Did I make a mistake in keeping the bathroom downstairs?

[Sadhoot]

Last year we had done major renovations, rebuilding our rotting extension and re-wiring and re-plumbing the entire house. The place was a shell. If you were ever to move rooms around, it was then. We basically didn't.

The house is an ex council, 1920s. The bathroom was tacked on at the end and is 3x1.7m, so pretty big. The kitchen is next to it and is 3x2m and is essentially a galley kitchen. There is a separate dining room 3x3m and a lounge 3x4m.

Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms: 2 decent sized ones and a box office/nursery.

We discussed moving the bathroom into the third bedroom but ultimately decided that it was nice having a large bathroom, that we didn't want to lose the bedroom/office and that was that.

Since then, it seems that everyone and their mother has an opinion about it and said we should have moved the bathroom and had a large kitchen downstairs instead.

I am annoyed but now second-guessing myself, especially as an uncle commented that we've made it "hard to sell" as most families will want lots of living space and an upstairs bathroom

i much prefer a downstairs bathroom, i spend more time downstairs than i do upstairs so if i was buying it wouldnt put me off

Do you want to live there or do you want to sell?

How do YOU like the layout?

Personally I'd have rearranged the rooms, but that would be MY preference and is irrelevant when YOU are living there.

I think locals buying will probably expect the bathroom to be downstairs, so less of an issue for them.

A lot of the stock here has downstairs bathrooms. I didn't and wouldn't buy one but that's my preference.

I think an upstairs bathroomis ideal. Looking at houses now I would ideally want 2 bathrooms, or at least upstairs bathroom, and downstairs loo, with 4 people when he only had one loo it was a problem.
Is there space to squeeze in an ensuite or toilet upstairs?

I would have made a bathroom in the box room and turned downstairs bathroom and kitchen into a large kitchen and downstairs toilet.

Definitely an upstairs toilet. Risk of falling downstairs at night especially small children. My SIL has potties to avoid risk.

Could you just put a little loo upstairs? It is not great it’s downstairs and will put lots of folks off, but having at least a loo upstairs would mitigate it somewhat.

I'd have moved the bathroom upstairs, made either a dining kitchen and downstairs loo, or a small study and downstairs loo. I'd never buy a house with no facilities upstairs. If I wanted to go in the middle of the night, no way do I want to trail through the house.

I couldn't live without an upstairs bathroom. If you need the toilet in the night you have to traipse all the way downstairs through the house. What do you do after sex? Waddle through the house with tissue between your legs?

If you're not going to move then it only matters what you think.

I wouldn’t buy a house with a downstairs bathroom, especially if it’s next to the kitchen, but obviously some people do buy them.

None of your rooms are very large so I think what you’ve done is fine. Asking us now is a bit pointless. If you’re happy with it ignore any negative comments.

Yes, I think you made a mistake. Sorry OP!

If all the neighbours houses are the same a buyer will know that is the standard layout.

WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants

Do you want to live there or do you want to sell?

I like the house but hate the area (South London), so it's tricky. I can't afford to buy where I'd like to live (SW London) so probably staying here unless money falls into my lap.

I'm happy with the layout, although I do curse myself when I need to pee in the middle of the night.

It doesnt really matter now as it's all done and dusted. Or are you asking as you could possibly change layouts or add a small room upstairs? Is that a possibility at all OP? In which case I second a PP and suggest adding a small loo upstairs or just a tiny shower room and loo if you have space and the funds.

unicornparty

I couldn't live without an upstairs bathroom. If you need the toilet in the night you have to traipse all the way downstairs through the house. What do you do after sex? Waddle through the house with tissue between your legs?

This made me laugh out loud!

Basically, yes

blue25

I wouldn’t buy a house with a downstairs bathroom, especially if it’s next to the kitchen, but obviously some people do buy them.

The doors to each room are off the corridor: you can go left up the stairs, straight ahead to the bathroom, or turn right to the dining room and walk through that into the kitchen.

Oddbutnotodd

None of your rooms are very large so I think what you’ve done is fine. Asking us now is a bit pointless. If you’re happy with it ignore any negative comments.

Yes, the horse has very much bolted but it seems that everyone has an opinion. I'm secretly pleased with the lockdown because it means I get a respite from people coming over to tell me what I should have done instead!

FAQs

If all the neighbours houses are the same a buyer will know that is the standard layout.

Most are the same, yes. Walking around the neighbourhood you can see frosted glass in the small room of some houses so I assume bathrooms have been moved, however I have yet to see one for sale with the bathroom upstairs. I assume people who invest in moving the bathroom aren't in the mood to move.

In terms of resale, I think if you’d turned a three-bedroom house into a two-bedroom house to fit the bathroom upstairs you’d affect your value and saleability that way, and very probably more than having a downstairs bathroom.

Also, you’re in London and (from your description) not a super-desirable hotspot where buyers will have very flexible large budgets? If that’s the case there will always be buyers happy to accept that having a downstairs bathroom is the trade-off for being able to afford a three-bed, which might otherwise be out of their reach if it was upstairs. It’s far less of a problem than in cheaper parts of the country where a greater pool of buyers will have higher expectations and be in a better position to afford to meet all of them.

Our previous house had a downstairs bathroom and we managed to move it upstairs by taking a section out of bedroom 2. It wasnt large but still managed to fit in a roll top bath, corner shower as well as sink and loo. And we still had 3 bedrooms. It would depend on the layout and size of your bedrooms whether or not you could do this?

One of my friends turned his third bedroom (decent size double) into a super flash high spec bathroom with free standing bath and double walk-in shower. It’s absolutely gorgeous: but he’s now got a (albeit very lovely) two-bed house in a street of mainly three-beds and when he had it valued recently that was very much reflected. Most families will be looking for that extra bedroom.

Three bedroomed houses sell for more than two bedroomed ones. One of our houses had a bedroom converted into a bathroom and I loved it but it was only a two bedroomed house. In some areas a downstairs bathroom is quite common and expected.

Three bedroomed houses sell for more than two bedroomed ones

Of course, and three beds with thr bathroom upstairs sell for more than three beds with the bathroom downstairs.

Often you can take a small chunk out of two bedrooms that join, and create a small bathroom, even a loo, which resolves th issue.

Camping toilet seat on the landing does the trick. If your landing big enough a pip up for privacy or have a spare room that empty leave it then. Only for wee obviously.
www.argos.co.uk/product/8875165?clickSR=slp:term:camping%20toilet:10:629:2

*pop up tent if you wish

You have peace of mind of never to worry about a blockage overflowing loo or crack in ceiling due to bathwater leaking through the floor.