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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
theneighbourgotmycake · 14/09/2026 16:52

I would have to budget to relocate said toilets immediately, so your house would be very bottom of my list I am afraid.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 14/09/2026 16:52

Yetone · 14/09/2026 16:48

I think downstairs loos have to be big now. Building regs require them to take a wheelchair,

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Only in new properties, not existing ones @Yetone.

Hollowvoice · 14/09/2026 16:51

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?

Miyagi99 · 14/09/2026 16:51

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

Not true, loads of new builds have toilets in the kitchen.

Maisy7 · 14/09/2026 16:50

Definitely not....I think you need to re-think your plans. Definitely the idea of a utility room with toilet/shower within is a much better option. Keep it separate.

tealandteal · 14/09/2026 16:48

What about if you built a utility room/boot room around the current toilet room. So you open a door into the utility and then a separate door into the bathroom. You would have a little less room but you could put hoover/ironing board/ all the stuff you don’t want on display in there.

Yetone · 14/09/2026 16:48

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

I think downstairs loos have to be big now. Building regs require them to take a wheelchair,

Ireallycantthinkofagoodone · 14/09/2026 16:48

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

The old 2 door building reg requirement disappeared a long time ago actually. As long as there is ventilation (and obviously hand washing facilities) provided, a bathroom/toilet can open directly into a kitchen, or other habitable room.

Whoops75 · 14/09/2026 16:45

Would this work?

(image loading)

Would you buy a house with a toilet in an open-plan room?
beaglescurleduplikebagels · 14/09/2026 16:44

godmum56 · 14/09/2026 16:43

thank you, I thought this and it saved me googling
edit: gosh the regs have changed ick!

Edited
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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.

godmum56 · 14/09/2026 16:43

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

thank you, I thought this and it saved me googling
edit: gosh the regs have changed ick!

Elizabethandfour · 14/09/2026 16:42

You have to either move it or what about knocking into the family room instead?

Bonkers2026 · 14/09/2026 16:42

Lilofthevalley · 14/09/2026 16:40

No, you used to, but not anymore.

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Agree, ive been in a newish built house with a toilet directly from the kitchen. It looks ok, but its not a sticky-out room in a middle of living space but more discreet.

Jk987 · 14/09/2026 16:41

No, it wouldn’t feel private!

Ellie1015 · 14/09/2026 16:41

When are you planning to sell? If staying 5 years or more then do what works for you.

I am not a fan of the new layout but walls could easily be put back up so as a buyer I would not be put off.

Lilofthevalley · 14/09/2026 16:40

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

No, you used to, but not anymore.

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 14/09/2026 16:39

I'd do a utility with "cloakroom" ie toilet in a cupboard housed within the confines of the utility.

Anything else is weird gross and unsellable.

yellowspanner · 14/09/2026 16:39

No I wouldn't buy it

CountingToThree · 14/09/2026 16:39

Could you knock the kitchen and family room into one instead, and then move the family room to where the dining room is instead, leading onto the conservatory.

UserName001002 · 14/09/2026 16:37

I guess you could continue peeling the carrots in there if it was a big jobby?

Original poster
lostinspace00 · 14/09/2026 16:37

Just in case it puts things into perspective this is our floor plan. I wanted the blue walls knocked down and the red line is a door we would put in. The purpose being to create one big living area rather than separate rooms.

our budget doesn’t allow for us to move the toilet to another place and there’s no where else it can go.

so it’s either

  1. Leave it as is
2 do the job; or 3 do the job and take the toilet/ shower out and put a utility room where the toilet is.
OP posts:
Grumpyoldcat · 14/09/2026 16:34

No

Juicyapple44 · 14/09/2026 16:33

Sorry no I would not even view the house, my friend has a toilet that is off their open plan kitchen/ dinner and it is also under the stairs as they too are in the open plan room too you can hear everything the person in the toilet is doing .

SecretDressAgent · 14/09/2026 16:33

Mildmanneredmum · 14/09/2026 16:24

I'd be amazed if that's all they hear

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

Secretsquirrel2 · 14/09/2026 16:33

No because you can't police it.
It may smell and if people are over for dinner you don't want want to listen to them pee!
I had an office like this in London. It was vile. One of the reasons I left but I do have a loo phobia.

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