To really dislike downstairs loos?

[ThomasRichard]

Especially if they open onto the living room! I don't want anyone hearing me wee/ sort out pads/ pass wind etc. Asking to use the upstairs bathroom is basically announcing to everyone that you're going to do a poo. Argh!

Are two story buildings that common? In Australia, it's not really an issue because most houses have one story. All the houses I've lived in have had one toilet and a separate bathroom

We live in a Victorian house which has a (lovely) downstairs family bathroom directly off the kitchen. It's been fine and v handy with two dc. Also have an upstairs shower room with loo.

We're about to move it upstairs though so we can extend the kitchen to create a large kitchen/diner/family. Was going to leave a loo though in the corner of said kitchen/diner/family room. Nowhere else for it to go and wouldn't want to be without a downstairs loo. Having read this thread I'm now having second thoughts!

We would have a separate living room as well at the front of the house if that makes it more acceptable!

I think you need to keep a downstairs loo, and I'd go for off kitchen rather than living room, but I'd put a loud extractor fan in there that comes on automatically when the light is put on. Covers up noise and removes smells.

Bluntness glad I'm not alone in being married to someone that has a poo downstairs just before guests arrive habit. Maybe it nerves?

I think it's sheer bloody mindedness. 😂

Although it's a bit discomfiting when it's guests. We had friends over last weekend, and one of the females used the downstairs loo in the morning, and stunk out the whole ground floor. One of the men went in a few mins later and came out and said "Jesus the smell in there knocked me sick" not realising it was her. She was really annoyed that he commented.

What the hell do uou even do?. I was really trying hard not to laugh and didn't comment. You can't really get the air freshener out either. You just have to pretend you can't smell it.😂

Oh yes - super efficient extractor, window and thick oak door are non negotiable!

I live in a flat so there is only one lavatorium. There is also only me so it's not an issue. But I would definitely want labs upstairs and downstairs if I had a house. Plus an outside lav as well. That is a must.

lavs for God's sake. A few Labradors would be nice though.

Don't have a downstairs toilet, but we do have 2 bathrooms. In fact the last few places I've lived I've either had 2 toilets or been living on my own so sharing/waiting has never been an issue.
We're moving soon, to a bungalow with one bathroom. I'll miss being able to laze in the bath without worrying about being disturbed. Also, the prospect of using a smelly toilet and pee left on the seat is not appealing. I'm going to try and encourage DSS to put the seat up. I'd rather have to put it down every time than sit on pee.

cynthiasheep any chance of a diagram? I can't work out where your loo is in relation to the kitchen/utility?

I'm another one who only has a downstairs bathroom, it's off the kitchen.

At the moment though, I'm renting out my house and staying with my Nan to help out. In this house there's an upstairs bathroom and also a downstairs loo. It's difficult for me to describe the layout but the downstairs loo basically has its own corridor. Very useful!

ThomasRichard I've done a rough diagram
The other reason we want to swap it round is to give more wall space in the utility room...

bluntness when I lived in a house share one of the tenants would brazen it out with a cheery 'I'd give it ten minutes if I were you'

Our living space has the loo/bathroom above it - everyone turns the TV up before they go to the loo.

Sounds like our first house Beyond.
I have never asked (or been asked) if someone would rather go upstairs when there is a downstairs loo.
Can't help thinking this is a first world problem though. Millions of people in the world don't have access to a toilet and women and girls are particularly vulnerable going outside at night to relieve themselves.
We have 'twinned' our loo with Toilet Twinning, a charity which provides loos for people who have nowhere to 'go' safely.

My downstairs loo is in the hallway by the front door. It was top of our list when house-shopping as I'd recently become disabled and couldn't manage stairs. 5 years later I'm still relieved to have it!

We have an upstairs loo and a downstairs loo which is more-or-less an outside loo. It's quite private so in the summer you can sit there and look at the garden. It houses an impressive array of spiders though so some visitors might prefer to go upstairs

Having

We've a basement loo, one on the first floor, 3 on the second and one on the top.

I think downstairs bathrooms (powder rooms) are great for entertaining.

One opening onto the living room seems quite disgusting though.

Ours is in hall but the door is next to the lounge door . It's not really a problem though and if people are working outside or downstairs it's better than them wandering across the carpet.

MakeUp, do you entertain your guests in your downstairs bathroom ? It must be huge !

The more loos the better! I think a downstairs one is essential: elderly guests, emergencies, visitors (especially children) and so on.

I would prefer ours to be somewhere other than the hall, though. On my wish list for lottery win house is an outside privy. The neighbours have one and I am most envious. A bit parky in the winter, but so hygienic .

I am often so glad we have a downstairs toilet as well as the one in the bathroom upstairs. Ours is just off the hall at the bottom of the stairs.

I really cannot imagine how families managed in the days before having more than one toilet in a family home.

Our downstairs one is through kitchen door into hallway on your left. That hallway is very small and has 4 doors, one on each wall. Back door opposite kitchen, cupboard opposite toilet. I wish we had a utility room. And a dining room.
If I didn't have downstairs loo my house would be covered in mud half the year as that's the toilet the kids use when they're playing out/sink to wash after playing out.
It's also where my husband goes for some peace and quiet whilst I'm getting kids ready for bed lol.

I grew up in a chalet bungalow. 2 bedrooms upstairs, bathroom with separate loo downstairs off the hallway. This arrangement was quite common in the 70s and I liked not locking anyone out of the loo when you had a bath, and keeping smells away from the shower/bath. Hygienic hand washing was a bit tricky though, and I didn't envy my brothers their upstairs room.