We’re staying with our parents for five weeks in Honolulu, and I wanted to share a little revelation I’ve learned about making a home guest-ready. If you dream of owning a home where friends and family regularly visit—because you genuinely enjoy their company, this post is for you.
Not all of us can afford mega-mansions with separate wings or homes on sprawling lots with multiple structures. If you’re like most people and can only afford one structure on a modest plot of land, then there’s one key feature you absolutely need to prioritize.
En suite bathrooms. That’s right. The key to harmonious, low-friction cohabitation is ensuring everyone has their own bathroom. The more en suites, the better. The term “en suite” comes from French and means “in sequence” or “attached.”
En Suite Bathrooms: The Unsung Hero of Guest Harmony
During our first week in Honolulu, I found myself waking up between 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. every morning—normal hours for me given the three-hour time difference from San Francisco. Unfortunately, nobody else was awake… except for my dad, who’s up by 3:30 a.m. to check the stock market. Cool beans, I didn’t know.
I had my own room, and my mom had hers across the hall. The shared bathroom sits between us—close enough to wake a light sleeper with even the gentlest faucet twist. Not wanting to disturb her, I found a workaround: I quietly crept upstairs and used my dad’s bathroom since he was already awake. Slightly inconvenient, but a solid solution.
Still, I couldn’t help but think: If only I had an en suite bathroom.
To be a courteous guest, I kept 85% of my toiletries in my room and left only my toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste on the bathroom counter. I even tucked them neatly to the right, so I took up minimal space.
A few days later, my mom asked me to move them. Apparently, I’d placed everything too close to the light switch, and she’d knocked over my electric toothbrush multiple times. My bad.
From then on, I moved those few items to another shared bathroom upstairs, the one my wife and kids use. But given it was already cramped, my stuff was regulated to a shelf in a closet.
Once again, I thought: If only my mom and I each had en suite bathrooms.
The Bathroom Ballet Continues
One afternoon, after a full morning of school drop-off, pickleball, the beach, and lunch, I took a well-earned nap. While I was sleeping, my wife walked to the local library to pick up books for the kids. When I woke up, I decided to use her upstairs bathroom instead of the downstairs one—just in case my mom, who’s always home, needed it.
Mid-grunt, my dad came to the back of the house to ask me a question. Two minutes later, my wife knocked on the bathroom door. She was back and needed to use it too. What was supposed to be a peaceful five-minute solo session turned into a series of interruptions.
Then, on another morning, I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to publish my post, Sleep In, Stay Broke: Wake Up Earlier for Financial Success. With a title like that, I had no excuse not to rise early. After writing and editing until 6:40 a.m., I went to the bathroom. Fifteen seconds in—like clockwork—my wife woke up and came straight to the door.
Finally, while staying at my aunt and uncle’s beach house, I slept on the futon in the living room. At 6:15 a.m., I got up to use the bathroom, which sits between the living room and my son’s room. Within seconds, he flung the door open with a big smile and shouted, “Good morning!”
Ah, more en suite bathrooms would be nice.
More Bathrooms = More Peace And Harmony
When you gotta go, you gotta go! Any type of delay or hinderance can be incredibly annoying, especially if you’re digestive system is plugged and you need to focus. The more bathrooms, the better.
What I’ve noticed over the years is that when people live together, their bathroom cycles somehow sync up. Even if I wake up at 4 a.m. and my wife gets up at 6:30 a.m., there’s still a high chance we’ll both need the bathroom at the same time at some point in the morning. Same goes for me and my parents.
In the past, I used to look down on large homes with as many bathrooms as bedrooms, or even more. It seemed excessive. But now I get it. It’s not about indulgence—it’s about comfort, privacy, and avoiding frustrating sighs in the hallway.
My parents’ house has three full bathrooms, which is more than enough for just the two of them. But with six of us under one roof, friction is inevitable. My aunt and uncle’s house has two bathrooms and two bedrooms over maybe 1,000 soft, which is tight for the four of us. But the freedom to be by the ocean is wonderful.
Buy Or Build The Bathrooms
If you enjoy hosting guests, do yourself a favor: rent or buy a home with at least two en suite bathrooms and an additional full or half bath. Ideally, you have an en suite bathroom for every person who lives in the house plus a guest bathroom. Both your sanity and your digestive system will be eternally grateful. In fact, I’m now including this bathroom requirement for anyone searching for the ideal home to raise a family.
When I hosted my parents at our new house for 10 days, I felt 80% less stressed and so did they. Why? Because they each had their own bathrooms—and so did we and the kids. That kind of peace is worth every dollar and then some.
Basic full bathrooms are just fine. However, when designing a luxury master bathroom, consider including dual rain shower heads with a handheld option, a private toilet stall, double vanities, and a deep soaking tub with jets. Make sure you also have an electrical outlet behind the toilet so you can plug in your Toto Washlet. Once you go Washlet, you can’t go back.
Take a look around your home and see if you can convert unused space—like part of a closet or part of your garage—into a bathroom. Even better, if you’re able to expand your home’s footprint, it adds valuable livable square footage, which can boost your resale value.
Final Reason For More En Suite Bathrooms: Your Children And Friends May Visit You More Often
As I think in two timelines, I hope that 20 years from now, my children will still come visit their mom and me. I’ve heard too many sad stories of adult kids going years without seeing their parents. Once they’ve gotten what they needed financially and emotionally, they’re gone!
But with two en suite bathrooms ready for my daughter and son, they’ll have no excuse not to stop by and give their old man a hug and a kiss. And if we really start to get on their nerves, there’s even a separate mini-kitchen and entryway they can use to escape us in peace.
The more inviting your home, the more likely your children, friends, and loved ones will want to visit. This is especially true when you have to convince your spouse to stay at their in-laws.
Since strong, supportive relationships are the number one factor in living a long, happy, and healthy life, adding more en suite bathrooms could quite literally be a key to a life well lived.
Readers, what do you think the secret is to having a guest-ready home where both host and guests are comfortable for an extended period of time? How many en suite bathrooms do you have in your home? What is the ideal number of bathrooms a home should have?
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