After 25 years of watching people build their dream homes, McCloud is tired of seeing houses with more toilets than people! In a recent interview, he called the trend “absurd” and questioned why people are so obsessed with having multiple bathrooms for guests.

And it seems he’s not alone. While many homeowners are adding extra bathrooms, experts say it might not be the best way to add value to your property.

Too many toilets?

So, how many bathrooms are too many? Research suggests that the sweet spot is two bathrooms for every three bedrooms. This means a four-bedroom house should ideally have 2.6 bathrooms, and a five-bedroom house should have 3.5. However, McCloud argues that even this is excessive, pointing out that “you can’t use more than one at a time.”

The trend for multiple bathrooms is reflected in recent data. A 2018 study found that 82% of two-bedroom homes sold by Hamptons International had at least two bathrooms, while over a third of four-bedroom homes had at least four.

Bedrooms beat bathrooms

While extra bathrooms might sound appealing, most estate agents agree that adding an extra bedroom is a better way to increase the value of your home. A 2017 study by Direct Line found that 91% of estate agents recommended extensions or conversions for an extra bedroom over adding a bathroom.

McCloud, who also favours clever design over unnecessary extravagance, highlights the environmental impact of having too many bathrooms. He points out that bathrooms are “extremely wasteful in terms of resource” and encourages homeowners to be more mindful of their environmental footprint.

Celebrating 25 years of Grand Designs

McCloud’s comments come ahead of the show’s 25th anniversary celebrations. A special episode, “Grand Designs: 25 Years & Counting”, will air on September 11th at 9 pm on Channel 4. The episode will revisit some of the show’s most memorable builds and challenging moments.

A special anniversary book, “Grand Designs at 25”, will also be published to mark the occasion.