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Original poster

Deal breakers: No bathtub? No downstairs loo?

53 replies

MaryMashedThem · 07/04/2021 07:19

We're in a mid-terrace, 3 storeys including the loft conversion. We currently have a loo with a bathtub on the ground floor, and a loo with a shower in the loft. We want to open up the downstairs to make it more open plan, but to make the best use of space, we either have to move the whole downstairs loo and bathtub to the first floor, or lose the bathtub and just have a toilet and sink downstairs.
We're planning to sell the house a year or so after this.
If you were buying which would you prefer?
No toilet downstairs but a full bathroom on the first floor, or
No bathtub, but a toilet on the ground floor

OP posts:
Original poster
MaryMashedThem · 07/04/2021 07:22

I should add: it's a 4 bedroom house. 3 reasonably sized bedrooms, and one box room that we currently use as DH's office.

OP posts:
AaronPurr · 07/04/2021 07:23

I'd prefer no toilet downstairs but a full bathroom on the first floor.

But I grew up, and now live in a house with no downstairs toilet, so that may skew my answer.

NoWordForFluffy · 07/04/2021 07:24

Same. No downstairs loo, but full bathroom upstairs.

Bobbots · 07/04/2021 07:26

Which floor is most of your living space on? Is it all on the ground floor with three bedrooms on the first floor and then the master suite in a loft conversion? If so I’d rather have the full bathroom on the first floor where most of the bedrooms are.

PinkPlantCase · 07/04/2021 07:30

People rarely get the money back that they put into an extension/going open plan when they sell.

I’m not sure why you’d live with the the hassle of a building site and spend the money to do if you aren’t doing it for you to enjoy and are going to sell in a year.

Iseeyoulookingatme · 07/04/2021 07:34

If your planning on moving in a year I wouldn't do any of it. If your planning on living there a long time. Move the bathroom upstairs and maybe have a small toilet room downstairs. People in a 3/4 bed are normally families who want a downstairs toilet.

Foreverlexicon · 07/04/2021 07:35

I don’t care where the toilet is but I wouldn’t buy a property without a bath.

PurBal · 07/04/2021 07:40

3 beds should have a bath. I think you can get away with no bath in smaller properties. I like a downstairs loo but not a deal breaker. I loathe open plan living, it's a lot of work for you to do if you're not living there long and will put off some buyers.

MaryIsA · 07/04/2021 07:43

Don’t do all that work for just a year....unless you are doing the work yourselves and flipping it.

We are living through similar at the moment...it’s not great and we’ve got nice builders.

But yes, to answer you question, bathroom on first floor next to the bedrooms.

sanfranfibber · 07/04/2021 07:43

I wouldn't care about the bath but I wouldn't buy a 4 bed with only one bathroom.

Hazelnutlatteplease · 07/04/2021 07:44

I wouldn't buy open plan... not quite what you were asking but...

picklemewalnuts · 07/04/2021 07:45

Ideally Both.
At a push the full bathroom on the first floor and no downstairs loo.

A loo and shower in the loft and a downstairs loo isn't enough for a 4 bed house.
I prefer not to send visitors to the family bathroom.

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 07/04/2021 07:46

I wouldn’t buy a house with a macerator toilet... I’d rather have just one loo than a poo processor.

harknesswitch · 07/04/2021 07:49

2 toilets in a house if it's a family home, likely to have kids

Bathroom on the first floor

weareallpassengers · 07/04/2021 07:56

Isn't open plan now going out of fashion. .personally I do not like open plan. I would not buy a house with no bathtub. ..like either pp's have said I wouldn't bother to do any of it given you are looking to move fairly soon. if you were planning to live in it long term that's different.

TheFairyCaravan · 07/04/2021 08:13

We’re looking at houses at the moment. I really don’t like open plan tbh.

I don’t want a bath because I’m disabled and can’t get in an and out one, but I accept that I’m in the minority there, but I do want a bathroom on the floor I’m sleeping on and a downstairs loo.

NoseOfJericho · 07/04/2021 08:18
  1. A downstairs loo is very useful. Think of visitors trailing through the house, workmen etc. Running water in the kitchen can set off the need, so not having to run upstairs is a good thing.
  1. I need a bath. Not bothered about which floor it is on, although near bedrooms/dressing room is best, rather than downstairs, but if that is where it needs to be, better than no bath at all. Also wouldn't buy a house with only one bath/shower room and toilet.
  1. No way would I buy an open plan house. Especially if it is painted grey or has no features left in it. If you don't want to live in it afterwards, why would anyone else?
emmathedilemma · 07/04/2021 08:54

No downstairs loo and a full bathroom. I wouldn't buy a property that didn't have a bath (or space for one) and I think in a house with that many bedrooms it's predominantly going to be a family house and kids tend to need a bath and a bathroom on the same floor as their bedroom.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 07/04/2021 11:02

Can you fit a downstairs loo and sink even if small? Then bathroom upstairs. We have 1 bathroom, one showroom all upstairs with guest loo with just sink downstairs. It’s very handy for visitors or potty training.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 07/04/2021 11:03

Shower room not show room!

Hallyup5 · 07/04/2021 11:16

Lack of bath wouldn't put me off but I'd have to factor in the cost of putting one in when I made an offer.
I'd rather a bathroom on the same floor as the bedrooms.
Downstairs loo wouldn't be a deal breaker as long as there were two toilets in a 4 bed. We have one and I usually go upstairs, regardless.
Open plan would put me off.

Dreamponytail · 07/04/2021 11:18

Why can't you have a full bathroom on the first floor, a downstairs loo and do away with the loft bathroom if you need to lose a bathroom? That would be my preference. Downstairs loos are so useful, I'd definitely want to keep that.

Comefromaway · 07/04/2021 11:23

When we have bought houses we have always had in mind that dh teaches music from home.

For that reason I would want a downstairs loo if possible (though our very first house didn't) but I would not want a downstairs bath as it would be inappropriate.

I would not consider open plan. A kitchen diner would be fine or a living room diner but we would need a separate office and for the living area to be separate from the kitchen.

Dreamponytail · 07/04/2021 11:23

Also even if you just have the tiniest space for a loo and a tiny corner sink and keep the full bathroom on the first floor and shower room on the loft floor, that would probably really good. Try to work out the smallest size space for a downstairs toilet and sink once you have taken out the bathtub element of your downstairs bathroom. Just having the facility is useful (and adds value). It needn't have a window even, although obviously you would need the toilet to be on or very close to an outside wall for the soil stack, and same for the sink waste outlet.

Original poster
MaryMashedThem · 07/04/2021 21:38

Thanks so much for all this insight! It's really helpful.
To answer a couple points, it's not an option to not do it. We bought the house as a 2-storey, 2-bed fixer upper a couple years ago, and intended to extend upwards and out, and raise a family there with space to regularly host family etc. Our circumstances have changed so we have to move, but the current state of the hoise is that the first floor and loft conversion are completely new - light, airy, and modern - while the downstairs is still dark, poorly planned, dated, and requires a lot of work. We can't really sell the house with the downstairs in the state it's in.

Interesting to hear people's thoughts on open plan. I was also very anti-open-plan and it was another MN thread that made me reconsider. People were saying how useful it was to be able to keep an eye on kids in the living/dining room whilst prepping dinner etc. In our case I think we'll have to go open plan just because the current living/dining room is so small. It was ok for a 2-bed house but really not for a 4-bed. I think opening it up will make it feel more spacious, but maybe we need to give it more thought if open-plan is generally quite unpopular 🤔

OP posts: