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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you buy a house with the door to the downstairs toilet in the kitchen?

107 replies

Lexi198 · 14/08/2021 19:14

Would be interested to get your views on this and will explain my reason for asking once I have some perspective so it doesn't sway the vote.

But basically

Would you but a house where the door to the downstairs loo is in the open plan kitchen / dining room?

YABU - NO I wouldn't
YANBU - Yes I would

Thanks

OP posts:
pinkmoon18 · 14/08/2021 19:19

YANBU

main thing is it has a toilet downstairs, I don't care how I get there as long as I don't have to go outside 🙊

BlackberrySky · 14/08/2021 19:19

Toilet smell wafting into the food preparation area would put me off, so it's a no from me.

romany4 · 14/08/2021 19:21

I used to live in a HA house with this exact layout.
It was fine

imacuddler · 14/08/2021 19:22

Is this England? I thought it was against the rules?
I wouldn't want to but would consider if I could change the layout, like put something else to section it off more. Also buy a thick door?!

KaleKitchen · 14/08/2021 19:22

We have that exact set up - by agreement, no one does anything more than wee n the downstairs loo, so nothing wafting anywhere, and it's convenient. The door is painted a sunny yellow like the cupboards, and kept closed.

Mangofandangoo · 14/08/2021 19:23

Didn't think that this was actually allowed with the U.K. building regulations?

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 14/08/2021 19:23

I think it's against building reg now but plenty of houses with this layout still.

Yes,for wees only Grin

ImaginaryCat · 14/08/2021 19:23

We have exactly this set up. There is no toilet smell wafting anywhere, it's kept clean, and has a reed diffuser. And it's more easily accessible when we have parties in the garden, guests don't have to traipse through the house.

Laburnam · 14/08/2021 19:24

We have one it’s absolutely fine

happyface42 · 14/08/2021 19:24

Yes I would

bigbaggyeyes · 14/08/2021 19:24

YANBU

ImaginaryCat · 14/08/2021 19:25

It can't be against residential building regs, our house was only built 5 years ago. In commercial spaces I think it is.

PeterCorbeau · 14/08/2021 19:25

Wouldn't bother me. Downstairs loos are generally only ever used for pees anyway when there's another upstairs!

FatCatThinCat · 14/08/2021 19:25

It used to be against the rules but I believe the rules were changed to accomodate the legal requirement for a downstairs toilet in new builds and the size of new builds being absolutely tiny.

CounsellorTroi · 14/08/2021 19:25

Our downstairs loo is off our very small utility room which is off the kitchen. It’s not a problem.

rainyskylight · 14/08/2021 19:27

Ours is, wees only!

AntiHop · 14/08/2021 19:27

My house has the (only) bathroom off the kitchen. It's common in the small houses where I live. It doesn't cause a problem for us. Our layout is a bit different to what you're describing, as it is not open plan.

Janaih · 14/08/2021 19:27

I know someone with this and its weird hearing everyone chatting while you have a wee.

All very well saying wees only, what about guests? I would feel very awkward announcing I'm going upstairs so everyone knows you are defecating.

rainyskylight · 14/08/2021 19:28

Additionally in our house we are strict “lid down to flush” people so the seat is never ever up. Between lid discipline, pee only and keeping the door shut it is really absolutely fine.

Original poster
Lexi198 · 14/08/2021 19:30

Thanks for the votes so far. Currently 48% say no and 52% say they would buy it which is more than I thought.
Basically we renovated 18m ago and the only place we could add in a downstairs loo was here. It's a 4 bed house and really needed one.
Building regs now only say you need 1 door between a kitchen a toilet (used to be 2) providing that the ventilation is correct (ours is, large ventilation tubes going through garage ceiling and outside).
The door is always shut.
However we recently had a visitor who didn't realise we had added it ourselves and went on to say what a shame it was it was there and could eventually get it moved Grin
It's made me really panic that we have put off a lot of buyers.
I guess according to this thread we would have put off half of the potential buyers!
Having 2 young boys we just wanted one put in, didn't really think about it putting people off in the future.

OP posts:
Cotswoldmama · 14/08/2021 19:30

I'm weirdly not a fan of downstairs toilets unless there's absolutely no chance of being heard! I feel weird nipping to the loo and someone watching me go in and then what if they can hear me! And in reverse too - If someone walks into the toilet and knowing they're just there behind the door! So for me unless it's in a hallway or you go through two doors to get to it I don't like a downstairs loo!

RitaFires · 14/08/2021 19:30

It's not ideal but if everything else about the house was great and it was within budget I'd buy it and consider trying to change it later on.

MrsSkylerWhite · 14/08/2021 19:31

I didn’t think that was allowed (in England, anyway). Doesn’t there have to be another door between them?

CaptainMyCaptain · 14/08/2021 19:31

@BlackberrySky

Toilet smell wafting into the food preparation area would put me off, so it's a no from me.
My downstairs loo is in the hallway but no smells waft put.

I think this is illegal for new builds but older houses often have this. I knew someone who lived in an old terraced house where a kitchen extension has been built around the old outside toilet.

Leftphalange · 14/08/2021 19:31

I wouldn't, we actually decided against a property we liked last year and this was one of the reasons unfortunately.