And here is what it would become. When I bought the house, I know the idea of the master bedroom being downstairs away from the other 3 was a turn off for buyers with families with small children, but I'm not sure the money spent adding a bath would be made up in resale value, considering all the plumbing and framing. This area is a above a garage and I would do most work myself. Opinions would be appreciated!

I think either way is fine. Two full baths serving 3 bedrooms seems generous but not over the top, but I also think that leaving things as they are and having the master downstairs and the other bedrooms upstairs can be very nice. Where do YOU WANT your bedroom to be? That matters more than potential future buyers.

We have our bedroom and bathroom downstairs, with other bedrooms and bath upstairs. The way I think about it, when our daughter is grown and gone, or when we sell to someone else, it will be a lovely place for people with young visiting family members. The parent/grandparent generation is downstairs, and the visiting parents/kids can be upstairs in their own space. That's the setup when we visit my in-laws, and it's perfect. The generations are on separate floors, and everybody's happy.

There are many different ways to think about resale--not all home buyers are families with young kids!

I can see the positives of having a master bedroom/bath on the main floor. It could be a grandparent's suite, or it could be for you and your dh. You might like having a bit of separation from the young'uns...and of course, if you wind up on crutches - you don't have to be a senior citizen to break a leg - a main floor MB would be a gift.

If you don't mind cleaning the extra bathroom, why not do it? Of course, you could train your kiddos to clean the bathrooms - they have to learn some time!

No closet?

We just made one bathroom into two. It was not as expensive as we had thought it would be. Our layout was different then yours. Have you thought about making your shower smaller and having a linen closet there also?

Am I ever glad you posted this query...I am fighting with my husband about this right now concerning our split-level bathroom remodel. He is someone who ALWAYS says "no" to any change just because it is change...drives me absolutely crazy.

I would do this without a moment's hesitation. We have just two good sized bedrooms on the top level, and I want to change a horrible single bathroom design that can be accessed from both the master bedroom and main hallway. I want to create two small bathrooms by dividing the one main bath and incorporating the bedroom's walk-to-the-bathroom area into a small complete master bath which would have a shower that is 40'"x60" (8 inches wider than the current shower area) plus a second complete bath with a shower-tub combo. Like your design, my result would be two small baths,; but each would function much better than my current one bath design disaster.

I say go for it...makes sense to me! I am convinced adding a bath makes resale sense. My husband says he is living in our house not someone else who might buy it...very limited thinking to me!

Thanks for all the input! Right now it's just me and my 3 year old son (that's right ladies, single dad!), so the current set up is adequate for just us, just seems to me like there is a lot of space wasted in that area right now.

catbuilder, I just didnt show the closet, the door to the walk in closet for that bedroom is in the lower right hand corner in the drawing I have shown.

The only reason not to really is cost, and since its just two of us, I can get one of them done then take my time on the other. I may have convinced myself! ha

I think it's a good idea. Having direct access to a bathroom from a bedroom would be a good selling feature. Go for it!

Is that furnace ducting in blue in the first photo? If so, I don't know what you did with it in the renos.

I would say for resale, that it would be a good idea. Your revised version is exactly what my sister has in her house, they removed a closet to build in a shower in their previous half bath in the Master. They are so happy with the results.

Is having plumbing over a 'unheated'? garage an issue? Can you insulate well enough to avoid problems. I know in our current Master bath reno we avoided having any plumbing on an outside wall. Right now, with Master bath gutted, we are living with your first photo...I hate walking into there in the middle of the night. I am sure any guest/future buyer would appreciate an ensuite!

I would do this in a minute, like you said with just the two of you there is no rush as long as you have one working bathroom. I think this would absolutely be worth it resale wise.

Thanks for the advice all, supply plumbing would not be an issue at all, it would run inside the new wall that splits the two bathrooms. Drains, however, would have to drop down below the joists, meaning I would have to build a bulkhead in the garage big enough to insulate under the pipes, so that might be a deal breaker there.