ATOT: Lend my your bathroom-remodeling/real-estate ears!

[iGas]

Of the two jobs, and depending on the location of the stack, walls that he can run lines through, etc., the plumbing is probably easier to handle than the tile. The only "hard" part of the plumbing will be knowing what meets code. i.e. in a new vanity, can he install a mechanical vent to save on running additional lines? Those sorts of questions. The supply lines - just about anyone can handle that if they have the right tools. I've said in a couple other threads, I've been sold on Pex, and thus far will only use the Wirsbo brand, because others have claimed it's easy to kink pex. I haven't had a kink in the Wirsbo. And, when I intentionally put a kink in it as part of a demonstration, the demonstrator took a torch to it, heated it until it was clear as glass, and it restored that section to the way it was before the kink was there.

I sort of take that back a little bit - depending on the layout - where the stack is, etc., his designs might be limited by the plumbing, particularly the drain lines - with the location of the toilet being the biggest question mark.

Not all local allows cheater vent/s, and many only allows 1 cheater vent per structural and it is must be expose/not inside sealed wall. Not only that trap arms are allows to have an equivalent slope of its trap diameter ie. 1/4" per foot on a 1.5" trap/pipe would be 6' max, or 8' on a 2" trap/pipe.

Most if not all PEX tubing can recover its shape if kinked (Wirsbo is the best of the class with recovery ratio of up to 98%, others are up to 84% and greater).

Anything can be done as long as there is enough room for the drainage to have it proper slope. And, vent is pretty simple as long as there is access to the roof or attic.

 

[iGas]

What's wrong with a window? As long as it isn't transparent...

It is a cardinal sin to have window's in the shower. Code doesn't imply that you can't have one, but it is something that needs constant attention because it is the easiest point of failure in the bathroom.

 

[iGas]

Keep the tub. A house without a bathtub will be a major turnoff for potential buyers.

I actually have 3 full bathrooms in my home and even though we almost never take baths it is nice to have them and my son took baths for the first few years of his life. They are a must for small kids.

A bathroom with out a tub is not considered a full bathroom. And, a house with out one is a big no no.

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

So we've been discussing this a bit in the past 24 hours. I realize that I'm wrong on the shower thing if we want to keep our pool of potential buyers as high as possible. We're also looking at what will provide the most ROI but also be nice for us in the next 5-7 years. So here's the question related to your responses. What is the best way to proceed?

Option 1: Keep the same layout. Gut the room. Replace plumbing/wiring/cabinets/shower/toilet as needed. Ditch window, add ceiling vent/heater. Install nice cabinets from work. End up with 3 bedrooms and a 65x91 bathroom.

Option 2: Gut the room. Replace plumbing/wiring/cabinets/toilet as needed. Ditch the window, add ceiling vent/heater. Install bigger vanity from work. Move the toilet to be centered in a 36" opening. Bathtub with shower in closet. My research shows we could do a 48x27 shower base, a corner style tub/shower, OR (if I can find one) a 48x37 tub base. Obviously we have a problem if we do the shower base. Build out a new closet at standard 24" interior depth instead of 37". Would lose a small amount of floor space in 3rd "bedroom" but could technically still call it a bedroom.

No matter what, we're stubbed in for at least a toilet in the basement, and possibly a half bath.

Basically, I'm wondering if the bigger deal breaker is the tiny bathroom (65x91), a bigger bathroom with tub/shower and a tiny 3rd "bedroom," or a 2 bed 1 bath with office and a nicely sized bathroom.

EDIT: forgot an updated drawing.

I'll go ahead and say that the middle option, with the tiny 3rd bedroom, is your best bet. It's still an 8x12 bedroom minus the standard closet's dimensions, and you have a spacious bathroom next to it. Sounds like a win to me.

As for windows in the shower, my uncle has a frosted window with distorted glass in his newly-remodeled bathroom. The natural light while showering is indeed very nice compared to just a light. Oh and make sure to have a light above the shower/bath, our shower is really dark without one. And go for more form than function when picking a sink, you can always make a really BA set of cabinets

 

[geno]

That too. But I said it because it's a HORRIBLE idea to lose a tub and a closet. A room has to have a closet to be considered a bedroom. And by eliminating the tub, in a one bath house, you'll eliminate probably half the prospective buyers.

This, to some extent, however you need to make the house what you want it to be. Sure, it might suck to lose a bedroom on the sale end, but if you're planning on staying for a while, is it worth dealing with a cramped bathroom for so many years? It's a trade off. My wife and I are dealing with the a similar situation. We have a very cramped half bath upstairs and we're debating borrowing some room from an adjacent spare room (non-bedroom) to turn it into a full bath. The question is, is it worth taking a hit on the selling end in order to get what you want for now? So the course of action for the OP depends on his long-term plans for the house, IMO.

 

[highland145]

sniphttp://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh64/mccorklen/updated1.jpg

MINE.