Downstairs shower room/loo off living space - as bad as it sounds?

[CatAndHisKit]

Looking for a 2-3 bed house to buy and not much to choose from, anything nice gets snapped up immediately here.

A house came in a perfect location for me just on friday and already under offer! But they still accept viewings for another day at least, I'm going. Would haev to be a very quick decision due to competition.
a Reasonable house though only 2 bed, but they've done a somewhat weird change to the layout - kitchen is an extension, and living room is now long open plan with the fireplace in the middle of the long wall.

So between the front section and the kitchen is that space (a bit dark that would be a dining room or just a walk through space to kitchen next door BUT they've put a shower/loo off it.

If they had a separate front room, that's be fine as it's a kitchen-diner next door, but being open, who wants a loo off living room? Thankfully there is a window in there, but still. I can't afford any reconfigurations.
Would that put you off enough not to buy?

Can you post a floorplan? There might be a cheap fix?

I don't think it would put me off completely if I loved the rest of the house but it kind of sounds like it's not your dream house in general!

I once went to friends and had to use their loo, which was just off the living room. I absolutely hated it - felt like they were all listening to me pee!!

I don't quite get what you mean but is there an alternative place the door to the loo could go?

For example, a friend of mine has a rented house with a loo off the dining room when the logical place would be a door from the hallway (the loo is essentially under the stairs). There is no reason we can see why they chose the door to go from the dining room

I'd find that a bit awkward from the way you describe it

A bathroom off a living room is absolutely awful. A friend of mine had this and it was all sorts of awkward.

I didn't think building regs allowed a loo off a 'habitable room' You used to need two doors from loo to habitable space. But that may not be the case these days - I think @pigletjohn may have a view here.

I was having the exact conversation about having two doors off living space yesterday.

you no longer need the ventilated lobby for building regs

BUT

I would say it is absolutely essential that you have an effective modern (silent) fan that comes on every time the room is used (typically turned on by the light switch) and with an overrun timer. They usually have a 100mm duct either straight through the wall or run along the ceiling to the nearest external wall. A window is not so good because depending on wind direction it might blow odours INTO the house.

AND

you have a dense sound proof door,

I use a fire door, which is obtainable in various styles to match commin internal doors, and which has an automatic closer (I use a Perko style) and fitted wit the furry pile draught excluders or smoke strip, which gives additional sealing round the door and deadens noise.

With a good latch and bathroom lock that has a thunbturn on the inside and an emergency release on the outside.

The doors cost around £80 upwards and the furniture maybe £20-£50 depending on quality.

An experienced professional carpenter will know all this and fit it better than a handyman or DIYer. The doors are really, really heavy.

If the bog is not soundproof and odour proof people will be too embarrassed to use it.

You can give them a portable radio in there as well if they are very shy.

floor plan would be useful.

I'd prefer the door to be facing the front (or back) door, not facing straight into the room. And the hinge towards the room so that when part-open the door obstructs view inside (this is the traditional way to hang doors, for more privacy and less draughts).

if you have room for a lobby, that's better and you can put a handbasin and coathooks there.

We have this and it’s fine. We did it-stupidly...... we’ll change it eventually but it’s actually fine.

If it's making you think twice, it will make potential buyers think twice when you decide to sell on.

I think gut instinct is really important when you're looking at houses.

I have a loo off my lounge but also have another bathroom and an en suite. I use the lounge loo when I am here on my own which is fine but when I have guests none of us use it.

see if you could put up a thick screen as a room divider so that it feels like the door to the loo is private.

here is one example but there are lots of different styles
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079T29N6Y?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Gosh, I didn't realise people where so uptight about their bodily functions.
I have a loo off my lounge. Never been an issue. Everyone seems to use it for a quick wee, but for anything more there is always upstairs.
Day to day it is so handy and would much rather have it than not a downstairs loo at all. Surely if there was more space for a better set up the house would be more expensive to reflect that?
Personally I love the fact that when I need a wee in the evening, I can use the toilet and wash my hands all without having to pause the TV! 😊

@LetItGoHome

You'd be surprised, then, to know there are people on here who won't let their husbands use the en-suite WC.

@PigletJohn

Bloody hell! What's the world coming too? 🤣🤣

Perhaps we ought to return to outside WC's. No chance of rouge sounds or smells offending anyone then. Especially if it where right down the end of the garden 😄😂

Is it the only bathroom in the house or is there one upstairs? If a second bathroom/toilet then it's always handy to have an extra w.c. If it's the only bathroom, maybe not?

Our shower room/loo is straight off the kitchen and we've had no issues if that helps?

PigletJohn wow that's like a bomb-proof door - a tank springs to mind , but thatns for hte detailed advice - I never knew about some of these options!

MrsOosh there is a bathroom upstairs, but really if fthere is second loo in the house, that's supposed to be a guest loo - otherwise they'll use the main bathroom, so what's the point!
But as IAintent says, I can see that it's useful for own use when on your own, that's true.

I wouldn;t even consider if this was off a square/small living room, but here the living room is long (they knocked through the dividing wall where kitchen ysed to ) and the shower room is off the back section which is leading to the kitchen, while the front bit is sofas and tv area, so it's not immediately next to the useable living bit where also the only window is.

Complete no other alternative for the door position.
I suppose guests could be directed upstairs.
It's a small shower room, not just the loo.

Bobs I won't find my dream house on this budget, haha. I'm downsizing which in itself is a challenge. And in a rush to find too. The location is nice though with this one.

We have a loo off the living room, doesn't bother us in slightest, visitors can use upstairs x