Will I regret getting rid of downstairs loo?

[MyDaisyField]

I live in a Victorian house that has a 1950’s loo by the backdoor. It’s in a sort of porch area between backdoor and door to the hallway. It’s pretty ugly and even though we’ve never actually used it (it’s freezing) it smells like a public toilet and if you don’t shut the hallway door it makes the whole of downstairs a bit stinky.

I think we should gut it and turn it into a cloakroom area. At the moment we use the space between the backdoor and hallway door as a dumping ground for coats and shoes but it’s tiny, even with just one coat and one pair of shoes there each it looks a tip.

Dh thinks we should get it redone and made nice and modern. We do have another downstairs bathroom but the plan is to use that and the rooms next to it as a granny flat for my dm within the next couple of years. Our main family bathroom is randomly halfway up the stairs so not too much of a slog and it means guests don’t have to go all the way upstairs to the loo.

Wwyd?

I would re do it and keep it as a loo. If you have any possibility of selling in the future then keep it as a loo. I would not buy a house without a downstairs loo.

I’d get rid of it personally, I have a very nice downstairs toilet that for some reason none of us use! We all automatically just go to the upstairs family bathroom.

But yes agree with MrsPellegrinoPetrichor that it is something many people definitely want from a house these days. So I suppose it depends if you intend to sell any time soon?

So this would leave you with only 1 loo (if you convert to granny flat)?

It that a separate loo, or is it in the bathroom?

Downstairs loo was invaluable when toilet training.
Now with 2 teens in the house, even with our upstairs loo not in the bathroom, having 2 is so much easier - certain members of the family spend far too long in there, so at least the rest of us can get on with things!

If it would leave you with only 1, I would do it up and make it useable.

I think your plan wins

Same as @lotsofstripes here. No one in the family issues the downstairs loo, despite it being freshly decorated.

Guests use it though, so I suppose it depends how often you have people round.

For me, there's just something very odd about doing ones business downstairs. I don't know why and am not precious about toileting in the slightest!

I’d get rid of it personally, I have a very nice downstairs toilet that for some reason none of us use! We all automatically just go to the upstairs family bathroom.

^This

It probably smells BECAUSE you never use it - the water in the U bend will have dried out and you'll be smelling your drains.

I'd keep it - we only have the one toilet and I'd love a second for Christmas etc when we have everyone queuing up for it.

Turn it into storage! I hate the obsession with a downstairs loo, lacks privacy especially when they are basically in the hallway and I don't understand why people are so happy to get rid of storage space. I also hate ensuites.

Some buyers love them but I am looking at the moment and downstairs loo makes a house less appealing.

So many questions for context: Do you use the back door as your main entrance? (Sounds like you do if you leave your coats there). Do you have a garden you use?
It sounds like you’d be better thinking about how you use the whole downstairs and thinking about the annexe and entrances and toilets all as one big picture not focussing on this one loo in isolation.

We'd be lost without our downstairs loo, I'm amazed at those saying it's not used!

With two teen dses who spend eons in the shower and loo, downstairs loo is an essential and I would never consider a house without a second loo now.

We had ours fitted when we extended our kitchen and we have never regretted it.

I would get rid of it if you already have another downstairs loo. I’ve lived in a similar type house and we never used the rubbish loo either. It was just a waste of space.

Can you make the granny annexe loo accessible from the hall? Even if you as a family wouldn’t use it and would leave it as your DM’s loo, a buyer would probably value the option to have it as a family downstairs loo.

If you can do this then yes get rid of the other.

I would redo it and keep it, especially if you’re considering moving at any point.

We had a horrible downstairs loo that no one used, I even used to send visitors up to the bathroom but since we re did it is is used by us and visitors alike.

If you're creating an annexe then that will have more impact than removing an inconvenient loo on re-sale. People want decent sized lobbies too.

We never had 2 loos until we moved to this house, and it really has made things easier especially as the DCs seem to have synchronised their loo needs, and DH can’t seem to take less than 30 minutes when he goes, so going back to one loo would be tricky for us. Our DCs are still quite young, so I’m not sure how necessary it would be as they grow up. Our other loo is in the bathroom, so that is out of bounds when people shower etc. If it was a separate loo, it might work.

Re-do it. A downstairs loo is always handy. Especially if it's modern.

We dont miss ours at all, so I dont see it as a must have.

I wasn't bothered about a downstairs loo until I broke my leg. It is extremely useful having a downstairs toilet if you have any mobility issues, even temporarily.

Definitely re-do it. the day one of you has a badly sprained ankle, or a severe case of the trots, you'll be glad you did.

x-posted with QueenWhatevs Great Minds

would never be in a house with less than two bathrooms, there's four of use getting ready in the morning!

ideal where we are now, we have one loo downstairs, one family bathroom upstairs and an ensuite, which is MINE, DH and kids never use it, I love it!

I actually like having a toilet just inside the back door. It saves you trailing through the house after you've been in the garden to have a wee or wash your hands etc. Even more valuable if you have children playing in the garden and leaving muddy marks all over the house between back door and toilet.

As said above, it smells due to lack of use. If it were me, I'd either give it a good clean and start using it, or if it was in a bad state cosmetically, replace it (you can get very cheap utility sinks/toilets etc) and bring it back into regular use.

I’d keep it but redo it - I’ve heard a downstairs loo adds 5% to your property value so that’s potentially worth it if you ever move!

I’d redo it. Insulate, add a radiator, refit the plumbing and use it. Downstairs loos are great.