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Original poster

How many loos would you expect in a 5 bedroom house?

273 replies

BarkingHat · 07/08/2020 08:05

We’ve got an en-suite, a family bathroom with loo and a loo with no basin next to that.

The loo with no basin is getting removed to putin new hot water cylinder.

Thinking about putting one in downstairs but it won’t be particularly easy as no headroom under the stairs for one so will have to make space elsewhere. Probably mean a smaller utility.

OP posts:
MashedSpud · 07/08/2020 12:48

I’d want three.

Eng123 · 07/08/2020 12:54

Why do people need 3 - 4 loos? Surely you can only use one at a time... and no one is trying to hide the fact they have bodily functions!

PhantomErik · 07/08/2020 12:59

2 - family bathroom & downstairs loo.

Hate en-suites!

custardbear · 07/08/2020 13:01

Id say downstairs loo and family bathroom and loo at a minimum.

I agree with en suites if enough room, but not at the expense of making a larger room a small double - we have three en suites but all the rooms are 4m minimum width/length so it fits in ok - we wouldn't have done it if they're smaller is. In a grade on 1 lovely bathroom with separate shower and a decent downstairs loo, shower room there if possible too

Scruffyoak · 07/08/2020 13:01

We have 4 bed and 3 loos. I would say 5 bed and 4 loos

CorianderLord · 07/08/2020 13:17

Minimum 3 - upstairs, downstairs, en suite master

verybadhairdoo · 07/08/2020 13:19

We have 5 beds. Loo downstairs. Ensuite to master bedroom. Family bathroom. And guest bathroom.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 07/08/2020 13:24

Why do people need 3 - 4 loos? Surely you can only use one at a time... and no one is trying to hide the fact they have bodily functions!
A five bed house can easily be home to a family of six. Trying to get four DC out of the door to school can be heavy on loo use.

Then add in family visits, people staying for Christmas or New Year etc etc. Our maximum in a 5-bed house was about 15 people staying overnight. Every loo in use.

LunaLoveFood · 07/08/2020 13:32

3 minimum. We have a 4 bed with 4 toilets which is great a part from cleaning them we have 2 bedrooms with ensuite a family bathroom and a downstairs loo.

imnotimportant · 07/08/2020 13:50

I would expect at the very least a cloak /cloak plus shower room on the ground floor , a family bathroom on the first floor plus an en-suite to at least one bedroom so minimum of 3 , in an ideal world perhaps one or two of the other bedrooms would also have an en-suite
I wouldn't buy a house without a downstairs loo , but you can get some great cloakroom wear that fit into small spaces ,
Do you really need a hot water tank it's quite old fashioned could you not get a combi boiler ? Or if you really need a tank put it into the loft space ?

QualityFeet · 07/08/2020 13:57

I don’t understand the craze for loads of toilets. We have six beds and two but I’ve if those is new. No ensuite as prefer a proper bathroom.

Original poster
BarkingHat · 07/08/2020 14:20

@imnotimportant The house is too big for a combi to work well and the current cylinder is too small to fill a bath. We are going to go for a Megaflo type.

I don't really get the hate for en suites. I think there are ensuites and ensuites if you see what I mean.

But I'd still rather have an ensuite - even a small one - to roll out of bed in the middle of the night and have a wee rather than trail down the landing disturbing guests etc.

OP posts:
opinionatedfreak · 07/08/2020 14:21

As per all the others. 3 minimum (Downstairs loo, family bathroom, en-suite)

If space a downstairs wet room type shower can future proof the house - my Dad had just had an extension designed to install one as he didn’t want to move and couldn’t manage the stairs any longer.

Sadly, he died before it was built but several of the other houses have one now (70s villas with several older couples planning to hang on here until they die/need residential care).

JosephineDeBeauharnais · 07/08/2020 14:22

3 minimum, preferably 4. One downstairs, one family bathroom, 2 en suites.

ThrawnCow · 07/08/2020 14:25

Downstairs loo, 2 ensuites and a family bathroom.

randomsabreuse · 07/08/2020 14:26

2 places to shower (with adequate water supply to run both) and a toilet would be my practical minimum assuming family of 4 plus semi regular visitors.

Having a downstairs toilet is always a massive plus for occasional guests, especially children, also easier with young kids as they don't like to give much warning!!!

AuntyPasta · 07/08/2020 14:28

En suites seem to divide people - I can understand the hate when lots of tiny en suites are attached to small bedrooms but mostly I just don’t care. One en suite isn’t going to enough to really bother anyone too much. A downstairs loo and two upstairs is fine.

notheragain4 · 07/08/2020 14:31

I don't get the hate for en-suites either, even small ones. My en-suite is my haven away from my kids, it's just for me! No toothpaste marks all over the towels, plenty of room for my ridiculous amount of products and no one else's!

We are moving and chose a house with 1 en-suite over 2 en-suites though, as 2 just sounded too many to clean for 4 people and which child would get it, although good thinking from another poster about future proofing for when we have more long term guests.

Don't like downstairs bathrooms either, no pets and I wouldn't use it but would need to clean it. Although again I see the future proofing aspect.

AuntyPasta · 07/08/2020 14:37

En suites done well are awesome.

If you have a downstairs loo and sink you’ve got the plumbing in place to add a shower at a later date if needed.

ranoutofquinoaandprosecco · 07/08/2020 14:57

We've a downstairs loo and 2 family bathrooms. Strange, but it worked for the family before us they had 4 kids. We've 2 so when we get to sorting upstairs I think we may keep a family bathroom and turn one into our en-suite.

VinylDetective · 07/08/2020 14:58

@ranoutofquinoaandprosecco

We've a downstairs loo and 2 family bathrooms. Strange, but it worked for the family before us they had 4 kids. We've 2 so when we get to sorting upstairs I think we may keep a family bathroom and turn one into our en-suite.
That’s what we’ve got too. The house is 400 years old and the bathrooms were obviously installed before the nation went en-suite crazy.
notso · 07/08/2020 15:19

We have 5 beds with an en suite, family bathroom and a downstairs loo.
It's fine for us as a family of six although our previous house had an upstairs bathroom and a downstairs bathroom and was fine too.

I've always disliked en-suites, one of the reasons I don't like hotels. I have warmed to the shower element but still not loving having a loo just a door away from my bed.
We don't have a bath either which seems to be a shock for most people. None of us are bath lovers though, our last one was used a few times a year once we no longer had toddlers.

One bedroom is downstairs though and I think long term when we no longer need a playroom we'll put a proper bathroom downstairs for guests.

RemyHadley · 07/08/2020 17:04

There seems to be a fad now for every bedroom to have an en-suite with shower, which is just bonkers. We looked at a 7 bed house recently which had 7 en-suites, and a family bathroom, and a downstairs loo, and all I could think was that I’d have to clean every bathroom each week.

Moomin12345 · 07/08/2020 18:00

3-4

PaternosterLoft · 07/08/2020 18:08

I'd expect a downstairs loo.

We have two downstairs toilets, which when we moved in seemed totally excessive but one is next to the living room and dining room and the other is next to the back door, so with the layout of the house it actually works and so although we'd intended to remove one when we renovated we never did. Also have two shower rooms (one is ensuite, one not) and a bathroom upstairs. We frequently use all at the same time - family of 6.

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