Toilet in Downstairs Cupboard

[hereweallgoagain]

Has anyone put a downstairs toilet in a cupboard or under the stairs?

It will be tiny and the minimum width (I think) to get planning permission is 70cm, which is what we will have to go with.

If so, is the small space ok?

Any photos would be appreciated!

I think a lot of it depends on your ( or rather your house's) plumbing, my DB had his only toilet in a very small space , it wasn't pleasant at all as there was no ventilation 🤢

In order to meet building regulations you must have an extractor fan or a window. You need to consider how the fan will ventilate to the outside and how the soil pipe will link to sewers,

adara.co.uk/articles/downstairs-toilet-building-regulations/

I have no idea, but now I can't stop thinking about Mrs Brown and her boys!

We have one of those, just the door's width, installed by previous owner, with a slimline washbasin Very useful to have a loo downstairs.

Ours used to have a square window but I was a bit worried about security because it was quite low (just above the cistern height) so we replaced it with the extractor fan.

We did this, we plumbed in a macerator toilet and a comedy sized sink under the stairs. The extractor fan outlet went through the interior kitchen wall, along the top of the kitchen cupboards and out at the external kitchen wall. I'd probably get a corner basin if I was doing it again.

Having the toilet with a macerator meant a small soil pipe could be used going under the floorboards to join the main soil pipe at the rear of the house.

(The downside of the macerator was that it was noisier in operation than a regular toilet and occasionally people put things in it that you are not supposed to - a tampon string caught the blades of the macerator and it nearly burned out the motor, it was fortunate I noticed that the noise of the macerator hadn't stopped and investigated. I would still have one again if it was the only way I could have a toilet where I needed one, but it's certainly less hassle if you don't!)

It was FAB having a loo downstairs as well, so if it's the only you can, you definitely should.

We recently had building work done and put a loo under the stairs. Ours is exactly 80 wide, has an extractor (that we never turn on, but for building regs), normal loo (as the whole floor was dug up anyway so easy enough to put the plumbing in). I was very worried it would be too small but it's not.

Forgot to add that we have a sliding door on a runner at the top. That's worked well.

I saw one in a house on right move, it had A sink where the cistern is on the back of the loo.

Hopefully the photo of our plan shows. What worked really well was not having the door right up against the top end there and shifting it along and adding that little wall so the sink fits in (we got one that 800 wide so fills the width).

You don't need planning permission. Are you talking about building regs?

Thanks. We need listed building consent.

Thanks

Thanks. We thought if that bit wasn't sure how tight the door seals, ie is there a slight gap around it when the door is shut.

My siblings new build came with a toilet in a cupboard under their stairs. It is very tiny but out the back by their utility room so not a room that is used often.

Yes, there is a gap. Because of our layout you can see the wall above the sink if you looked through the gap. We will be putting a mirror there one day. Our toilet/stairs is within our utility room now, so there’s a door to close before then, so not a big issue in our house.

@seven201

Thanks

Sorry about the typos in my last message.

Yes, ours is straight off the hallway opposite the living room door!

We may look at a pocket door.

We have done this, the basin is at the top of the cistern to save space and we already had a window there. We didn’t bother to install any heating in there so it doesn’t get much use in winter, but is really handy to have.

My DS did this as him and DiL need two toilets as they both hog the bathroom.
It works very well but they don't let guests use it because it's in the living room. It's for their use only.
They have a separate downstairs bathroom. As well. There is no room upstairs for a toilet or bathroom.

We did this and it works pretty well. Not great for anyone over 6ft but they can cope for a one minute wee.

It's been so useful for when the dc were little and needed a wee 'NOW' or when visitors were over and I hadn't time to make upstairs tidy. Also tradesmen can stay downstairs.

Ours worked fine when the children were little, but it's too small for grown up legs. We'd need to move the washbasin I think. Currently looking at how to reconfigure the space downstairs so we can have a usable downstairs loo.

Also, it doesn't feel very private, so not sure what can be done to, er, sound proof it a bit. (We really did just convert a cupboard).

We did in a classic Victorian terraced. The space under the stairs that was a shoe cupboard we plumbed in a toilet. Was not too big a space but we also had a little basin and it was very necessary when we had my very disabled FIL stay for Christmas over some years as he struggled with the stairs. We could get him up the stairs for a shower once a day with support- but he needed a loo more easily accessible.

Edit was because I said it was a detached. In my dreams our terraced was detached!!

What about one of these toilets with the washbasin on the cistern?

Ours is pretty small. Under the stairs in a Victorian house.
We didn't put it in, it was there when we bought it.
It has a window and (obviously!) is on an outside wall.
It's fine.

Having a downstairs toilet is invaluable.
When we buy our next house, I won't buy if there isn't either a downstairs toilet, or space for us to be able to put one in.

It doesn't need to be huge - no-one is spending any amount of time in there.

You’ve never met my sister 😀!

I'd love to do this in our house but I couldn't lose the storage! We had one in our first place but it just meant I have nowhere to put mop bucket, vacuum etc. drove me mad so I'd only do it if I had other storage