5 situations when you should consider adding an ensuite

Bathrooms have come a long way in a short amount of time. From the unheated, outside privy, to an inside bathroom suite in attractive avocado green and now all-singing, all-dancing wet rooms with rain showers and massage jets, ablutions have definitely experienced an upgrade.

One of the most loved aspects of the modern home is the ensuite - a place to bathe directly accessed from your bedroom so you can avoid bumping into people in your bathrobe. While adding an ensuite is a ‘would like to have’ and not an essential, there are five situations when a home could benefit from an extra bathroom.

1. If you’re undertaking a loft conversion. Adding bedrooms to an attic space or loft is a great way to increase a home’s size without eating into the garden. Future home buyers, however, will expect some form of bathroom facility on the upper floor to avoid them having to traipse down a set of stairs to use the loo.

An ensuite should be included in the conversion’s planning stage as adding one after the work is complete will probably require scaffolding and complex plumbing – extra expenses on top of the ensuite itself.

2. If you’re planning to rent out a property. Not every tenant is in a relationship and it's common for friends and siblings to rent together. Renters who are not romantically linked will definitely appreciate having their own bathroom, so adding an ensuite can increase a property’s appeal when it appears on the lettings market.

This is especially true if the property is classed as a HMO (house in multiple occupation) where more than three unrelated tenants will live together. A HMO could be student property, a professional house share or a large dwelling converted into self-contained flats.

3. If you want to add value ahead of a sale. Ensuites are seen as a big property bonus among buyers - a touch of luxury while reducing queues for the shower. With some careful budgeting, an ensuite will recoup its costs upon a sale and even deliver the seller a profit.

Victoria Plum estimates an ensuite can add 5 percent to a home’s value and with the Halifax average house price at £293,399 in September 2024, an ensuite could add more than £14,600. The profit could be healthy too, with UK Bathroom Guru estimating an ensuite will cost between £6,000 and £9,000 to create, depending on the nature of the work.

4. If you are planning for multigenerational living. we are seeing an increase in families exploring multigenerational living, both now and in the future. Three generations living under one roof can place enormous pressure on one family bathroom and an ensuite can afford a greater degree of privacy in busy households.

Bear in mind, an ensuite doesn’t have to be on an upper floor. If adaptations are being made to create a ground-floor bedroom, it may be possible to add an accessible ensuite or wet room for sole use by that bedroom, or you could even convert a cloakroom if it’s located next door.

5. If you have more than 4 bedrooms but only 1 bathroom. Today’s purchasers expect larger homes to have multiple bathrooms, especially if there are more than four bedrooms. The desire can partly be pinned on the rise of developers including an ensuite and family bathroom in their new homes – even in modest three-bedroom properties.

If you are planning to add an ensuite or make other home improvements, have a chat with us about the best way to add value and increase your home’s desirability.