Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Downstairs loo - to put one in...or not?

20 replies

MrsO10D · 02/08/2018 10:31

Hi fellow mumsnetters Smile

I’m looking for some advice. We are debating whether to put a downstairs loo into our semi-detached three-bed 1960s home. There is room in the cupboard under the stairs and we are toying with the idea but are not sure if it will be financially viable (hoping to put the house on the market in the next year or so).

Our area is a mix of young families and retirees.

We’ve renovated and finished the rest of the house to a really high standard and are about to put in a new kitchen…which definitely needs replacing. At the moment we only have one bathroom upstairs.

I’ve read that a downstairs loo can add 5% to the value of the home, but in our area the house prices are quite static (they went up slightly when the market was buoyant but haven’t really followed the same trend as the rest of the South East.) There is a definite ceiling on our road which we are already near the top of. I’m worried about over-spending and instead am thinking of using a portion of the money towards creating better curb appeal at the front of the house (and saving the rest).

Our house is open plan so in creating the loo, we’d need to move the (current cupboard) door so it opens onto the living room instead of the kitchen (meaning that the loo will be slightly detached from the kitchen – however, the living room is next to the kitchen with no separating door in-between.) We would, of course, put in an extractor fan.

If you were looking at buying a newly renovated home around the £400,000 mark, would a lack of downstairs loo be a deal-breaker? WWYD? Advice/opinions welcome.

TIA XX

OP posts:
Lucisky · 02/08/2018 14:10

I think I need a diagram!
That said, being an old fart, I wouldn't consider a house without a downstairs loo, but then I'm getting to the age where I look longingly at bungalows.
However, I'm not sure about having a loo off the living room. Noise and smells do travel, even with an extractor. There is usually a hallway or lobby to act as a buffer.
Is there anywhere else you could put it? Have your neighbours added one, and if so, how have they done it?

Original poster
MrsO10D · 02/08/2018 14:24

Hi @Lucisky

I see what you mean about a hallway/lobby. We don't have one unfortunately as the house is open plan. Other neighbours (who have 4 bedrooms, we have 3) have built out to the front of the house to put a loo in there, but doing that will eat into our capital far more than we would like it to. Others don't have a downstairs loo at all.

I think I'm between a rock and a hard place with this one...

OP posts:
calilark · 02/08/2018 14:28

At 400k, I would absolutely expect a downstairs loo, and certainly more than 1 bathroom. I wouldn't be happy with a loo that opens into a living room though, but that is our most used room - it depends really on your room usage I guess.

there is a house near me for sale that is open plan and they have created a weird little loo pod smack bang in the middle of the space - definitely don't do that, it is bizarre!! :)

namechangedtoday15 · 02/08/2018 14:38

I wouldn't - if it were a choice between a downstairs loo that opened into the living room, or no downstairs loo at all, I wouldn't have work - and would be gobsmacked if anyone preferred that option.

We have a loo under the stairs but as a previous pp has said, it opens into the hall. If you can't re-configure the layout so that you have some sort of hallway, don't do it. It would a) put off buyers and b) probably devalue the house as anyone who did offer would be considering the cost of taking it out / reconfiguring the space.

BIWI · 02/08/2018 14:43

I think there are three things to consider:

1- definitely not opening into the living room!
2 - it may not add that much value (in your situation), but if anyone is choosing between your house with a downstairs loo and one without, you're likely to be the winner
3 - if you have elderly parents, you may find (as well did) that them visiting/staying with you - if they live some way away - becomes impossible, if they can't get up the stairs to the loo

I'd definitely be going ahead

Original poster
MrsO10D · 02/08/2018 14:45

Thank you all. That's really helpful advice Smile

OP posts:
OftenHangry · 02/08/2018 14:47

I just added one to my 30s semi. It was really needed and it's just 2 of us😶
If you are short of space for loo and a sink have a look at a combination units with sink on top. Some actually top up the cistern when you wash your hands.

Tobuyornot99 · 02/08/2018 14:48

From a resale perspective I'd definitely be looking for a proper look rather than a macerator type one, I hate those

crumble82 · 02/08/2018 14:49

We moved house a couple of years ago, one of the reasons was that our house only had one bathroom. I didn’t even bother viewing a house without a downstairs loo. That said I would not buy a house where the loo opened into the living room either.

OftenHangry · 02/08/2018 14:49

Agree with others about toilet opening into living room though. Not pleasant. Is tgere really no other way?

ballseditupagain · 02/08/2018 14:50

Can you put a utility in off of the new kitchen and shove it in there

IwantedtobeEmmaPeel · 02/08/2018 15:03

I would definitely rather go without a downstairs loo if the only option meant it opened onto the living room. Also if you are already at the ceiling then you would risk losing money when selling, especially ivo of the location of the downstairs loo. I think if someone really wanted your house then they would buy with a view to installing or extending like your neighbours. Kerb appeal is important so I think your money would be better spent on that.

orphanblack1 · 02/08/2018 15:06

Downstairs loo will def appeal to families for potty training purposes. It was a deal breaker for us when we were looking last year

Etymology23 · 02/08/2018 15:10

We had a house with an under stairs downstairs loo that opened onto the sitting room and a tiny hall. The lack of hall was frustrating for shoes and coats, and we ultimately didn’t really use the downstairs loo much because it wasn’t nice being right next to people sitting around. It was used occasionally but mainly it was a glorified cupboard.

Original poster
MrsO10D · 02/08/2018 15:10

Hi @IwantedtobeEmmaPeel I was thinking the same. Maybe an option could be to apply for planning permission to build out to the front of the house with enough room for a loo and then sell with that in place so the new people could build if they wanted to. I'm getting some agents in to value next week so will discuss options.

Thank you everyone for your advice and comments. Obviously the idea of fitting a loo that opened onto the living room was not one of my finest - haha! I think I was getting desperate...

OP posts:
thecatsthecats · 02/08/2018 15:11

I would be out without a hallway to be brutally honest, at that price!

What I have seen done in one place was a wide porch incorporating a toilet (walled off, obviously). Slightly unusual, but it worked for the house in question.

enbh · 02/08/2018 15:22

I absolutely second all the great advice here, it's certainly a no no! On the other hand I think you are probably right about the curb appeal, it really does pay to get things looking lovely from the outside. First impressions and all that!

TheCraicDealer · 02/08/2018 15:34

If it's a choice between downstairs loo off the living room or no downstairs loo, I'd still do it. They're so useful with kids etc, and most of the time it's only going to be you and the people you live with using it. If you're worried about guests just let them know they can use upstairs as well.

We have a loo that opens into the (open plan) kitchen/dining/living room. It was a new build and not the layout I would've chosen, but it's been fine. We have some of those Bloo fizzing crystals beside the toilet for visitors if they wish and it's a complete non-issue.

OftenHangry · 02/08/2018 16:48

Can you put a little floorplan?

Notquitegrownup2 · 02/08/2018 16:53

I was going to suggest getting planning permission for the extension loo too. You can get the drawings done at a reasonable price, and/or get quotes from a local builder too, so that folks know what it would cost to add. (Estate agent advised me that, if recommending any work, you get it costed, so that it's not just a blank.)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page