Removing (too small) downstairs loo and replacing it with a coats cupboard?

[ThatThereWoman]

I live in a Victorian Terrace house which currently has a tiny downstairs toilet at the end of the passage. It's so small that only the children can sit down - and even they prefer to go upstairs (the hand washbasin is too close - I suppose it could be repositioned).

We also have a lot of coats and shoes in the passage way, and a plethora of brushes, mops etc in the kitchen.

I am wondering whether I could repurpose the loo into a multipurpose cupboard. And achieve my dream of a clutter free hallway.

The question isn't whether it would be a problem for my family, but if/when I sell the house on? There are 6 bedrooms, so I assume people would expect there to be a loo downstairs.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

I like the idea of a clutter free hallway. How many bathrooms/toilets upstairs?

With that large a house I think I'd expect a downstairs loo (I assume there is more than one upstairs??), but if it's not useable it's not really relevant.

How easily could you remove the fitting but keep the plumbing? I know someone that used a (admittedly quite large) toilet as a store room...

Can you just put a box around the loo an put your mops etc on top?

there are 2 bathrooms upstairs.

I could move the washbasin onto the other wall, that would solve the too-small issue (if you sit on the toilet, knees hit the washbasin!). But it still isn't a massively pleasant room.

I think I would just put a box of some description over the toilet, and turn it into a cupboard. That way, when it comes to sell, you’ve still got a downstairs toilet.

You could remove the sanitary ware and then box in any pipes etc so it would be easy for a buyer to reinstate.

Is there room for another bathroom upstairs....

I’m struggling to imagine how you’ve got a six bedroom house with nowhere downstairs for storage. Could you build a cupboard somewhere else?

You can buy toilets with a built in basin in the top.

I too was going to suggest changing to a toilet with built in basin. Keep the downstairs cloakroom if at all possible.

I think I'd replace it with a compact all in one toilet/integrated basin, but put hooks all around the room so you can hang coats but the toilet is still there and useable (if a bit of a squeeze).

You'd devalue your house if you removed the loo.

It's a tall thin house - 4 floors. The downstairs is bog standard through reception and kitchen at the back. ( no side return extension). The downstairs toilet was originally a cupboard. I think originally the kitchen (as it is now) was a smaller kitchen and a downstairs bathroom.

Yes, I could put a bathroom on the top floor. Could also put an ensuite in 2 of the rooms upstairs .

The smaller children do use it - it would be really useful for a young family I think. (I'm probably going to move in the next 2 years).

Yes that's what I feared @NC4THISandTHAT

If you're planning to move in the foreseeable future then I would leave it - lack of a downstairs loo in a house with lots of stairs would put a lot of buyers off.

If you want to make it more useable for now, go for replacing the loo with a more compact one and a tiny handbasin (there are lots of very slim or corner fitting ones available now) or the kind of loo with built-in basin. That might leave space in there for at least a row of hooks for coats?

You'd devalue your house if you removed the loo.
Is this actually true? Becasue when we were buying our house 18month ago I honestly don't recall the presence of a downstairs loo having that much of an impact on price for similar houses. And we ended up buying one without a downstairs loo over a very similar property of the same price with one similar to what the op describes.

I'd rather not have one at all than some of the hideously small shoved in a cupboard ones I've seen.

Just replace the loo with one with a wash basin on top of the cistern. You only need it to wash your hands and saves on water.

Japan has these in a lot of houses/ flats to save on space. Tis a genuis idea.

www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/seattle-combined-two-in-one-wash-basin-toilet?campaign=googlebase&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmZDxBRDIARIsABnkbYS9--Wm37D71HlZ2czXwzCl9QoB3KURNG1IBfya4ougqKbFMSd1PGoaAoPUEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

www.bathshop321.com/p2-combination-toilet-and-sink/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAmZDxBRDIARIsABnkbYTYmG_ubNnVZK1JTKjr7M458QCKRPJFBY9QFs1EwmTUmpMJRk65wF0aAr1AEALw_wcB

No downstairs loo will limit your market. It's not just people with small children who will want one. Without one it can be difficult to have infirm, elderly relatives to visit at all. We happily bought a house without one when we were in our 20s, but when we traded up to a 4 bed with toddlers, and had a tottery great grandma in her 90s, it seemed an easy one for the "must have" list. I appreciate your current one isn't really up to the job and I can see the temptation, but I think one of those Japanese loos with the sink over the cistern would be a better bet.

Of course it's your house and you can do what you like. It might even be quite sensible to "cap off" the loo for now and be prepared to reinstall one to sell. It won't be expensive to get a plumber in to add a loo back in if you've kept the plumbing in a suitable state. Or use it to house a washing machine perhaps

Removing the loo for a cupboard wouldn’t the cupboard also be tiny? If you can’t make the tide stairs cloakroom bigger I would think about new sanitary wear and ask a carpenter to fit some cupboards somewhere else for all the clutter

Our last house had 2 toilets but both were upstairs (bathroom and ensuite)

This house has 3 toilets, one being downstairs. My elderly Grandad who was in his 80s really struggled to use the stairs and was incredibly relieved when we moved to this house. Dh's uncle also struggled with the stairs after his knee replacement surgery wasn't as successful as he hoped.

So yes, it isn't just about children. I would look at moving the basin to stop the knee banging, but also think about how you are going to present the house when you come to sell with the lack of coat/shoe storage in the hall. Where will you be storing stuff then? It might inspire you!

You would devalue your house a lot by removing a loo.
Most people would love a loo downstairs.

We live in a very small house, but all the houses here, have a full bathroom (and toilet) upstairs and a toilet downstairs.
It's a godsend.

How big is it OP?
What are the dimensions?
Are you prepared to post a photo? I bet you lots of people with similar Victorian houses have a very slim loo, that you need to reverse into!

Mumsnet is brilliant for this. For advising what toilet to get/what tile/what grout to buy etc!

it's tiny and unappealing. But I can see that it is both useful and adds value to the house.

I'll take a picture and upload it. I can see that I need to rethink both the toilet and the passage coat storage.

Is there any way you can move the sink and paint it or do anything else to make it more appealing? I agree that you need to keep it if you're selling up and 2 bathrooms isn’t enough for six beds. Can you show us a photo? Even a teeny downstairs loo can generally be improved.

Find a way to KEEP THE LOO!

We don't have a downstairs loo and if we ever were able to put one in we'd need to find a way to make it big enough to meet the requirements of disability planning. So large enough for a wheelchair.

If you already have a small loo. Find a way to make it better rather than lose it.

You could get the actual physical loo removed and a plug in each of the pipes, for tens of pounds, then store in the garage or shed and reinstate in 2 years at similar cost. You could even DIY that if you like.
If you were going to live there for 20 years I'd say ignore resale, but if you're moving best to be pragmatic.