my ideal is a compartmented family bathroom, plus ensuite and optional extra powder room...we all need to learn to share but some privacy is appreciated for all ages and rather have a biw and room for a desk in a minor bedroom than a separate ens for each bedroom

I'd look a little further ahead and modernise for sustainability rather than the excess which still appears widely 'wanted' today encouraged by real estate upselling. If you are in the south keep in mind any improvements you can make to northern solar access for comfort and ongoing cost savings.

As for family bathroom versus ensuites, it depends on what suits your household. Personally I prefer a comfortably sized three-way family bathroom rather than multiple small ensuites. Easier plumbing, less and easier cleaning, easier to plan to avoid noise in adjoining rooms. Also suits a wider range of ages, for example if the bedrooms are used by very young children a personal shower might be of less use than access to a bathtub, and will they clean it or is it just more work for mum?

Two separate living areas in a family home is a good idea, and a quiet separate space for studying / working from home is a valuable addition.

It might be worth posting the floorplan. There are some great regulars here who can draw suggested options.

A family bathroom with a separate powder room with mirror, storage and power outlet would be my ideal. That way you have one main bathroom to clean but with an ‘overflow’ mini bathroom for peak times in the house eg if you have teenagers getting ready for school one can access the powder room to brush teeth, do hair etc. This also means you can shut the door on the main bathroom and clean the powder room for guests. You can still have them responsible for cleaning ‘their ‘ bathroom without being held to ransom when guests are coming over!

Family bathroom. Two sinks, separate toilet with sink. Agree with all suggestions above. I also will add, that is a consumers home with individual bathrooms for all bedrooms. An expensive exercise when building and living in a home. More power consumed, probably more water used, because no one is waiting at the door for the next shower, more tiles, more concrete. Plus with more bathrooms, you may need more than one hot water system......etc etc. And that wonderful thing of sharing, which seems to be lost these days. Please don’t say you are also putting a TV in each room!

Ask yourself who is going to clean the bathrooms. They are also expensive to build. Personally I prefer no ensuites, 2 family bathrooms and a generous powder room. One bathroom can be in a master wing but outside bedroom so all can use and it keeps noise and odour a bit removed.

I'm looking more for when we decide to sell (could be 5-10 years away) Our kids have both grown up and moved out so the bedrooms & bathrooms will only be used for visitors. I was planning on having all the toilets hooked up to use tank water and the ensuites having (bed 2 &3) having it's own instantaneous hot water.

I know when my kids were growing up bathroom time was always issue and then who was responsible for cleaning a shared bathroom. As a mum back then I would have liked them to have there own space. I don't think either of them used the bath pass the age of about 4 or 5 even though there is currently a spa bath in the bathroom and it's only a small room.

This is one of the drafts that we have been thing of. Having provision to put a bath in the master ensuite by removing one of the vanity units for resale if we feel it is needed and a small power room in the laundry.

Thanks for all the feedback. It's great to get perspectives

* edited to add that each ensuite (for bed 2 & 3) are 1100 x 2500

** powder room vanity basin is only a concept image (limited range on the package I have - but it will need to be small. The original purpose of the powder room was to be a drying cupboard

please add dimensions of all the room and assuming that you will need a development application to local council to change bathrooms i suggest that you check with them about any local requirements including BASIX standards

Can you add dimensions. They look very narrow with small basins and bench space and storage. Back to back you can’t put face level storage i, in both walls/. Powder room basin is also tiny Can you even wash hands in it?

Each ensuite (for bed 2 & 3) are 1100 x 2500. I do have some flexibility with the width and can go up to 1500 width but I wanted to make the bedrooms a little bigger. I am happy to have bespoke cabinetry.

powder room vanity basin is only a concept image (limited range on the package I have) but it will need to be small. The original purpose of the powder room was to be a drying cupboard

i suggest that there needs to be at least 1200 depth for the ens (ie mini depth handbasin or vanity plus standing room with door closed) and is there still space for biw? and powder room would need to be at least 900 x 1500 to allow for a toilet plus extra space for a handbasin but depends on size of total available space as a handbasin can sometimes be pushed into an adjoining room

If your new individual ensuites are only used by visitors, then that is a completely different scenario to a family situation. But if down the road, when selling, the demographic of people liking this layout may be limited. A young family may not like this individual ensuite set up. So if this is what you would like for your own living arrangements, go with that, but be aware the future buyers may not like the set up. But that is something I would not worry about, because there are a lot of variables in that scenario.

And are shared bathroom is the responsibility of the users to clean. A roster worked wonderfully in our home, when our children became old enough. But until they were 15 or so. I cleaned the bathrooms, then I knew they were cleaned.

When dreamer said "probably more water used, because no one is waiting at the door for the next shower" it made me think of water pressure. Multiple showers being used at randomly overlapping times could be uncomfortable. I'm sure there's technology to compensate, but then there's even more cost. Another thought I had was if the rooms are only used by guests that's a lot of potential for stagnant water.

If by instantaneous hot water you mean gas, renovating is a good opportunity to get off it. There are suburbs already being built here that are gas-free, so in 5-10 years I imagine all-electric homes will be more more the norm.

For me, ALWAYS a ensuite toilet with a door!

1100 width makes it likely to hit head on wall when standing up from toilet. Prefer 1300 opp toilet. If sep toilet need to add basin

More storage is always good. A separate WC in the ensuite is a great idea. Don't forget to think about where towel rails will go in the bathrooms. I have seen builders display homes which look spectacular but they obviously didn't think through how they are used.