Installing a 3rd toilet in a large house for 12 guests, how private does it need to be?

[Mary1523]

Looking for advice from experienced hosts who have large properties! Or people who would book properties for more than 8 people.

I have a large 12 guest 6 bedroom rural country home with a pool. It only has 2 bathrooms with toilets within. Been hosting 8 years.

I have  wondered for some time if we need a 3rd separate toilet. I have had feedback that a 3rd toilet would be nice, especially for friend bookings vs  extended family bookings (they are more accepting of only 2 toilets it seems). And new competitor down the road has 3 toilets for same # of people and is getting bookings, whereas ours have dropped off.

So got the builder quote for the only place it could be installed in the laundry. Note the laundry is a thoroughfare (go through the laundry from kitchen to go outside to back yard with pool). Which option would you go for ?

a) toilet installed, new walls to enclose toilet and sink, door to enter for complete privacy and can use toilet at anytime of the day. Cost $20K

b) toilet installed only on back wall, no walls at all. So no permanent privacy. Toilet would only be used in these scenarios by kids coming from the pool, or at night by anyone when the back door is locked, and the laundry is no longer a thoroughfare. Cost is $5K

We are in a cool climate region, so there's not alot of outside night usage by guests on the whole, they stay inside, except for a 3 or so summer months.

And no can't really get another quote, he is our regular builder, been very good to us, we are a remote property and we are not close, and its hard getting builders out there to do work, and plus he lives local to the property which helps when we have emergencies. 

So thoughts people? Option A or B?

I'm leaning to option B with a freestanding privacy screen as option A can't be justified for that amount of money! No bookings would ever recoup that!
Thanks so much!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Mary1523 I vote for Option A. I would do Option C before Option B where Option C is do nothing.

[Mary1523]

interesting thank you!

[Bob297]

@Mary1523 
I would choose option A.
Last week we went on holiday with 15 family members. Although it's family, I would prefer privacy.
Can't you combine it with an extra bathroom for not much extra cost?

[Mary1523]

Thanks Bob - if you had booked my property stating 3 toilets, and then found the toilet was option B, would that impact your experience or expectation of the property?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Mary1523 I have to say, if you have space, that @Bob297 's idea to add a shower or bath is brilliant. The cost shouldn't be vastly more and you would end up with a 3 bath house. 

[Mary1523]

Actually I think I misunderstood but actually it gave another idea thank you! I'm getting the builder to requote with a shower, one of those prefab shower install systems since there's no plumbing for taps or drains. If I'm going to spend near 20K, may as well get a 3rd bathroom out of it, rather than just a toilet!

[Cheri354]

Can the laundry room have doors that close/lock for privacy so it's no longer an open

thoroughfare ?

[Mary1523]

Great idea! Initially thought to myself isn't that what I got quoted from builder (?), but then I realised if I moved the wall, I could do what you suggested so that entire laundry has its own door in the thoroughfare to back door and kitchen door. Solves problem of privacy! Thank you for the thought starter!

[Sophia]

Hello @Mary1523, you've got some great advice here from fellow hosts . Did you take onboard any of the suggestions shared. It would be great if you could share with us what you eventually did, it may help other Hosts in the future! 😊

[Mary1523]

Builder quoting a toilet and a wall in a place that stops laundry being a thorough fare and also drops the price from original quote hopefully as the old wall position was causing some construction additional costs.

Couldn't get a shower in, was going to push the quote way over $20K and not worth it.

At least an extra toilet will make my house more attractive for large bookings guests.

Thanks all!

[Alex1485]

Hi @Mary1523! Love your new color palette for the kitchen...:)!

Hope you were able to fix the beautiful wood floors...

new pix look lovely :)!

[Mary1523]

thank you @Alex1485 !

Unfortunately floors not solved yet. Have a couple of options, welcome advice:

1. keep spot repairing, but its time consuming and hard intensive work. (had another 3 long gouges put in it last booking that I will probably never get out), plus the polyeurthane coating is starting to flake off in places

2. get a quote to restore the parquetry, probably at LEAST $10K (last quote 5 years ago was $5K). this is for kitchen and dining mind you.  This will be the most expensive option and will guests respect it? 

3. found a lino product that replicates a herringbone parquetry pattern.

a) put it over the top as an overlay. probably $5K. keep the parquetry underneath for that 'one day' i might want to restore it?

b) do i just bite the bullet and remove the parquetry (this pains me but maybe I can sell the pieces?), and put the lino down?

Any advice?

Thank you!

[Alex1485]

Hiello @Mary1523 ..

My advice is the same as last time; keep doing self repair..poly shouldn't easily flake off, did you let it cure/use it in the correct temp recommendations..

or..look for an older handyman that wants to earn extra $, and have them do it..

Concerned plank vinyl may cheapen the look of your place, and I recall, you had mentioned months ago, having to already reduce prices...maybe that isn't the case anymore?  

[Mary1523]

Hi, unfortunately the polyeurethane flaking off is the old stuff. I basically cannot keep up with the self repair given my other priorities with the property! And I'm not close at all... And finding people is quite hard - shortage of anyone with decent skills. We are lucky we have a builder and a handyman, but they've got a full book. 

It's not plank vinyl, its  rolled lino, looks exactly the same as parquetry.  https://www.carpetcourt.com.au/masterpieces

Thoughts?

Kind regs

Mary