to get rid of a downstairs loo?

[Babybrainx2]

Housey post - we live in a 3 storey house with bedroom (used as playroom), downstairs toilet and kitchen on the ground floor with a wide, long hallway between the rooms. Lounge, bathroom and 2nd bedroom (used as office) on the middle floor and 2 big bedrooms and another bathroom on the top floor.

babies are now toddlers/preschoolers so we are starting to socialise in the evenings again, having friends over and carrying food and drinks up and down stairs to the living room is becoming a pain.

I would like to make downstairs open plan, to have a big kitchen/living space but it would mean losing the downstairs toilet. DH thinks that will knock money off the house value and won't even consider it, especially as our youngest is not potty trained yet. AIBU for wanting to get rid of a convenient 3rd toilet?

[Albertschair]

I wouldn't buy a house without a downstairs (and upstairs) loo. I don't know about property value. But perhaps speed of sale.

I have relatives who visit who couldn't manage a flight of stairs.

Could you not resite the loo in one of the corners of your new open plan space?

[User02]

I would never get rid of a downstairs toilet. It may not affect the value too much if future purchasers did not know that a toilet should be there but toilets are always a good selling point. Also thinking to the future if the DCs are girls you can never have enough bathrooms for them as teenagers and even further into the future and when you are older you will find a toilet on each floor is a good thing.

[LookingForwardToChristmas]

YANBU for wanting to do it but I agree it will put some potential buyers off when you come to sell as they might want to knock down the price by the amount it will cost to put it back to how it was or else not even bother viewing the property at all.

How long do you think you will remain living tbere?

[Runningoutofusernames]

Agree with pps, wouldn't get rid of it. Homes built after 1999 are even legally required to have a downstairs loo!

[KakunaRattata]

I'm afraid the rules of mumsnet call for a diagram! I wouldn't lose the downstairs toilet, just move it to suit the space. Imagine socialising where everyone has to traipse shoes up the stairs, the kids running in from the garden for a wee, a quick bob to the loo while something simmers on the hob. I couldn't lose ours now for all the above plus an elderly relative who spends a lot of time here.

[MyDcAreMarvel]

No keep the toilet.

[TammySwansonTwo]

I would kill for a downstairs loo. Trying to see if we can fit a tiny one in under the stairs. My mums house had the smallest downstairs loo you've ever seen but it was perfectly adequate - can't you it one in? You can get very little toilets and sinks!

[Topseyt]

Definitely keep the downstairs toilet. I wouldn't be without ours and would not be keen to buy a house without one.

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

I'm assuming that the loo is currently positioned in an awkward place that severely restricts your open plan layout, as it's square footage alone won't make much difference. Even if it means moving it, I'd keep a loo downstairs.
Otherwise you have to go upstairs for a wee during commercial break on TV.
If you have a floor plan maybe we can find a solution?

[Ummmmgogo]

have you ever lived open plan before? it's not nice. cold, noisy and you can't shit the door on the mess. it sounds nicer than the reality. keep everything as it is.

[LittleWitch]

We got rid of ours - two bedrooms, two bathrooms, made the downstairs loo into a small utility room, which is a much better use of the space. We are open plan and one of the other deciding factors was that we didn’t like having a loo in the corner of the sitting room- nobody would use it.

[SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower]

3 storey houses are different, it's not the same as having a normal downstairs loo if your living space is on the middle floor.

[Babybrainx2]

Well you lot are no help! I was hoping for a load of replies I could shove under his nose but I will have to keep this thread a secret now haha!

Very poor diagram attached. I love the downstairs loo, it's a relatively good size, but it's smack in the middle of the floorplan.

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

you can't shit the door on the mess

THAT'S why you need a downstairs loo!

[BrokenBattleDroid]

Could you move it to under the stairs?

[Topseyt]

I am not a fan of too much open plan either. I don't feel it maintains privacy as I like to, and I have a feeling that it could be harder to heat in winter.

[AlannaOfTrebond]

We got rid of ours. Admittedly I live in a town house and the downstairs loo was servicing the utility and garage.

We still have 3 left, one on the middle floor for living room and kitchen and two bathrooms on the top floor with the bedrooms.

[Babybrainx2]

We could probably squeeze one under the stairs but wouldn't want it to basically be a cupboard in my lounge or kitchen. It would be on as tight a budget as possible as well so thinking it would be cheaper to just get rid of it instead of paying to move all the plumbing.

[mrsharrison]

Could you move the loo under the stairs?

[mrsharrison]

Sorry x post.

[InsomniacAnonymous]

Oh no, I couldn't possible be without a downstairs loo!


I live in a bungalow,

[BrickInTheWall]

Why dont you swap the lounge and the playroom around?

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Make a small entrance lobby at front with loo off it.
This also separates stairs from open plan room to stop noise travelling upstairs

[TheNoodlesIncident]

My previous house had space under the stairs for a loo so we put one in. It was incredibly useful, especially for the infirm, the elderly, the very young and the "I don't feel very well..."

My current house doesn't have one (there is but it's only accessible from outdoors) and I miss it a lot, and wish we could have the work done to make it inside.

I honestly think it would be disastrous a mistake to take an existing toilet out, but you might regret it when you start training that baby, especially if you are intending to spend time on the ground floor.