Home Remodel Opinions

[Ridgefire]

We have a small 3rd bedroom upstairs and by small I'm talking its 7feet X 13Feet. Right now its an empty room. Our upstairs does not have a bathroom. The only bathroom in the house is downstairs off the kitchen. So I was thinking of coverting the empty room to a bathroom. Just wondering what kind of impact that would have on property values. Right now its a 3 bedroom 1 bath house. If I do this it will become a 2 bedroom 2 bath.

[Le Chuck]

Bathroom creations/remodels are expensive and you can't expect to see a full return on your investment.  Maybe back in '05 but certainly not now.  The third bedroom in a resale situation can be worth more than a second bathroom.  The only way I would do it would be if you could attach the second bath somehow to the master bedroom.  That would help balance the resale by improving the layout of the home. 

This really comes down when do you want to sell?  If it's in the short term I wouldn't create an extra bath as I don't think you'll see the return.  If it's long term then take a look at there you can add even more value, like potentially having an add-on constructed that will give you a fourth bedroom and second bath. 

If you can loose a hall closet and install a half bath or watercloset you'll do a lot better in the short run.  3bed 1.5 bath is a good seller generally.  Better I would wager than a 2bed 2bath.  It just doesn't have the flexibility most buyers are looking for. 

[Ridgefire]

I thought about making a half bath out of the closet off the 2nd floor landing, but due to the slope of the roof there wouldn't be adequate head room.  We don't plan on selling this home. Its in the neighborhood we love, close to work and close to everything in town. But again just because we don't plan on selling doesn't mean we would never sell.

[Le Chuck]

Add an eave above the closet to extend the headroom?

[Ridgefire]

Here is a very rough drawing of the upstairs. Please note this is not to scale

[Le Chuck]

I'd definetly raise the ceiling in that closet, put in a window or skylight and install a 1/2 bath in there.  I think that would help out a lot... Or extend the wall and break through both the closet and the unused bedroom to make a signicantly larger master with walkins and it's own bath.  That would be expensive but would balance out the loss of the that third bedroom.   

[Rando]

Agreed to much of the above.  If you're there for short term then don't knock out a bedroom as that will reduce your market/price.  If you can convert that closet by building out the roof a bit through a dormer, that would help out a lot and be a nice long term option that would retain value as well.

The cost impact will be dependent on where your water is though.  If they're under the closet then you're good, if they're on the other side of the house that will cost some $$$.

[Ridgefire]

The spare bedroom is pretty much above the downstairs bath, so water and sewer would be a straight shot up. If I wanted to violate code the downstairs vent is in the wall. I could tap the new bath into the vent...but again that violates code. And no I wouldn't do that. most I would do is use that vent to vent the new fixtures

[Dawgz Rule]

If you plan on staying, I would make it a large master suite with a walk-in closet and bath.  Pretty easy to do with that layout and the location of the first floor bath.

[fallacy]

You bought a house with a crappy floor plan like that?

[SavannahLion]

You bought a house with a crappy floor plan like that?

LOL, you haven't seen my wife's house. 

[Le Chuck]

You bought a house with a crappy floor plan like that?

Stay classy San Diego

[menace]

+1 to what Le chuck said--as a home inspector I see what people like and don't like everyday--stealing a bedroom for a second bathroom is a bit of a wash and you wouldn't get your money out--a second bathroom somehow is the way to go.  Also,double check your code--almost all old houses had stacked bathrooms and the vent became a "wet vent" meaning that periodically the upstairs used the venting portion of the downstairs vent stack.  Otherwise, you would have had 2 x 4" cast iron vents in the wall side by side.  Maybe on "new" construction its no longer allowed, but compare that to a cheater vent or a new vent installation and I'll take a wet vent anyday..

[TOK]

So your master bedroom is upstairs but the only bathroom is downstairs? This is a no-brainer for me... No f'ing way I'm going up and down stairs in the middle of the night to wizz. I'd either kill myself going downstairs half asleep, or be wide awake by the time I made it back to bed.

[Ridgefire]

So your master bedroom is upstairs but the only bathroom is downstairs? This is a no-brainer for me... No f'ing way I'm going up and down stairs in the middle of the night to wizz. I'd either kill myself going downstairs half asleep, or be wide awake by the time I made it back to bed.

Yes all three bedrooms are upstairs and the only bathroom is downstairs. Apparently back in when this when this house was built they didn't use bathrooms..  because the weird part is the only bathroom is on an obvious addition to the house. So not really sure where the original bathroom would have been.

[HaRuMaN]

because the weird part is the only bathroom is on an obvious addition to the house. So not really sure where the original bathroom would have been.

Outhouse.

[leapinlew]

Look at all that wasted staircase space! Replace the staircase with a stripper pole and build a bathroom there.

I agree with Tok. I'd have to have a bathroom up there. Trucking up an down the stairs in the middle of the night isn't fun and neither is running up and down the stairs to take a shower, brush your teeth, dump a can of soda, etc.

[Ridgefire]

Here is my first draft of bathroom layout. My teenager is complaining he doesn't have a closet in his room so I shrunk the bathroom a bit to add a closet for him.

[Ridgefire]

Look at all that wasted staircase space! Replace the staircase with a stripper pole and build a bathroom there.

I agree with Tok. I'd have to have a bathroom up there. Trucking up an down the stairs in the middle of the night isn't fun and neither is running up and down the stairs to take a shower, brush your teeth, dump a can of soda, etc.

No I'm a fireman so it would be a fire pole.  Makes it easier to get downstairs but getting upstairs would be a PIA.

[Blanka]

Can you post a plan of the current situation?

[Ridgefire]

The current layout is just remove the bathroom fixtures and that wall that makes the small closet for the bedroom. And you have a vacant room that we are not using for anything

[Nephasth]

A window in the closet?

What about this bathroom layout? Also moved the door to the bedroom, but don't know if that can be done with the weird block in the orginal.

[Blanka]

Your hallway is way too big.
Use that space!

[elkameleon]

Your hallway is way too big.
Use that space!

Nicely done!

[Malenko]

burn it down and collect the insurance

[Ridgefire]

A window in the closet?

What about this bathroom layout? Also moved the door to the bedroom, but don't know if that can be done with the weird block in the orginal.

The block in the middle is the masonary chimney

[Blanka]

Nicely done!

Thanks.
I'm an architect, so I should be able to come up with this stuff
I was expecting the block to be some shaft, so I put the toilet on it.