouldn't bother me. I can clean my two bathrooms in about 30 mins. if I'm deep cleaning them. A quick swipe and swish takes only a few minutes. Keeping it tidy with the swipe and swish prevents it from needing a deep cleaning all that often. I asked DH about putting in a bathroom downstairs but the logistics wouldn't work out well. It would cut the storage room by more than half, leaving only enough room for the water heater. Plus we would have to pay for whatever makes the toilet flush up which is an added expense. I'm not sure what is better for resale value though. A bedroom suite downstairs, or a large bedroom with a large storage area. It's the only storage area in the house besides the small closets. In fact, it's where we have all our bookcases because we don't have any wall space upstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I would opt for 2.5 if I had a choice, but we currently have 4 (3.5) and they have never all been in use at the same time before. The boys don't even use THEIR shower, they shower in the master. The thing I like about a 1/2 bath is that you can designate that for company and keep it cleaner while the family uses the other 2 on a regular basis. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 There are 8 of us, and we have only one. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2OandE Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We are a family of 4 and we have 2.5. I think if we had one more child or even two we would do fine. Then again I grew up wtih one bathroom for 4 so I feel like they already have it good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in IN Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Since you are building, I really encourage you to think about the resale value of your home and what people will be looking for when then consider buying a home built at this time. And yes, that is true even when you're planning to be in your home for a long time. The future is always an uncertain thing. When you're building, it's not the same as saying "this house we're looking at only has x number of baths, can we live with that". It's a matter of making the house the best fit for your family without doing things that will make it difficult to sell to someone else down the road. With that thought in mind, I would not build a house now without a dedicated master bath, or at minimum a bathroom that opens both to the master and the hall, or some sort of jack & jill arrangement (although that is not a standard, it would be better than no master bath). A master bath is a pretty standard expectation for houses at this time, and it would be a disadvantage for you home over the long term if you don't have that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I think I must have skimmed the first time through. You have a master bedroom without a master bathroom? If you're thinking resale that would be a tough one. I think most people would expect a newer home to have a master suite--bedroom with attached bathroom, not a shared bathroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We just built a house and moved in last month. The house we moved from had two bathrooms, a full upstairs (with 3 bedrooms) and a 3/4 downs tairs. When we were looking at homes, that third bathroom (preferably a master) was the top must have on my list. We are also a family of five. While I think you don't necessarily need the third bathroom, we have found it to be much, much more pleasant and convenient for daily life. We have a few family members that need to, ahem, linger in the bathrooms, so there were many times when those two bathrooms were full for some time and the rest of us were stuck waiting. Now with three baths that problem has been elminated. When we finish our basement we will have a fourth down there. I guess it is all how your family functions. For my family, that third bath just made life so much better. And I was also hesitant about the extra cleaning, but I haven't found it to be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 we have 6 people and 2 bathrooms. 3 of my kids are girls. My oldest is 14. I have a rule that noone can do hair in the bathroom, so I have a mirror for each girl, but otherwise it's not that big of a deal. My dh's grandmother raised 5 children in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house, probably about 1000 square feet, so I feel blessed to have what I have. I don't want another bathroom to clean either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 The thing I like about a 1/2 bath is that you can designate that for company and keep it cleaner while the family uses the other 2 on a regular basis. Dawn :iagree: We now have a two story with a half bath on the master and I just LOVE it:001_wub:. It is so quick and easy to just clean that up and it always looks good versus cleaning the full bath with double sinks that company had to use when we had our rambler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson'smama Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 aaahhhh...so many different points to consider! in your opinion, why do people like a dedicated, attached master bath? carry on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 in a family of five? we do great with one right now but our oldest child is 7. everyone keeps saying "when they're teenagers' date=' you'll need more". and for them, they're meaning the formal dining space in addition to the eat-in kitchen...the formal living room so you can 'escape' the kids in the family room...the master en suite to have your 'private retreat' for bathing...etc... we are building and we are increasing sq footage by about 400 feet. i want enough space but can't stand wasted space. this house has 2.5 baths on the plan but we're making the downstairs a full bath instead of half because this is our forever house and we're planning for when we're old and may make our bedroom downstairs. that leaves the kids a bath upstairs and a master bath for just us. i don't wanna clean 3 bathrooms. and it just seems too much. i don't see why a family can't share the upstairs bath and then have the downstairs one as the "spare". am i crazy? most people in real life think i am so i thought i'd ask here.[/quote'] You are not crazy. My mom grew up in a house with 3 adults, 3 children, and 1 bathroom. Five people can make do with "only" two bathrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker25 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 in a family of five? we do great with one right now but our oldest child is 7. everyone keeps saying "when they're teenagers' date=' you'll need more". and for them, they're meaning the formal dining space in addition to the eat-in kitchen...the formal living room so you can 'escape' the kids in the family room...the master en suite to have your 'private retreat' for bathing...etc... we are building and we are increasing sq footage by about 400 feet. i want enough space but can't stand wasted space. this house has 2.5 baths on the plan but we're making the downstairs a full bath instead of half because this is our forever house and we're planning for when we're old and may make our bedroom downstairs. that leaves the kids a bath upstairs and a master bath for just us. i don't wanna clean 3 bathrooms. and it just seems too much. i don't see why a family can't share the upstairs bath and then have the downstairs one as the "spare". am i crazy? most people in real life think i am so i thought i'd ask here.[/quote'] We have 8 people in our family. Two bathrooms and three bedrooms. My three older girls share a room. My two boys share a room and my two year old is still in a room (usually in her own bed) in our room. The kids rarely use our bathroom in the master bedroom. They have no trouble with one bathroom. We have a timer for showers. If you look at my sig you'll see a teenager and a preteen - both girls. I would like more space, but for now this is our home. The kids find places of quiet when they need it, but mostly they like to be together. When it gets to be to tight around here we throw everyone outside. There are trees to sit in and usually someone can find a mudpile to dig in. We live in a subdivision on a little lot so I think even more than more space inside the house I would LOVE more space outside. I keep saying at this point I would live in a double wide trailer (nothing against trailers except it would be cramped!) and have a yard. I don't, however, think we could live with just one bathroom. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 ok' date=' here's the deal:downstairs will be a full bath. the school room is downstairs but could *someday* be a bedroom if our old selves don't wanna go upstairs. they are not connected as in a "suite". it's just a full size downstairs hall bath that's actually just a half-bath on the plans - we're increasing it's size to make it a full bath for our elderly future :001_smile:. upstairs is four bedrooms. the plans call for a master suite and a hall bath to be shared by other bedroom inhabitants. to me, it feels like wasted space to have that many bathrooms. the downstairs bath is not negotiable. i want it to be a full bath. it's the upstairs that's in question. i don't feel a need to have a separate bathroom from my children. but moreso, i want to increase the size of my master bedroom. i'd rather share a bathroom than bump my toes on my bedroom furniture. we're trying to be as minimal with our space requirement as possible - enough to be comfortable and hold our stuff but not wasted rooms that are only used on occasion. any other advice would be greatly appreciated (as in "i wouldn't eliminate a bathroom, i'd ________")[/quote'] Is the Master Suite at least going to have a door into that bath? This is somewhat different. I'd have to think twice before buying a house without a separate bathroom for the master's suite. I've gotten too used to being able to use my bathroom as a dressing area/etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We have two and know of another family also with 11 dc that has only one bathroom! Now that I cannot imagine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We are a family of 7 in a home with 1.5 baths. (One has a shower/tub, the other only has a sink and toilet.) We made do just fine when the kids were growing up, although we had to schedule showers. (Half would shower at night, half in the morning, etc.) Now that our older two are married, we sometimes have 9 people with one shower. We actually put together a daily shower chart or else there is no way we could make it work and get to where we need to go on time. A second shower would make a huge difference, and you have that already. I guess you get used to what you have! My husband grew up in a family of 9 with only one shower! Old home are just like that. (Ours is over 100 years old.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) No one (well, almost no one.....and certainly no one I know) in the Netherlands has two bathrooms. The tought of cleaning *two* bathrooms makes me :svengo:. I never realized we were supposed to have more than one. Our last house had 1.5 bathrooms. I was relieved when we moved into this one with only one. Less cleaning. i'm just trying to imagine my life with teenagers. right now' date=' we share one bathroom and the only thing i feel like we're lacking is a second toilet. there are mornings when dh is showering and the boys pee in the yard! that leaves me and dd slightly at the mercy of dh in the shower! [/quote'] Why is that? Why can't at least you and your boys use the toilet while dh is showering? You could put up a non-see-through shower curtain. Even your dd could use the toilet then. All it takes is the two users respecting each other's privacy. and for those who are working with 2 or less bathrooms - would you like to have more even though it's working for you? No. Another big reason (besides cleaning) that I'm glad to only have one is *because* I have a teen and pre-teen. My time and energy now are *more* taken up with mothering them and learning to homeschool in the high school years. I need the other repetitive parts of my life (cooking' date=' cleaning, grocery shopping, bookkeeping) to be simplified during these years. Those tasks are boring and repetitive - living life with my ever-changing family is not. I'd rather have more time for and put more energy towards them and our friends and hobbies and creative work than for repetitive life tasks. I always wonder what happens if everyone gets a stomach virus at the same time. Buckets. It may be gross to some, but it's easier and cheaper to clean these out a few times a year than to continually clean an extra bathroom and to pay for that extra bathroom. Edited July 31, 2012 by Colleen in NS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjselmk Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We are a family of almost 7 in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house. I would actually love another bathroom, but that is specific to my teenage daughter monopolizing the shared bath in the hall. The rest of my children are boys and can pretty much accomplish anything in record time.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Our last house had 1.5 bathrooms. I was relieved when we moved into this one with only one. Less cleaning. Why is that? Why can't at least you and your boys use the toilet while dh is showering? You could put up a non-see-through shower curtain. Even your dd could use the toilet then. All it takes is the two users respecting each other's privacy. No. Another big reason (besides cleaning) that I'm glad to only have one is *because* I have a teen and pre-teen. My time and energy now are *more* taken up with mothering them and learning to homeschool in the high school years. I need the other repetitive parts of my life (cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, bookkeeping) to be simplified during these years. Those tasks are boring and repetitive - living life with my ever-changing family is not. I'd rather have more time for and put more energy towards them and our friends and hobbies and creative work than for repetitive life tasks. Buckets. It may be gross to some, but it's easier and cheaper to clean these out a few times a year than to continually clean an extra bathroom and to pay for that extra bathroom. :iagree: Really, it's all common sense. There is no NEED for more than one bathroom. Having more than one is considered a blessing, a luxury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Colleen, the buckets are a great solution! Here's a good deal at amazon: The Luggable Loo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 If it is your forever home and you are building it, you can make a decision based on what you all want, not what is crazy to the people you know. You are living in it, you have to clean it, etc. We have a master bath with the big tub etc, but we all use that one because the kids would rather. DS likes privacy in the shower. DD takes a bath while I do my night stuff. It is fun to chat with her and help her with grooming. The only other time the other one gets used is company Now what I WOULD like, is a washroom in the garage. Like one of those industrial type tile floor stalls that I can just hose the whole d*mn thing off :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 My parents had 4 kids and only 1 1/2 baths. They still only have 1 1/2 baths and expect us all to stay there with all of the kids. :tongue_smilie: The latter, THAT is crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Growing up, we had 1 bathroom and 4 teens in the house. It was fine. Each of us had a mirror in our room and could do makeup/hair in our room. We have 2.5 baths in our house now. We have six kids, ranging from 2-12. Honestly, the kids nearly always bathe in our our bathroom, as it has a huge tub. You'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I think 2 is plenty for five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We have 9 in our family and 1-1/2 baths. Same as someone said above, sometimes we have to plan ahead for showers if there's something we all need to be spit-spot for, but otherwise, not usually an issue. The toothbrush holder sometimes get set on the kitchen table so people can brush in the kitchen sink if someone's in the shower and we're getting ready to go somewhere. Sometimes people have to "hold it" for a few minutes. It's all good. I always wonder what happens if everyone gets a stomach virus at the same time. But, I figure people survived for eons without a toilet for each person, so we can do it too. The kids don't throw up in the toilet when they're sick. They use a plastic bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 A point of use Hot water heater is what would be great for you. That's been what's hard for us... and wouldn't matter if we had 2 or 5 restrooms... with our limited hot water supply :( Not essential, but good for when everyone needs showers in the morning/night... within such a short time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) nm Edited September 12, 2014 by Colleen in NS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson'smama Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 not quoting right now due to time constraints, but someone mentioned toileting while someone else is showering. no go for me. kids prob wouldn't mind but my husband has never seen me pee and i don't plan on starting now. yes, he was present for all three births. peeing? no way. more than peeing? i'd rather die. ok, that's out of the way....i feel like we don't NEED more. what i'm getting hung up now is this whole resale thing which never really entered my mind at all b/c it's just not in our "plans". as for stomach virus - we did that already with our one bath and had no problems. the kids kept a small trashcan nearby for vomiting. no one seemed to have a bathroom competition for poop. and even so - we are STILL HAVING TWO FULL BATHROOMS - this is a question of: a THIRD FULL BATH & the "necessity" (for whatever reason) of a master suite vs. a shared upstairs bath for the whole family. fwiw, the master bath (should we do it) would be one sink, one toilet, one shower. no big tub, no separate toilet closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) not quoting right now due to time constraints' date=' but someone mentioned toileting while someone else is showering. no go for me. kids prob wouldn't mind but my husband has never seen me pee and i don't plan on starting now. yes, he was present for all three births. peeing? no way. more than peeing? i'd rather die. ok, that's out of the way....i feel like we don't NEED more. what i'm getting hung up now is this whole resale thing which never really entered my mind at all b/c it's just not in our "plans". as for stomach virus - we did that already with our one bath and had no problems. the kids kept a small trashcan nearby for vomiting. no one seemed to have a bathroom competition for poop. and even so - we are STILL HAVING TWO FULL BATHROOMS - this is a question of: a THIRD FULL BATH & the "necessity" (for whatever reason) of a master suite vs. a shared upstairs bath for the whole family. fwiw, the master bath (should we do it) would be one sink, one toilet, one shower. no big tub, no separate toilet closet.[/quote'] I grew up with one bathroom and the person showering NEVER saw the other person peeing. The person peeing NEVER saw the person showering. Basically, what everyone is saying is that, yes, two bathrooms is more than enough for a family of five and that a third bathroom is a luxury that is YOUR decision to make. Resale: yes, two baths are fine for a resale. A third bath may make your chances better or worse. Some people absolutely do not want a third bath. Others might be concerned that a third bath will mean that the price will be raised unreasonably. Edited July 31, 2012 by mommaduck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I grew up in a family of 5 with 1.5 bath. NO problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 aaahhhh...so many different points to consider! in your opinion, why do people like a dedicated, attached master bath? carry on! My guesses: So you don't have to share with messy kids. So you don't have to worry about being naked around the kids or covering up. Colleen, the buckets are a great solution! Here's a good deal at amazon: The Luggable Loo :lol: I have to show that to DH! The kids don't throw up in the toilet when they're sick. They use a plastic bowl. Mine do too, but we tend to get the *other* kind of stomach viruses around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gailmegan Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I haven'tread any posts, so my reply is to top post only. We have five people and 2.5 baths. But the shower in the main bathroom needs to be fixed, so everyone shares ours for now. I think one shower/bath tub is fine - the real need is for toilets. I can't tell you why, but it seems like everyone always has to go at the same time. All three toilets get a lot of use in this house. If I were you, I would keep the plan as it is with just 2.5 baths. I can't imagine the need for three full baths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We have a family of 7 and only 2 bathrooms. The plan, for when the girls are teens, is to make a little "vanity area" in their bedroom. A couple of shelves and a mirror on the wall with extra outlets for curling irons, etc. So, hopefully that'll ease up on the need for the bathroom for more than just showers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 in your opinion' date=' why do people like a dedicated, attached master bath? [/quote'] So you don't have to throw on a robe and go out into the hall when you want to wash up after teA. One of our dc frequently wakes up at night and wanders so . . . ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson'smama Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 If I were you, I would keep the plan as it is with just 2.5 baths. I can't imagine the need for three full baths. but the downstairs being a full is a must for me. so the question is upstairs: one bath for everyone to share or one for the kids and one for the master. So you don't have to throw on a robe and go out into the hall when you want to wash up after teA. One of our dc frequently wakes up at night and wanders so . . . ;) oh my. that hadn't entered my mind! and since this has been brought up, i've been meaning to post but feel a little stupid...what exactly does teA stand for? i mean, i know what it means. but what do the letters stand for? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 :lol::lol: I was only thinking about throwing up, not the other end! Hmm....I would definitely be grossed out by having to clean out the Luggable Loo...but, I still think I'd rather do that occasionally than to buy an extra bathroom and clean it every week. Oh the things I learn about on this forum...:lol: ETA: I just read the description of the LL - I wouldn't be so grossed out, I guess. :D I was posting just to be funny! I think the Luggable Loo belongs on construction sites, at camp cabins, and in the emergency gear closet. We do not use the Luggable Loo in the home. LOL (6 people here, 1.5 baths, and in our opinion that half bath is a total luxury, we've lived lots of places with 1 bathroom.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASDAQ Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We use one for five people. I think two would be perfect. One for the main bathroom, and one for, ahem, emergencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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