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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:
rainyskylight · 14/08/2021 19:32

@Janaih easy - tell guests there’s a loo off the kitchen but they’re also very welcome to use the bathroom upstairs. Literally no guest ever unless they are a monster would poo next to the kitchen so close. And in your own house, who cares if there’s a preference?

In our house the only guests who use the downstairs loo are my mum (disabled) and my husband’s best mate when they’re watching the footy and just want to quickly pee.... literally everyone given the choice would pop upstairs and use the main bathroom.

PeterCorbeau · 14/08/2021 19:32

I think especially if you have young kids and it's a family home then it's not really an issue. I'd rather have a downstairs toilet there than not have one at all and just have one loo for potentially 4+ people.

Penistoe · 14/08/2021 19:32

My uni house had this with a bath in it. We all used the shower upstairs mainly though. The bath was mainly used to store beer and ice at the numerous parties we had.

RubyGoat · 14/08/2021 19:33

I'm in a HA house with this layout. It's ridiculous. The Kitchen is a sort of T shape with a short thin stem (access from the living room) & long fat cross at the top (the main food prep & dining area). Thankfully the loo door opens just by the living room door so it could be worse, but I'd never have bought a house like this.

Our previous house, the downstairs loo opened directly into the kitchen. Also a rental. You could literally sit on the loo & see the oven. There was a perfectly good understairs cupboard that could have been converted into a loo instead. We just used the downstairs loo for storage - spare dining chairs, camping stuff etc. DD was astonished when we moved out & she saw it for the first time. She thought it was just a cupboard!

rainyskylight · 14/08/2021 19:33
  • who cares if there’s a preference between the host popping upstairs or using downstairs loo I mean. Weird of a guest to think “oh she must be going upstairs to poo”.
Booboosweet · 14/08/2021 19:33

I wouldn't like it. The problem is you can't tell guests only to wee in the toilet.

CornishTiger · 14/08/2021 19:33

It’s not illegal.

We have this in a new build. At first I was a bit hmm by it but it’s fine.

CaptainMyCaptain · 14/08/2021 19:34

Actually, now I remember it was a bathroom extension behind the kitchen incorporating the outside loo.

nancybotwinbloom · 14/08/2021 19:36

@AntiHop

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.
My layout is the same.

You just be courteous. We buy lots of air freshener and vip poo or whatever it's called. It's not a problem.

It was great when my youngest was potty training but I'd love to move and plan to, to a house with an upstairs bathroom in a few years.

I has its benefits but it has its downsides also.

RubyGoat · 14/08/2021 19:36

I don't think it can be illegal, our HA house is not even 2 years old yet.

Movinghouseatlast · 14/08/2021 19:37

Yes, my house ( bought 3 years ago) is like this. It is because the kitchen was extended up to and to include the old outside toilet. So the toilet is in the corner of the kitchen.

We rented it out on Air BnB for 9 months and it was never mentioned as an issue.

safclass · 14/08/2021 19:37

I dont think its against rules now. I now someone who has recently done this in a new extension and everything has been passed. Hygiene etc it used to be that you had to have 2 doors, bathroom and then toilet as kids we got locked in th eloo roo often so dad took that door off.
I don't mind having a downstairs bathroom/loo. Its what i grew up with and have now. Ours has a smally lobby betwewn bathroom and kitchen(not a dining kitchen) so is separate. Im not keen on having a door 1that opens onto an open plan dining / kitchen area def feels too close and if others are there - sounds/smells?

secular39 · 14/08/2021 19:39

@BlackberrySky

Toilet smell wafting into the food preparation area would put me off, so it's a no from me.
Yes! Good point. Especially if are a dinner guest and want some privacy, it will be difficult to have that moment when others are in the kitchen!
daytriptovulcan · 14/08/2021 19:39

If other factors are a big yes... Then then toilet arrangement could easily be overlooked, and maybe modified later.

TurquoiseBaubles · 14/08/2021 19:39

Wouldn't a better question (given your update) be - loo downstairs off kitchen or no downstairs loo at all?

Unless I was desperate I wouldn't buy a house without a downstairs toilet, no matter where it was squeezed in. I would prefer it to have a window though.

Disneyblue · 14/08/2021 19:40

To be fair it wouldn't matter where my DH went for a poo in the house, the smell would still make its way to the kitchen.

So no, it wouldn't bother me.

IDreamOfLogCabins · 14/08/2021 19:41

I'd rather have that than no downstairs toilet, so it wouldn't put me off a house if I liked the rest of it overall.

mutedrainbows · 14/08/2021 19:42

Our only bathroom is attached to the kitchen. No choice but to do poos in there 😅 but door stays closed and window cracked! Doesn't cause any issues.

SmokeyDevil · 14/08/2021 19:43

Nope, not unless a utility room was inbetween it and the kitchen so there's a smaller chance of the smell etc drafting through to the kitchen. You can't assume people will only wee in there, some people are no more different to animals who still haven't figured out how to flush or even wash their hands. You also can't assume they will put the toilet seat down before flushing and keeping it down (let's not go into details about why) for the reasons above.

Realistically, I wouldn't want a bathroom near the kitchen at all.

daytriptovulcan · 14/08/2021 19:43

Mostly people dont have a big choise about a house purchase. It ll boil down to 2 or 3 houses, in right area at the right price? For example bigger garden, not overlooked garden, newer kitchen or an off street parking with your toilet arrangement, is an definet buy.

Peanutsandchilli · 14/08/2021 19:55

@romany4

I used to live in a HA house with this exact layout. It was fine
Yeah, my sister lives in an ex council house with the same. Think it's pretty common. Not an issue for them, although I'd probably try and change it as it's not ideal.
Stroopwaffle5000 · 14/08/2021 20:01

My house is only 5 years old and has a toilet in the kitchen. We want to get rid of it and extend the kitchen though.

MorganHunt · 14/08/2021 20:01

People (children) will flush the loo with the seat up and the door open. Result: tiny flecks of feces and bacteria on everything in the kitchen, surfaces and tools alike. So no, I wouldn't.

GameSetMatch · 14/08/2021 20:03

I wouldn’t care where the downstairs toilet was, as long as there are multiple toilets in a house I don’t care, if I did care I could always take the toilet out and have a nice pantry space. It won’t put people off surely.

Indecisivelurcher · 14/08/2021 20:06

We are c about to start renovations on Monday, we had this same debate l! My friends were very split. Lots of people think it's against regs, even though it isn't now. In the end we are putting a small utility area in with a toilet at the end, so there will be 2 doors. I'm really hoping it's the right plan...!

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