Geoff Wells, bathroom planning expert for Dolphin Bathrooms, comments:

“It has been estimated that adding an en-suite to your property can add as much as 5% to its value, as well as giving you that extra bit of luxury and room. For many with growing families the en-suite presents a solution to the morning hustle and bustle. For others, en-suites may be that extra little bit of comfort easing them out of bed in the morning. What is clear is that the trend on improving rather than moving is set on continuing, and that with careful planning and expert guidance, it can really be money well spent.

“Making sure you have your en-suite properly installed is crucial as there are many practical issues which need expert guidance. The first, and least glamorous, is finding a route to transfer waste. Commonly the master bedroom is on the front of the house and the vent for waste is at the back of the house. So you may need to make room for all the piping and make a route to the main sewer branch. With another W/C you will need a macerator which will take the waste under the floor of the house.

“To keep your hot shower running nicely you also need to be careful of water supplies coming in – a lot of properties now have combis. Unfortunately if you have a combi in the main bathroom, the same bathroom is now going to have to feed the en-suite too! This means that the water will have to split between two appliances.

“Depending on where you place the en-suite, you will need to consider ventilation. For example it is likely if you have a big window you will want to keep that within your bathroom to let light in. The common solution to this is placing an extractor fan within the room to let all the moisture out and keep your en-suite fresh."