Would you rather have a second bathroom or in unit laundry?

[missy]

Laundry for sure.

Having said that though personally I need a separate bathroom from my dh (for sake of our marriage) and prefer guests to have a separate bathroom too.

But for a single guy I say one bathroom and an in unit laundry. Of course it depends on his preferences completely. I do laundry multiple times a day and if I didn’t have my machines right here it would be a royal pain. However perhaps he doesn’t mind going to the basement to do laundry? My dh does that in our brooklyn home and he doesn’t mind.

 

[TooPatient]

How often will he have guests?
Is adding a small machine an option?

I lived with one bathroom for 4+ people for 18 years then 1 bathroom for 2-3 for another 5 years. It isn't great when everyone wants to shower at the same time or during flu season, but mostly not a big issue. Laundry being no more work than it has to be is huge since it is an every day (or frequent anyway) sort of thing.

(The big downside to only one bathroom that I would struggle with in an apartment is that if anything wasn't working right (like, say, a kitchen drain piece accidentally getting flushed and wedging so the toilet is not functioning...) there is no other bathroom and you are stuck waiting for someone to fix it.)

 

[MMtwo]

for resale value, bathrooms will sell all day long. There's lots of laundrettes everywhere. Also as a reminder, if even one of the baths or kitchen is big enough, you CAN get a ventless washer/dryer combo.

This - I would look at a possible European laundry in kitchen, add one in a bath...but barring that, I would trade a bathroom for a laundry any day.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Listen, in our house it is four people and one bathroom! Also we have two sons so you see where that is going...

Even so I would go with laundry over a second bathroom.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

One person only needs one bathroom. I would choose the laundry unit.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

as far as house work goes i don't mind doing the washing
our wash house is right outside the backdoor which i liked reminded me of grandma's house but living through a winter here i hate it
i could not imangine anythung worse than having to go to the basement or a laundromat to do it

ideally id have an extra shower and a spair loo in the laundry (mind you then id have to relocate the beer fridge) so why can't one of those all-in-one washer dryer units go into the 2nd guest bathroom ? take out the bath and put in a shower


anyway my vote is laundry over 2nd bathroom

 

[bespokecarmel]

Bathroom. Don’t like to share with even the occasional guest.

 

[marcy]

Neither. I'd keep looking because I wouldn't give up either one of them.

 

[yssie]

Landry. No question.

TOTALLY agree on not wanting to ever run a cold cycle in a shared washer. I once - back when I didn’t have a washer big enough for the comforter - watched a young man step in doggy doo outside the laundromat, take his shoe off, and chuck it in one of the machines. Imagine being the next person to do a load of white delicates in that cylinder

You can survive with one bathroom. My NY house - built in the 50s - has one bathroom. It’s sometimes a PITA, definitely, but we manage.

Some apartment complexes will object to the power draw of those ventless units.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

my least preferred option would be a laundry cupboard or anything in the kitchen
in our old place we had a very tiny laundry off the kitchen with a concitenna door that ment you could not use the cupboard under the tub - but at least it was screened off from the kitchen and it had a window so was very light but it was still noisy having it so close to our main living area

 

[missy]

I have to laugh. Growing up we shared basically one bathroom for 4 people. We had a small house (parents still live there) and the 2 bedrooms in the house were right on top of each other. No privacy. All I remember is love and fun and just being a close knit caring family. I didn't realize we were in a small house and suffering with only one bathroom. Not even close.


Having said that I am thankful my dh and I have separate bathrooms for the sanity of our marriage. But if we had to do with one we could. Laundry remains my vote. We don't have our own laundry unit in our Brooklyn apt and my dh does it there in the basement of our building. But at the shore house oh I LOVE having our own machines right next to the bedroom and it is super convenient especially now as we are doing multiple loads per day.

But sorry, I know I am repeating myself. Just wanted to add when we growing up we were A OK and better than A OK and we had one bathroom, 2 bedrooms and a small house for 4 people. And it didn't feel like an inconvenience.

Hmm, thinking about it, my sister has that situation now with her family and they aren't suffering either. It's all about perspective. As are most things.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Landry. No question.

TOTALLY agree on not wanting to ever run a cold cycle in a shared washer. I once - back when I didn’t have a washer big enough for the comforter - watched a young man step in doggy doo outside the laundromat, take his shoe off, and chuck it in one of the machines. Imagine being the next person to do a load of white delicates in that cylinder

You can survive with one bathroom. My NY house - built in the 50s - has one bathroom. It’s sometimes a PITA, definitely, but we manage.

Some apartment complexes will object to the power draw of those ventless units.

we have a 50s house too. pretty much unmodified except for the kitchen - although up in the roof we can see the old chimney from the copper that would have been in the wash house
now that is making hard work out of the washing !
our house was a state house (rental) so built for families and we have 4 bedrooms
somehow people managed with one toilet and one teeny bathroom

the bit we need to rectify is how few electric plugs and lights they had back then
one light and one double power point in the bedrooms is not enough

 

[yssie]

we have a 50s house too. pretty much unmodified except for the kitchen - although up in the roof we can see the old chimney from the copper that would have been in the wash house
now that is making hard work out of the washing !
our house was a state house (rental) so built for families and we have 4 bedrooms
somehow people managed with one toilet and one teeny bathroom

the bit we need to rectify is how few electric plugs and lights they had back then
one light and one double power point in the bedrooms is not enough

The plug situation is untenable for us too Daisy! We’re repainting and refinishing right now, and we will at minimum ground the outlets!

I’d love more - about 3x the number we’ve actually got per room would be sufficient in 2019 - but we’d need to upgrade our amp service and I really don’t think my sanity can handle something that invasive right now

We will be redoing the kitchen and bathroom in this house this year. We did the MD floors and kitchen last year and I LOVE how everything turned out! I’m excited about remodeling the kitchen here too but nervous about the bathroom - there is only one, so if that’s out of commission for any length of time...

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I have to laugh. Growing up we shared basically one bathroom for 4 people. We had a small house (parents still live there) and the 2 bedrooms in the house were right on top of each other. No privacy. All I remember is love and fun and just being a close knit caring family. I didn't realize we were in a small house and suffering with only one bathroom. Not even close.


Having said that I am thankful my dh and I have separate bathrooms for the sanity of our marriage. But if we had to do with one we could. Laundry remains my vote. We don't have our own laundry unit in our Brooklyn apt and my dh does it there in the basement of our building. But at the shore house oh I LOVE having our own machines right next to the bedroom and it is super convenient especially now as we are doing multiple loads per day.

But sorry, I know I am repeating myself. Just wanted to add when we growing up we were A OK and better than A OK and we had one bathroom, 2 bedrooms and a small house for 4 people. And it didn't feel like an inconvenience.

Hmm, thinking about it, my sister has that situation now with her family and they aren't suffering either. It's all about perspective. As are most things.

i would love an extra loo room - i think in new builds here we have followed America and call them powder rooms now days - mind you its more cleaning
When Gary's daughter lived in Brisbane they had an outdoor bathroom in the back garden - it was open from about 5 ft up to the roof - they never used it and it was on the other side of the house from the pool but i used it every day - it was just a shower, loo and vanity but very spacious and lots of natural light so excellent for doing make up etc
in my dreams i have one in my garden
sigh
on a practical note i would like a shower and loo attached to the garage or right by the main entrance like some farm houses ive seen
just so all the grubbiness can be washed off without trasping it through the house

mind you we don't even have power in our garage and no windows ....so much needs done around here

if we have guests stay i warn them if they exspect an ensuit I'll have to book in a port-a-loo for the duration of their visit !

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

The plug situation is untenable for us too Daisy! We’re repainting and refinishing right now, and we will at minimum ground the outlets!

I’d love more - about 3x the number we’ve actually got per room would be sufficient in 2019 - but we’d need to upgrade our amp service and I really don’t think my sanity can handle something that invasive right now

We will be redoing the kitchen and bathroom in this house this year. We did the MD floors and kitchen last year and I LOVE how everything turned out so I’m excited!! I’ve been putting the bathroom off here though - there’s only one in this house, so if that’s out of commission for any length of time...

you are my inspiration!!!

we want to re polish our floors (the only really nice feature this old lady has) but both our exterior doors open from the back living part of the house and the bathroom is in the front with the bedrooms - so we think we will have to get a port-a-loo that weekend

i don't speak electrical lingo but when we ditched the gas cook top (i hate gas) and got an electric one the sparky had to run a whole extra line in
cooking tea (dinner) especially in the winter here can be a pain
i can't boil the jug (to make gravy) use the microwave (peas & corn) and be using the oven - and as for a big cooked breakfast- the toaster is out of the question
the worst thing when the breaker switch goes and everything goes out is our oven won't go again till its stupid clock is set
and there is so not enough bench space- and its not like its the original 1950s kitchen !

the funniest (not funny) thing is if we have the lounge door open
into the hall and the toilet door is open you can see the loo from the front door - what on earth were they thinking 70 years ago !

good luck with your renovations yssie (smilies still not working )

 

[missy]

mind you its more cleaning

Hahaha I laugh at more cleaning. Means nothing to me anymore. Bring it on.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Hahaha I laugh at more cleaning. Means nothing to me anymore. Bring it on.

at least Snow White had all those critters to help her

 

[missy]

at least Snow White had all those critters to help her

Well, I do have Greg.



A rare moment of R and R...taken as you can imagine in the past...




These days are more cleaning busy bee than relaxing but hopefully one day soon we can resume life as normal around here. I hope and pray.

I'd rather see Greg doing this than vacuuming and mopping and disinfecting.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Well, I do have Greg.



A rare moment of R and R...taken as you can imagine in the past...




These days are more cleaning busy bee than relaxing but hopefully one day soon we can resume life as normal around here. I hope and pray.

I'd rather see Greg doing this than vacuuming and mopping and disinfecting.

good times will return -
i hope really soon
come the winter you'll all be all snug and warm relaxing in front of the fire with marshmallows and hot chocolate- with the emphasis on relaxing - humans and kitties

 

[missy]

good times will return -
i hope really soon
come the winter you'll all be all snug and warm relaxing in front of the fire with marshmallows and hot chocolate- with the emphasis on relaxing - humans and kitties

Yassss! just like we used to do...one day again (soon I hope). And with the cats all well and healthy and happy again. Pretty please.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Yassss! just like we used to do...one day again (soon I hope). And with the cats all well and healthy and happy again. Pretty please.

that will be so wounderful !

what a faboulse outdoor space

actually two things we could never have in Wellington
cantilever umbrellas (too much wind) and braziers -council outdoor fire ban

(mind you my work still sold lots of them)

there is zero romanticism in a heat pump !

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

im watching tiny house nation
why would you !!!???
they look cute - but ??

we lived in a 45m2 house for near on 20 years
it was a well designed house for one of 80s vintage (apricot bathroom)
but now i just love having a real laundry !

 

[kenny]

Missy, I have the exact same fire pit, but wish I had your Adirondack chairs.

 

[sledge]

It probably boils down to personal preference. I've lived in many places and various setups and conditions over the years.

Growing up, we had 1 bath and off-site laundry and as a strong kid I was frequently the pack mule. That always stuck with me as more annoying than a single bath.

Consequently I've always tried to make sure I had a laundry room, even as a single guy. Those times I didn't I was okay paying to have my laundry done at the cleaners (yes, some places do it all) or hiring a housekeeper to help me.

If I were the one buying, I would determine if the 2 bath had a logical spot for a Euro style setup, what the condo restrictions are about installing them and if I had the extra cash to do the minor remodel, update of utilities and purchase of machines. Assuming all 3 checked out or even if I could save the cash in a reasonable time then I'd likely choose the 2 bath and do a remodel so I had both.

 

[missy]

Missy, I have the exact same fire pit, but wish I had your Adirondack chairs.

Thanks Kenny. I *think* we got them at Costco. Bought a set and loved them so much we got another set. A number of years ago so not completely sure.

 

[sledge]

@yssie and @Daisys and Diamonds I'd encourage you to inspect your wiring closer.

I have a close friend that is a licensed electrician and owns his business. As a side gig I've helped him on a few rewire jobs.

One job was a beautiful 40/50's era home. It had a hodge podge of things going on. Most of it was old knob and tube wiring. It had some burnt cloth wiring and some newer Romex style where someone tried to add on.

My buddy originally got called out to add a few extra outlets when he discovered the mess. The owners had just recently bought the home and had zero idea about this. They were young, had kids and not much money. He took the job at a barely break even price to basically ensure their safety.

Obviously, not every situation is this severe. But at some point, an owner of an older home with no updates should expect to spend some money. Until then, do frequent inspections and make sure all is good.

 

[asscherisme]

Wow, such a passionate topic! Thanks for the input. I just emailed him and told him that he should see if he can add ventless to the 2 bathroom. If not, I think he should go for laundry. I totally agree with those who think it is gross to share washing machines. I personally bleach mine every month to keep it clean.

I will let you all know what he chooses. He plans on taking a second look. I wish I could go with him, he is in a different state. But I am familiar with the area and they are both really nice buildings. I think the 2 bedroom 1 bath with in unit laundry is a nicer building. I am voting for that one.

 

[bling_dream19]

Thanks Kenny. I *think* we got them at Costco. Bought a set and loved them so much we got another set. A number of years ago so not completely sure.

Yay costco!!!

 

[Arcadian]

Oh you guys bring back soooo many memories! Our house in Massachusetts was built in 1948. the entire neighborhood was named after generals and was for the troops coming home from war (the base wasn't very far from there)

Anyway the electric in that house was horrendous! I think at most each room had wall plugs! plenty of the ceilings had no electric in them period!

I did most of the electrical myself though I had to call and ask my dad about more than a few things so I didn't end up cooking myself! When we got the hot tub, I had to add to the box, so I only did what I was comfortable with and knew, which was the minimum for the tub. took forever to heat up after it was drained but that was ok.

The newer side of the house we put on in 2006. It was great, everything was up to code. The old side....we limped along with until I had no choice but to upgrade the box when we got the solar panels. (had to get a real electrician for that!)

 

[missy]

Yay costco!!!

Yes Costco rocks! And we did get them from Costco. DH confirmed. And when we went back to get more they no longer carried it so we ordered it directly from the company. Darn now I forgot the name of the company. Life something. I think it's Lifetime.