Downstairs toilet versus coat cupboard

[CatBattersea]

We are currently renovating our 4 bed house and have just enough space for a downstairs toilet and sink or a coat cupboard. We will have a family bathroom with toilet upstairs and an en-suite bathroom with toilet in the attic.

We don't have children yet but plan to. I'd love to know what Mums would choose with this small downstairs space - a downstairs toilet or a coat cupboard. And for those recommending the downstairs toilet, I'd love to know where you would recommend putting coats/shoes etc (we have a narrow corridor by the front door).

Thanks in advance for your help!

[BackforGood]

Toilet every time.
Invaluable when the dc first start using the toilet and don't get much notice
Invaluable when you have older relatives visiting
Useful when you have someone in the house (maybe a workman) and don't particularly want them going upstairs - always seems more reasonable to let people use a downstairs toilet
Invaluable when you've eith got a guest with mobility difficulties, or you have (even temporary) mobility difficulties - through illness, accident, whatever
Useful when someone feels sick and doesn't have time to make it upstairs

Worry about the coats later. Mostly they can stay in bedrooms / wardrobes and just put hooks on the wall for the one they are using that day.

[GibbousHologram]

Yes, toilet. Every time for all the reasons Back says. I shudder at the thought that we came very close to toilet training DC with two stairgates between living room/toilet.

Coat hooks behind front door will hold one

[GibbousHologram]

...or two coats each.

Console table will hide one or two pairs of shoes each.

Everything else goes properly away upstairs or whatever.

[DramaAlpaca]

I'd go for the downstairs loo, every time.

Could you put a couple of coat hooks on the door?

[KindDogsTail]

Absolutely what Backfor says.

[Machine123]

Our current house has a downstairs toilet which I have packed to the brim with all sorts of junk because I don't feel it is actually big enough to be a usable loo. When you sit on the loo your knees are touching the wall in front unless you're sat right back against the toilet lid plus a tiny corner basin juts out right in your face. And you can't wash your hands in it properly cos it's that small. Think aeroplane toilet dimensions. I'm currently pregnant, in my third trimester and prefer to take ds1 to the bathroom upstairs than squeeze him, me and the bump into that silly downstairs loo.

[StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine]

Building regs will insist on the toilet, if you're making any major changes.

[mimsnet]

We were in the same position as you and went with the coat cupboard. In fact, originally, there was a downstairs loo but this was turned into a cupboard by a previous owner. Whilst this would have been easy to reinstate, we felt that we needed a coat/scarf/shoe/bag/general storage area more. With the rest of the space behind the cupboard we knocked through from the kitchen and have a walk in larder.
I totally agree that sometimes it would be easier to have a loo there (for relatives or workmen etc) but the times I find having no loo annoying are nothing compared to how useful the space is now. You'll still have two other loos to use!

[cozietoesie]

A toilet every time.

(Can't you fit a rack of hooks on one of its walls and do a Twofer?)

[MrEBear]

Toilet without a doubt.
All the reasons others have said visitors not trailing through the house or mucky children who have been out playing. Also building regs mean it should be there. And will make your house easier to sell at some point in the future.

Coats can go on a hook in the hallway.

[VulcanWoman]

Toilet.

[NicknameUsed]

I don't understand why buildings regs insist on a downstairs loo. Is this a recent thing?

[VulcanWoman]

Is that right about building regs.

[avocadosweet]

We have a downstairs loo, it was on my must have list when looking to move. We have a coat rack on the wall in the loo - it just means you can't keep every piece of outdoor paraphernalia you own in there, we have to be selective!

[Mcchickenbb41]

We have literally just done this. I was loathed to get rid off storage space but after we knocked out separate toilet/ bathroom into one husband won the battle. Really glad I did it !!

[Mcchickenbb41]

And like pp we put a coat hook up and just have one coat each in there

[Lighteningirll]

Depends on the size icant bear those tiny squeezed in toilets with your knees knocking on the wall and I love somewhere for all the kids crap so I am voting cupboard.

[PovertyPain]

I turned the cupboard under the stairs into a loo. It's soooo handy, especially when you've someone nosy visiting looking at you sil who likes to peep into the bedrooms, uninvited. I had a very small coat cupboard built into the corner between the side window and front door with shelf at bottom and top for other stuff like shoes.

[Mcchickenbb41]

Also if u are short off space u can have a loo with a built in sink I know sounds weird lol

[PovertyPain]

I'd fall flat on my face if I had to stretch over a loo, to wash my hands.

[VulcanWoman]

The sink/loo is an ingenious idea, I'm just trying to think how I'd use it though, I think you'd have to straddle it.

[Aquiver]

As a buyer (currently), the absence of a downstairs loo is infuriating for me! WC over coat cupboard always :)

[Mcchickenbb41]

Lol to above. Yes reminded me of an aeroplane loo but it works quite well for the space we had plus means we had the wall free for coats

[GibbousHologram]

Those loo sinks can also use the sink run off to fill cistern. Genius.

[rabbit123]

We use our downstairs loo as a shoe and coat cubpoard as well as a toilet. I'm not sure if anybody will be horrified by that or not but it works well for us lol