Daily Record Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Adding a new bathroom can transform your home
Sweet en suites so
7stylishhomes
don't loos outI
T might be the smallest
room in the house but
property experts say
the addition of a
well-designed en suite can
be one of the biggest
improvements any home
owner can make.
The current trend among house
builders is to offer at least one
bedroom with an en suite fitted
as standard.
And it is not just large family
homes where the addition of a
walk-in shower room or even a wet
room off the main bedroom is
becoming increasingly popular.
Even small homes and flats are
featuring sweet en suites.
Whatever the size of your home,
the addition of an en suite can be
easy to achieve.
And not only will you gain from the
convenience of having an extra toilet
and shower, but experts agree it can
add considerable value to your
property.
David Sangster, property expert at
Neilsons Solicitors and Estate Agents
in Edinburgh, said:"In recent years,
there has been a noticeable move
towards house buyers favouring en
suites.
"There is a very large section of
the house viewing public who are
looking to see an en suite with the
master bedroom, and if your house
has a nicely designed en suite then
that will increase the desirability of
your home.
"It can be hard to put a figure on
exactly how much value can be
added to your home by it having a
well designed en suite � and it is not a
simple case of saying`I spent �5000
so it will have added �5000 to the
value of my home'.
"If there are two very similar
properties for sale and one has a
nicely fitted en suite then,
undoubtedly, that will be the more
popular of the two properties with
buyers."
Finding the space for your en suite
may be easier than you imagine.
In a large bedroom you can easily
create a new room from within the
space you have.
A trend for open-plan living has
seen many home owners opt to place
a bath or shower as a feature of their
bedroom � although the toilet
remains tucked away.
Frosted glass walls � often rounded
or contemporary in design � are
proving a popular choice when an en
suite is being created from within a
large room.
But if space is not readily available
then many other options can help
you find the space you need.
Walter Toward, ofWholesale
Domestic, Scotland's largest
bathroom superstore, said:"There are
so many slimline suites available that
you don't need a lot of space to create
a beautiful en suite.
"It might be that if you are in a
traditional tenement, then you have a
deep cupboard in your room that can
be transformed into en suite space.
"If your house is more modern,
then it is possible to make an en suite
from fitted wardrobe space.
"And some people have cupboards
in their halls that can make great
spaces for an en suite.
"Increasingly we are seeing families
make the most of small bedrooms
they don't need by turning them into
more spacious en suites. If a couple
only have two children, then
turning their box-room style fourth
bedroom into an en suite can be a
much more family friendly use of
their living space.
"That way they can have a practical
family bathroom, and mum and dad
can also have their own en suite."
Design planning is key to making
your en suite space work for your
home. Laying out a floor plan of
any en suite furniture you would
like will help you make the most of
the space.
And space saving tips such as
shower doors that fold inwards and
hanging en suite bathroom doors so
they open outwards can also create a
sense of having more room.
The cost of buying a toilet, wash
hand basin and shower for your en
suite can start at about �500.
But David Sangster says that it is
absolutely vital to spend any money
wisely. He said:"The most important
thing is making sure that the design is
right.
"I have seen houses where a
shower has just been shoved into the
corner of a bedroom and you know
the first thing any new buyer is going
to have to do is rip it out.
"The rule for any home
improvement is that it has to be
done well."
`People have
cupboards in
their halls that
can makespace
for en suites'
FINISHING TOUCH: Slimline bathroom suites can be fitted to minimise the amount of room needed for your new en suite
PICTURES:WHOLESALEDOMESTIC

Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5Page 6Page 7Page 8Page 9Page 10Page 11Page 12Page 13Page 14Page 15Page 16Page 17Page 18Page 19Page 20Page 21Page 22Page 23Page 24Page 25Page 26Page 27Page 28Page 29Page 30Page 31Page 32 Produced by PageSuite