Serious question- how many bathrooms does an apt need?

Newly in Negev

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 4:43 am

Hi all,

We are looking to buy a home in Israel. We found a beautiful place well within our budget, but it only has one bathroom. We are investigating the possibility of being able to build another one (anyone who lives in Israel knows that building here is very complicated! and expensive!) but if it doesnt work out for some reason, I was wondering-

could your family be comfortable with only one bathroom?

We are a young couple with one toddler and iyh a baby on the way. We'd ideally like to be in this home a long time. There are 3.5 bedrooms, and a nice patio, which works well for us. The main issue is the bathroom..

would love to hear your perspectives!

Last edited by Newly in Negev on Mon, Mar 23 2015, 6:12 am; edited 1 time in total

Newly in Negev

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 5:03 am

from what I understand, a sink is easyish to put in but a toilet requires much bigger tubes and gets complicated pretty quickly. hmm

imaima

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 5:07 am

Newly in Negev wrote:

is there only one toilet? if yes, that would be a dealbreaker for me

Rodent

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 5:15 am

Family of 8, 4 bedroom house with one bathroom. We manage ok but we occasionally have to send a boy out to use a tree.... In an ideal world we'd have another toilet but we make do without.

imaima

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 5:26 am

Rodent wrote:

Family of 8, 4 bedroom house with one bathroom. We manage ok but we occasionally have to send a boy out to use a tree.... In an ideal world we'd have another toilet but we make do without.

You are lucky that you only have boys and you live in a climate where you can send them out!!!

Raisin

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 5:30 am

you could make life easier by putting washbasins in bedrooms so people can brush teeth there and so on. I've also seen a shower stall in a corner of a bedroom. shock

(not sure if I'd want that...) But it is really tough to have only one toilet. What if you need to do your mikva preps and someone needs the toilet? With toddlers you can use a potty but older kids will likely not want to do that.

we have 6 kids and one full bathroom, one shower room, plus sinks in some of the bedrooms. 5 bedroom house. second shower gets used mostly erev shabbos, otherwise very rarely. Second toilet in use very often.
Second shower is nice but not essential - you can always get round that by staggering peoples shower times.

Sanguine

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 5:35 am

You need a second toilet (the rest is optional). Little kids can't hold it in and they can't be rushed cause a guest has to go (and your child's friends certainly can't be rushed). It can wait to add later and it can be just a toilet but you will need a second toilet as your family has more toilet users

etky

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 5:45 am

Make sure that from an engineering point of view an extra toilet can in fact be added in a reasonable place in the apartment. If that is feasible, even if it's an expensive option, then buy the apartment. It sounds that you really like it, it's affordable for you, and it could continue to meet the needs of your growing family for a long period of time. You can always add the extra toilet later on - you still have a while before it becomes a pressing need, and you can start budgeting for it now.

amother

Peach

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 5:57 am

And when you add the extra toilet, make sure it's shabbat-friendly - there's a brand called Saniflo that it's easier to install because it processes the waste ELECTRONICALLY!

Tablepoetry

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 6:34 am

It would be a deal-breaker, especially if it's in the same room as the only shower.

I did live with one bathroom, as a couple with a baby or two. We managed. But once you have kids actually using the toilet, it's really tough. A kid may have a tummy ache or just take his time, and all his siblings (and you!) have to hold it in.
I can imagine the morning rush would be terrible.
It just seems to me to hold the potential for too much tension and fighting.
Is this an older apartment? They no longer build places in Israel with one toilet, as far as I know. If it's older, make sure you can add a toilet later on (not all older buildings can handle that) and make sure the extra cost is still worth it.

amother

Orange

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 6:46 am

I have 2 kids and 1 on the way IYH and our apartment has one bathroom (well, two, but the second one is not in use). It's totally fine.

HOWEVER. I only rent. If I was buying.. I'd probably want a second one. I don't know how it would be if IYH I had say 6 kids and some of them teenagers, I really can't say. But if I had the option, then I'd try to get a second one.

cbg

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 7:09 am

You need at least 2 toilets.
Everything else can wait, but when you gotta go, you gotta go.
But I'm spoiled where I live most apartments/ houses have more bathrooms than bedrooms.

daagahminayin

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 8:06 am

I think you really need to look at the people in your family and what their needs are. People really vary in this regard!

Ruchel

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 8:08 am

I live in a very big apartment and it has only one toilet, as is the norm. Toilet separated from bathroom though so no prob if someone showers. I don't see why I should feel it's a problem as many have told me it is (foreigners online etc).

I also spent vacays at my grandparents with dh, my parents, my grandparents, and one toilet. You go, do, exit. You're a mentsch and don't read.

amother

Maroon

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 8:22 am

Ruchel wrote:

Its not about reading. People get constipated (kids too), kids get diarrhea, pregnant women need to go all the time....sure you can survive. People also survived with no toilets at all in the house. But it makes life so much more pleasant when you don't need to wait in line to pee.

amother

Maroon

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 8:27 am

amother wrote:

Not to mention life is more pleasant when you can change your tampon in peace, without kids banging on the door that they need to go.