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Original poster

Would you buy a house with a toilet in an open-plan room?

232 replies

lostinspace00 · 14/09/2026 15:30

Hope to find some sensible opinions here before I (possibly) waste loads of money (and so sorry i just posted this on an existing thread by mistake).

My house has a separate dining room and kitchen with a hallway between the two leading to a toilet. I want to knock the walls down to create one large room but keep the toilet as it’s very useful. To cover all bases:
1 no I can’t afford to put the toilet anywhere else it would make the job too expensive

  1. I want to keep the toilet (it’s a shower too) rather than get rid of it as it’s useful.

would you buy a house with a toilet in the middle of a big open plan room?

I’ve created some excellent architectural designs to show you what I mean (by excellent I mean a bit shit)

Thank you to anyone who can be bothered to respond

[image removed by MNHQ at OP's request]

OP posts:
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10
godmum56 · 14/09/2026 17:11

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 14/09/2026 16:44

It's incorrect @godmum56.

Lots of homes have bathrooms and toilets directly off the kitchen - it's perfectly legal as long as the bathroom has a basin and there's a door between the two.

Our toilet is about 2m from our oven (with a door in between). It's very common in terraced houses.

Show quote history

before the rules changed, the rule was (and this is the bit I remember from designing home adaptations some 20+ years ago) that if the house was already like it, you could keep it like it, but you couldn't change it to be like it. That only applied to kitchens, en suites were allowed.

Goatsarebest · 14/09/2026 17:10

Building Regs in England and Wales now consider good mechanical ventilation with an over run is adequate for toilets to open onto the kichen. But most people who have lived the situation, that I have met, wouldn't agree someone having a shit next to you preparing the salad works. Even separated by a nice flimsy stud partition. They always use the other toilet when someone is in the kitchen.

Lulu1919 · 14/09/2026 17:09

I wouldn’t like to be using loo when others in the room - like visitors etc
plus if I was a visitor I wouldn’t like to use it

HorseandHeron · 14/09/2026 17:08

No. I'd knock through and put a utlity room and shower with loo along one end of the room, leaving a rectangular open plan kitchen diner. Or, if it's much cheaper, extend the loo & shower to add on a utility/boot room along that wall, with the doors on the sides, not facing the overall room.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 14/09/2026 17:06

KittyWilkinson · 14/09/2026 17:01

Really? How? A toilet opening directly into a living area in a home?

Show quote history

Yes, it's perfectly legal. The only rule is that the toilet must have a basin in it if connected to a kitchen.

FairKoala · 14/09/2026 17:06

If you are going to make a laundry/utility/bigger fridge/freezer place for hoover etc. it will save on cupboard space in the main kitchen.
I would perhaps do an island for cooking and eating etc which would give you more work surface.

Or put in pocket doors that slide open to reveal the laundry utility space and have separate pocket doors for the toilet and washbasin

IAmInTheHouseSidney · 14/09/2026 17:04

Whoops75 · 14/09/2026 16:45

Would this work?

(image loading)

This is acceptable with walk in/out via the utility. You wouldn't need to move the toilet.
I saw few houses with toilets opening into kitchen/dining/living room and we did not even go view them

Goatsarebest · 14/09/2026 17:03

FairKoala · 14/09/2026 16:53

Not anymore

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Not if it is domestic and you have mechanical ventilation and a Wash Hand Basin in the toilet and you are in England or Wales. Scotland different. But from experience, you really need it if possible.

WonderingWanda · 14/09/2026 17:01

Misleading title, I thought you meant there would literally be a toilet left behind in the room and you'd properly lost the plot.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 14/09/2026 17:01

JuneSoon · 14/09/2026 16:32

My niece has just bought a new build and the huge downstairs loo opens directly into the small kitchen/living room.

Eta @beaglescurleduplikebagels you are doing a sterling job trying to educate people about building regs!

Edited

Ha thank you, it's such a frustrating thread to read.

So many people getting it wrong!

seahorsessky · 14/09/2026 17:01

Lived in a rented house with something like this (it was an old but fairly big terrace, so it wouldn't have been the original design, and I always wondered why it was added like that).
It was, as you say, useful to have an extra toilet and shower, and we just didn't entertain guests near it, we always had them in the other "reception/gathering/whatever" room. But it depends on who (like how much family/friends you tend to have round whether that'll suit you. Still, many more open plan build literally have the toilet/shower opening into the kitchen. It's why open plan would never be my choice unless you live alone.

KittyWilkinson · 14/09/2026 17:01

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 14/09/2026 16:56

...yes, it does.

Show quote history

Really? How? A toilet opening directly into a living area in a home?

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 14/09/2026 17:00

Goatsarebest · 14/09/2026 16:58

You will need a vented intervening lobby if it opening onto food area. I would only buy it with a significant discount to move it, if you put it on the market. I suspect not the only one who would want the duscount.
Can you not use your obvious talent and freelance as an architect and earn enough to build an extension.

....no, she won't.

One door between a bathroom and kitchen is fine, as long as the bathroom has a wash basin inside it.

At least read up on the law before acting as though you know what it says!

Goatsarebest · 14/09/2026 16:58

You will need a vented intervening lobby if it opening onto food area. I would only buy it with a significant discount to move it, if you put it on the market. I suspect not the only one who would want the duscount.
Can you not use your obvious talent and freelance as an architect and earn enough to build an extension.

Wadsworthy · 14/09/2026 16:58

Good Lord no!!!!

Don't do it. Do not do it.

MonstrousRegimentRocks · 14/09/2026 16:58

Dear god, no! Just get rid if you can't afford to have it properly separated.

FairKoala · 14/09/2026 16:58

I would make it into a laundry room and incorporate it into the kitchen.

Presumably you are having a room that will be kitchen/dining room/living room combined in which case you need the laundry room to cancel out the noise of the washing machine etc.
Would however lose the shower.

Alittlefrustrated · 14/09/2026 16:57

SethTrek · 14/09/2026 15:36

I don't think that would pass building regs. A toilet can't be directly off a kitchen. You need 2 doors between the kitchen sink and the loo

Only 1 door is required in England and Wales.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 14/09/2026 16:56

KittyWilkinson · 14/09/2026 16:56

I was thinking this. I agree. I don't think your proposal complies with current building regs.

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...yes, it does.

Frombeyond · 14/09/2026 16:56

Imagine sitting at the dining table eating a nice dinner and then Fred stands up and goes and takes a shit in a box in the middle of the room. Hearing the flush. If not worse. Ridiculous idea. Save up until you can afford to move the toilet - it’s not that big an expense.

Original poster
lostinspace00 · 14/09/2026 16:56

Thank you everyone. I’ve not used mumsnet before so I don’t know how to reply to individual posts but there are some great ideas but sadly out of our budget. Making a bigger utility/toilet is a good idea but defeats the whole point as it would take up too much space so wouldn’t be open plan. I don’t want to knock into the family room as it’s too big a job, we’d lose half the kitchen cupboards and you’d have to see it to know it would look rubbish.

We can’t afford to move the toilet either it’s out of our budget. We could just cap it off and get rid of it altogether (we have two toilets upstairs).

you all may have just saved me ££££ so thank you.

OP posts:
KittyWilkinson · 14/09/2026 16:56

SethTrek · 14/09/2026 15:36

I don't think that would pass building regs. A toilet can't be directly off a kitchen. You need 2 doors between the kitchen sink and the loo

I was thinking this. I agree. I don't think your proposal complies with current building regs.

CallMeFran · 14/09/2026 16:55

I wouldn’t even view a house with your new layout. It looks odd and no one would want to use the loo if everyone is socialising.

theneighbourgotmycake · 14/09/2026 16:53

SecretDressAgent · 14/09/2026 16:33

Think of the men or boys getting near the door if a woman is in there.

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what?

FairKoala · 14/09/2026 16:53

BritsAbroadly · 14/09/2026 15:48

I think you need two doors between a kitchen and loo? It would be properly grim either way and I really wouldn’t.

Not anymore

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