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

We did similar but followed the wall all the way down making an L shaped kitchen/diner and then a toilet and utility.

I think ideally id prefer another door between the toilet and dining area because if you are sat in there you can obviously hear. BUT we needed the space, we wanted to keep a downstairs toilet so guests didn’t have to go upstairs. We have 3 other bathrooms in the house though so if a prospective buyer didn’t like it they could easily make it into a cupboard and still have plenty of toilet options in the house.

Went for dinner at a friends house who had this set up and it’s just so awkward popping into the loo. Everyone’s having dinner and chatting and you’re on the other side of a flimsy door about a foot away doing your business. Very cringey no matter what the purpose of your visit !

In my understanding, you are not supposed to have a toilet open directly into a kitchen area, unless regs have changed. When my parents built a kitchen extension there had to be a ventilated area between the WC and the kitchen. You need to check this carefully, if it doesn't meet bulding regs/planning laws it would be impossible to sell.

True! I wonder if there will be a passage or if the front door opens into this room.

Oops forgot to add pic sorry.

What do you plan to put against the wall with the toilet door?

Kitchen cabinets and a counter? Sofas? Bookshelves?

Might be ok if you have bookshelves or other type of Ikea cabinet doors on that wall so that the toiler door blends in.

I wouldn’t buy a house like that, no. If it works for you then do it, and just change it if you decide to sell.

Cos that will just scream “I need a poo!”

First thing to check is whether the middle two walls are structural, as they may well be. A random long hallway like that without a staircase in it makes very little sense otherwise.

If it is not structural, or you are happy to do something like supporting beams and archways (not a structural engineer, no idea if this is a realistic/affordable solution!) I think I would probably look at opening up the large space but adding a smaller room on one side, like the blue box here, perhaps as a walk-in pantry or utility room? I think it would make the toilet room look less strange because it won't just look like it is stuck onto the wall.

It makes sense for a WC to open into a dining room, as handy for guests/parties.

That’s out of date

It wouldn't completely put me off if I otherwise liked the house and that was the only issue but I would prefer it not be like that. Could you just shorten the hallway a bit so there is another door between the loo and the big open room - either literally just a door so most of the room is still one, or a bit bigger so it becomes a mini utility, with just a doors width gap between the two rooms.

That way you get the best of both worlds - technically 1 big room and get rid of the wasted hallway space but privacy for the toilet, a bit of storage for coats or shoes or a vacuum cleaner, and can be easily split again if new owners prefer 2 separate rooms.

I am going to ask an obvious question - are you re-designing this space because this is what's working for you right this moment or are you redesigning it for the future buyer? Because if the former, then surely the most important thing is that this new design is working for you. If it's the latter, perhaps it's best not to make any alterations, sell the house on and look for something which fits your needs better.

It's not OK. There should be 2 doors between a WC and a kitchen.

You could just go upstairs!

But I take your point, I might feel awkward going upstairs too.

Totally agree. I have no idea why they changed it but I wouldn't buy anywhere without 2 doors between a loo and a kitchen.

I was flat hunting about 10 years ago and lots had a loo opening right off the living room. I wouldn't touch them.

Oh no, can you imagine being a visitor at a house like this and needing the loo, even for a wee? And getting up and everyone watching you disappear in there. Just no!😬

Is nobody reading the full thread? There's been several posts stating that this Building Regs rule changed decades ago!

Why do people just make things up...?

My youngest DC would love that but mostly because she always needs a mid meal poo and hates to miss out on whatever is going on. She's 5.

If that's your only option, I'd get rid of the loo altogether.

It’s an awful idea

Honestly, no i wouldn't buy.

I lived in a flat that had the toilet erupting into an open plan kitchen diner. It was grim grim grim. When it was just me at home, it was fine. As soon as a second person arrived it was not nice listening to and smelling what happened in that box. And actually, come to think of it, I think it was against planning regs because there has to be more than a single door between a kitchen and a toilet? This was many years ago though.

I wouldn't. It sounds really odd. You would never manage to have effective sound proofing - sitting in the lounge listening to someone emptying their bowels doesn't do it for me...

No - absolutely not. I don't like open plan kitchen plus anything particularly because of cooking smells, even less with a toilet plonked in the middle!

God no. It might work for you practically. But you’ll have no hope of ever selling the place