Building a bathroom next to a bathroom - cheaper??

Hi folks
Just wondering if, in general, it is any cheaper to build a bathroom next to an existing bathroom (as far as plumbing costs are concerned) as opposed to having a large room in between?
Or does it make hardly any/no difference??

HHCIB

I would say yes, it would be a cost saving.
do you have a plan?

Hi Kiwi
Thanks for that. No, no plan as yet.
We are probably about 12 months away (at least) from taking any concrete steps (design plans, quotes, permits etc, let alone actual build) so we are just mulling over ideas at this stage.

Out of interest, what would plans have told you? Or are there some pointers you could share if we did do it this way (ie back a bathroom on to an existing bathroom).

HHCIB

I thought it might have been a reno, and you could have shown us what you wanted to do, and what we think is better!! ha ha

we extended our home and added a master and ensuite and another bedroom. We put our ensuite next to our old bathroom. It seemed to be really easy and straight forward..but it was a reno.

we sold that home in christchurch 2 mths before the first earthquake (now it has to be demolished, but that is life..grrrr) and built

our 3 bathrooms are as far apart as they can be!! but it is a new build and so I think a new build prob doesnt really matter much

a bit more trench, and some more pipe is prob $500 more..whereas a reno would be more $$$$$ than that I recon if the new bathroom wasnt next to the old bathroom

I wanted my master bedroom and ensuite to be no where near any bathrooms or any bedrooms...didnt want to hear anyone, and didnt want anyone to hear me!

but I guess it depends if you are as anal as me...

ha ha

Hi again Kiwi... no, it is a reno - well, an extension to an existing house. Sorry, when I said 'build' I meant the extension/s - not the entire house.

Yes, we have an existing ensuite but it backs directly on to DS's bedroom and although he is only 11 months old at the moment, I just can't stand the fact that you can hear every cupboard open, every toilet flush, every voice, and every other 'god knows what' from his room. So I'm with you - I don't want to hear him, and I don't want him to hear me.

So, we are thinking of turning it all around, and our ensuite could potentially become a guest bathroom and our ensuite would be built backing on to that (we would then have to extend our bedroom outwards a bit, but that's OK, we have the room). Given as a guest bathroom it would hardly be used, I wouldn't be so concerned. Or we would actually take out the fittings, rip up tiles etc, and extend our WIR into the current ensuite. But essentially the connections would still all be present under the house so the plumbing aspect would be the same as if the bathroom was still actually in use (wouldn't it??).

Anyway, that's the thought. The other option is that we tack the ensuite on to the front of the house but then our master bedroom would be in between the two bathrooms/plumbing access and potentially add to the cost. I have another thread in the general discussion section about ensuites being at the front of the house.

Thanks again Kiwi.

HHCIB

oow, no you dont want your master between 2 loos..can you imagine, all those copper pipes contracting and expanding..all through the night!

next to the now guest bathroom sounds great. we extended out the front too.
onto our front yard,
we also made a front door, as you had to come around the back and through a slider, so now we had an entrance and cos the roof line was steep, we could put a kids play room in the attic in the new part..it was so cool.

good luck with it all, I am sure your first thought is the right one, loos next to each other, esp if it is a guest bathroom. brilliant

LOL Kiwi, our first thought was extending out the front. Attaching to existing bathroom was an after thought . The existing bathroom is our now ensuite - we would have to close it off and change doors around to access it from the other side of the room and hopefully be able to turn it into a guest bathroom (haven't nutted out if it is possible yet in terms of how it would leave the other rooms that we would need to access it from).

Never even considered copper pipes expanding etc. Do you mean when people use it, or just from change in temperature etc?. Currently then, my son must have that issue because he is wedged between our ensuite and the 'family' bathroom. What sort of noises is it??

HHCIB

plastic doesnt do it, so you may have plastic.
but it is the temp in the ceiling, and also the temp as the pipes cool after using hot water etc

we had a right nightmare with a tap tap tap noise for 1 1/2 hrs every 12 seconds (yes , nothing else to do at 2am but count it) on and off throughout the day and night for the last 3 mths. RIGHT ABOVE OUR BED!
it was fixed with a bit of silicone under the pipe as it was tapping onto some wood.
magic........all quiet

then when our son mentioned it, but not as frequently..every 30 seconds! we put silicone under them too above his bedroom and all quiet now.
for us it was the pipes on the wood, it is now silent, bar the water going through them first thing, but that is from the other end of the house and not near our master.
so dont care..ha ha

the plumber was telling me about it...the people who complain cos no one says about copper doing that, whereas plastic doesnt etc.

I would sleep in your sons room with him one night and listen as it may wake him up..and now you know why!

put some sponge under / around them, might muffle the noise etc

I would put the extension out the front and have a sitting area where the ensuite could go, and have the ensuite near the bathroom.
means you also get light from the front window into the bedroom (which way does it face?) you can also be lyi ng in bed and see your hubby pull up and you can quickly jump in the shower..and as he comes to find you to 'have a go, at being so lazy and not having made the bed, and have you just got up at 11 am etc' grab him and pull him in with you...he wont be telling you off for long
(oops, that is if you are a girlie writing it! sorry..you might be the hubby...)

ps the plumber said they can expand up to about 2 inches.
and then contract back again..2 inches, that is A LOT ay

and quite noisy

pss I wrote ly ing in bed
and it is starred!!! looked like I wrote something rudie

Thanks for the info re the pipes... and the suggestion re.... well... everything (yes, I'm the wifey ).

HHCIB