New House Build - So many options / questions

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › New House Build - So many options / questions

33coupe

1024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 75

ID Verified

#323175 3-Nov-2025 10:29

Sorry for creating another post (previous was about media room and kitchen but I couldnt change the title), but I will use this one for the entire build and just add to it if thats ok.

I really cant decide on this problem, I hope some folks on here can give their opinion on it.

1) The current bedroom layout has the 2nd bed right next to the desk nook, and is next to the bathroom. But it keeps the guest bedroom more separate, and the toilet a bit closer to all 3 bedrooms.

2) An alternative idea was to move the Guest bed next to other bedrooms. That way the bed / desk would work better in Bed 2, and no need to worry about shower/toilet noise for any rooms (wc/bath can be swapped). But the toilet is a bit further away from bedrooms. (We dont have a lot of guests, so most of time would be toy room, exercise bike etc)

Would you choose option 1 or 2?

(Please ignore any anomalies with the plan, Ive edited in Adobe etc)

Thanks in advance

1 | 2

3384 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1023

Trusted

#3430378 3-Nov-2025 10:57

Option 1 every time.

You want something between the kids bedrooms and guest, bathroom is a good way to do this, you also need to be aware of when the plumbing is going to from. i.e. what is under or on the other walls

CPU: AMD 5900x | RAM: GSKILL Trident Z Neo RGB F4-3600C16D-32GTZNC-32-GB | MB: Asus X570-E | GFX: EVGA FTW3 Ultra RTX 3080Ti| Monitor: LG 27GL850-B 2560x1440

Quic: https://account.quic.nz/refer/473833 R473833EQKIBX

wellygary

8810 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5287

#3430379 3-Nov-2025 10:58

Who are the intended users of Bedroom 1 and 2?

I wouldn't worry too much about toilet noise in plan 1, its essentially a room away, its only going to be users of the full bathroom that will have any noise impact, and the shower plumbing looks like its in the passage wall anyway, so if you noise insulate the separating wall it should be fine

I would go a hybrid route and just flip Bedroom2 with the existing Bathroom set up...

JayADee

2233 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 478

#3430440 3-Nov-2025 11:45

1 for sure

sir1963

3428 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3756

Subscriber

#3430496 3-Nov-2025 12:07

Absolutely Option 1

Guests are not there very often, so the noise of the shower, toilet, vent fans, etc will be further away and not heard by Bedrooms 1/2

Look after the "all the time" vs "some time"

And if that room of the end is "Laundry" it will reduce plumbing requirements.

duckDecoy

946 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 432

Subscriber

#3430522 3-Nov-2025 13:56

Which of the bedrooms will you be in?

33coupe

1024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 75

ID Verified

#3430533 3-Nov-2025 14:22

That seems pretty unanimous, thanks all!

Our bedroom is left of the snip, the bedrooms will be for our kids. I guess the noise from bathroom will be infrequent and can be reduced with upgraded sound proofing options. The compromise being the desk is next to the bed, just cant have side table that side there. Not a biggie I guess.

And yep the laundry is next to the guest bedroom on option 1.

Once the plan gets a bit closer to finalisation I'll update again to get thoughts on whole plan, and ask for tips on the tech side of things.

Cheers

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

mentalinc

3384 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1023

Trusted

#3430540 3-Nov-2025 14:50

33coupe:

Once the plan gets a bit closer to finalisation I'll update again to get thoughts on whole plan, and ask for tips on the tech side of things.

There are some very good threads here already that are worth a read.

I know I have copied a whole wall of text from one of them

e.g.: https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=141&topicid=319460

CPU: AMD 5900x | RAM: GSKILL Trident Z Neo RGB F4-3600C16D-32GTZNC-32-GB | MB: Asus X570-E | GFX: EVGA FTW3 Ultra RTX 3080Ti| Monitor: LG 27GL850-B 2560x1440

Quic: https://account.quic.nz/refer/473833 R473833EQKIBX

Eva888

2762 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2425

Lifetime subscriber

#3430541 3-Nov-2025 14:59

I like option 1 but would change the position of the guest room door to a door opening inwards and entering the space in front of the toilet so guest wouldn’t need to walk down the hall to go to bathroom. Adds privacy and makes it almost en-suite.

Stu1

1892 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 489

ID Verified

Subscriber

#3430571 3-Nov-2025 16:59

Eva888:

I like option 1 but would change the position of the guest room door to a door opening inwards and entering the space in front of the toilet so guest wouldn’t need to walk down the hall to go to bathroom. Adds privacy and makes it almost en-suite.

Great idea I would put in a cavity slider safe space

mentalinc

3384 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1023

Trusted

#3430577 3-Nov-2025 17:44

Would want to see more of the layout to see if that enter opposite the bathroom and toilet would be ideal, could be a bit awkward having the communal toilet right beside a gust bedroom entry

CPU: AMD 5900x | RAM: GSKILL Trident Z Neo RGB F4-3600C16D-32GTZNC-32-GB | MB: Asus X570-E | GFX: EVGA FTW3 Ultra RTX 3080Ti| Monitor: LG 27GL850-B 2560x1440

Quic: https://account.quic.nz/refer/473833 R473833EQKIBX

bfginger

1330 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 191

#3430640 4-Nov-2025 07:44

Ideally a bathroom shouldn't share a wall with a bedroom but it should be close to bedrooms which becomes more important as people age.

Acoustics are a big issue in bedrooms as noise means disrupted sleep. Someone showering in the morning or evening means reduced sleep in the adjacent bedroom.

I'd have the bathroom on the right as in the second layout, swap the master from the left to the second to the left, and make the guest bedroom a tad smaller for the sake of enlarging the two bedrooms that are going to be used as bedrooms. I'd also keep the internal layout on the middle bedroom where the door was closer to the bathroom - I wouldn't want the two left bedrooms' doors directly next to each other. If the guest bedroom has a cavity slider it could be in the middle of the wall so it isn't too close to the bathroom's or the middle bedroom's doors.

Four quietening the bedrooms and bathroom:

Pipe insulation around the water pipes in the bathroom, and going back to the cylinder. This is cheap and should be done but gets missed.
High density noiseline gib around the bedroom walls. There is a thicker 13mm option (vs 10mm) at expense of 6mm on each axis.
insulation in the internal bedroom and bathroom walls
A laminate layer in the bedroom windows' glass. It doesn't have to be an acoustic laminate as that only makes about 5% difference over standard laminate. Usually only one of the two panes is laminated in a laminate glass IGU, that is fine.
Carpet in the adjacent hallway instead of tiles which soundshell everything.
Solid core doors.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

33coupe

1024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 75

ID Verified

#3431652 6-Nov-2025 14:36

Thanks for the further replies, some great input and info. lots to consider. Will ask to price / include the pipe insulation as it's not something I'd think of, plus the solid core doors, acoustic gib and internal insulation (which we did with current house).

Here's the full plan, but we're still in the design stage so can make changes, but we're mostly set on it. I know it's not ideal / efficient having two toilets so close to each other, but we didnt want the guest toilet on the other side of the house by the entrance / office etc.

We have priced up to move HWC outside so will consider that (plus things like door to media room needs moving, unsure about 2 rows of seats, windows need to be looked into etc)

shk292

2916 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2040

Lifetime subscriber

#3431707 6-Nov-2025 17:45

Wouldn’t it be better to swap the entry and office around so you don’t have to transit through the kitchen to get anywhere from the entry? You could have two internal doors from the entry, one into the kitchen and one into the corridor

bigreddog

236 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 117

Subscriber

#3431920 7-Nov-2025 12:09

Where is north?

Tauranga
Quic Fibre (use R213449EPZJ3R for free setup)

33coupe

1024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 75

ID Verified

#3431928 7-Nov-2025 13:03

Its a good idea with the entry but we've never used current front door to get in, always through the garage so would be for visitors. I think ideal placement for entry would be inbetween dining and family.

Oh yep thanks forgot that wasnt on this plan. North now added

Ive also tried editing the kids bedrooms to a) reduce master bedroom width (currently 4980mm) and b) help reduce noise from bathroom.

I think it worked well on the bedroom closest to bathroom but maybe not so much the other bedroom

1 | 2