House reno- keep bathroom or keep closet? UPDATED WITH PIC

[Bernadine]

We're going to be reconfiguring our mudroom/laundry area, and I can't decide if we should keep the extra bathroom, or the extra closet.  We have a ranch-style house with 5 bedrooms and four full bathrooms (it sounds like a lot, but our house is really not that big).  We have three bedrooms on one side of the house, with a master bathroom and a bathroom in the hallway.  The fourth bedroom and full bathroom are on the other side of the house, behind the garage, next to the mudroom.  And then we have a fifth bedroom and another full bathroom in the basement.

So, I have two options for re-doing the mudroom.

Option A
Remove the full bathroom behind the garage.  Turn the shower stall into a closet/pantry-this area is right off of the kitchen, and we do not have a pantry.  We'd take out the sink and toilet, and that's where we'd put our washer and dryer.  So we'd keep the five bedrooms and go down to three full bathrooms.

Option B

Keep the sink and toilet.  Take out the shower stall, and remove the closet from the bedroom, and combine that area to put the washer and dryer.  With this option, we'd be at four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms.

I'm leaning strongly towards option A, but my mom has me re-thinking.  Especially considering re-sale value, wwyd?

Please see the terrible drawing below, and know that nothing is to scale, lol.  And this doesn't show the basement, where there is another bedroom and full bathroom.

[motzie]

My initial thought is option B, but why do you need to take out the closet and the shower? Could you get a stacking set and keep the closet in the bedroom?

[vanillacourage]

Neither?  I'm sorry, that sounds dickish and I'm sure you've researched a lot of configurations but if you're worried about resale I can't imagine that losing a bedroom or bathroom is preferable to an optimized mudroom. 

ETA - and are you 100% sure the basement bedroom can be counted for resale?  In some states anything below-grade can't be counted even if it has a closet and window with egress. I'd hate to see you pick the option to lose a bedroom and all of a sudden you're down to a 3BR. 

[whitemerlot]

Option B. I would not want to take out the bathroom if that's the only one near that bedroom.

[IrishBelle]

I'd probably go with B. It sounds like that bathroom would be close to the kitchen and the garage entry which is nice to have.

[Bernadine]

Oct 11, 2015 19:37:30 GMT -5 motzie said:

My initial thought is option B, but why do you need to take out the closet and the shower? Could you get a stacking set and keep the closet in the bedroom?

No- I should have said, it's just a shower stall in that bathroom, and I'm not sure it's a big enough space for a nice, big washer and dryer.

[sofamonkey]

Honestly, perhaps hiring an architect would be good. Or a designer of some sort. It sounds like a big redo no matter what.

[Bernadine]

Oct 11, 2015 19:39:12 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Neither?  I'm sorry, that sounds dickish and I'm sure you've researched a lot of configurations but if you're worried about resale I can't imagine that losing a bedroom or bathroom is preferable to an optimized mudroom. 

Lol, I'm realizing now that I left things out of my OP.  The only washer and dryer we have now is the little apartment-sized washer and dryer, outside of the bathroom.  There is definitely no space there to put a full size washer and dryer.  So, I think having the full size washer and dryer would be more attractive- maybe not?

[Bernadine]

Oct 11, 2015 19:44:48 GMT -5 peachy said:

So right now there's a bathroom with apartment-sized washer and dryer outside of it and a closet?

The tiny washer and dryer are on the one side of the bathroom, and the bedroom with the closet we'd have to take out is on the other side of the bathroom.

[Bernadine]

Oct 11, 2015 19:46:15 GMT -5 peachy said:

Oct 11, 2015 19:44:42 GMT -5 carrotsmakemefat said:

Keep bedroom 5 for resale

I don't think they are losing a bedroom either way.

If we took out the closet, we'd lose that as a bedroom.

[vanillacourage]

Can you steal space from a bedroom and create a laundry space in a hallway?

[Bernadine]

Oct 11, 2015 19:47:25 GMT -5 @booby said:

I would likely not go with option a. I understand you have a toilet in the basement and off the master. Where is the third one? If it's in a bedroom, def no to option a. If it's in the hallway, then option a is workable.

But my pref is for option b. I think. It's hard to say with certainty having never seen your home. You know?

The third bathroom is in the hallway, not in a bedroom.

I know, it's hard to describe the set up.

[mcsangel2]

I'd consider seeing if there's a way to configure some new space for a full size w/d in the basement, instead of sacrificing any of the bedroom closet or bathroom upstairs.

If it must be A or B, then B.

[Bernadine]

Oct 11, 2015 19:39:12 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Neither?  I'm sorry, that sounds dickish and I'm sure you've researched a lot of configurations but if you're worried about resale I can't imagine that losing a bedroom or bathroom is preferable to an optimized mudroom. 

ETA - and are you 100% sure the basement bedroom can be counted for resale?  In some states anything below-grade can't be counted even if it has a closet and window with egress. I'd hate to see you pick the option to lose a bedroom and all of a sudden you're down to a 3BR. 

Hmmm.  It was advertised as five bedrooms when we bought it, so I think so?  I can check that though.

[lilac05]

How long are you planning to live there? My answer really depends on that. I worry so much less about "resale" if you're planning to be there "forever" & it makes your house function well fog your family.

[lilac05]

If I was going to live there a long time & planned to have more than one kid, I'd be really tempted to take out the bedroom. It feels like a really awkward place to have a bedroom anyway. I'd turn it into my dream laundry/mud room.

I would not take away the bathroom nearest the garage. Having that bathroom there makes it possible for kids to run in & go to the bathroom without traipsing dirt everywhere. Also easy for bathroom stops right before leaving or when you get home.

[Bernadine]

Oct 11, 2015 20:36:36 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

If I was going to live there a long time & planned to have more than one kid, I'd be really tempted to take out the bedroom. It feels like a really awkward place to have a bedroom anyway. I'd turn it into my dream laundry/mud room.

I would not take away the bathroom nearest the garage. Having that bathroom there makes it possible for kids to run in & go to the bathroom without traipsing dirt everywhere. Also easy for bathroom stops right before leaving or when you get home.

This is a really excellent point that I hadn't considered.

I'm not sure how long we'll be here.  Sometimes I think this will be our forever home, and sometimes I think not.

[fryjack2]

I can't visualize the placement of your mud room from
Your drawing. It doesn't seem that close to the garage or front door?

Is there a way to move the laundry area to where your bedrooms are? So do what a PP suggested and build it into the halls? Basically bump into the bedroom closest to the family room a bit to put the laundry closet closest to the bedrooms. It will make that bedroom smaller, but for resale that can be marketed as a nursery or study.

[Deleted]

What do you use that bedroom for currently? Could you put the washer and dryer in the closet?



I know a lot of people don't like having laundry in the basement but I have my W/D in one of my bathrooms right now and it's a PITA. I wish it was out of sight.

[lilac05]

Another thought about Option A: if you turn the shower into a pantry, you will lose whatever wall/cabinet/counter space you have in that spot in the kitchen. Is that something you can afford to lose? You also may have some really costly plumbing challenges that could significantly impact your budget & options.

I think I'd call in a designer or two for thoughts, and call your real estate agent. In our area, a huge laundry room in a large house is a major selling point. A designer may have an option making that space a multi-functional space.

[jlt19]

I would take out the bedroom and reconfigure it all so you have a laundry room, bathroom and nice pantry. The amount of people searching for 5 bedrooms is probably low, so i wouldn't worry about resale value too much. Hell, I want to get rid of one of our 4 bedrooms and turn it into a fancy closet/laundry room.

[sofamonkey]

Are you talking about losing the bedroom on the far left & that bathroom? Ditch it!! It looks tiny!

(Yes, I saw your note about not being to scale!) Really though, if that's the are you meant, it does make sense.

[Jillaroo]

According to your drawing you washer and dryer are in a small hallway next to the bathroom, right? I'd just take out the sink and stack the washer and dryer at the end of that area facing the hallway. I'd rather get rid of a sink than a bathroom.

[aprilsails]

Option B for sure. Most people don't need 5 bedroom homes and that room would still function perfectly as a den or office or playroom even without a closet.
i would rather have a nice laundry and mud room as well as a powder room off the kitchen I think. You may be able to build in some cabinets for additional kitchen storage while you are at it.

[Bernadine]

Oct 11, 2015 21:25:09 GMT -5 Jillaroo said:

According to your drawing you washer and dryer are in a small hallway next to the bathroom, right? I'd just take out the sink and stack the washer and dryer at the end of that area facing the hallway. I'd rather get rid of a sink than a bathroom.

There's a door to outside that I forgot to include.