Change downstairs loo into a cupboard/pantry?

[HelenHywater]

We have Victorian terraced house with a small downstairs loo in the passage just outside the kitchen which hardly anyone uses. The sink is set up so that only the children can use it without their knees cracking against the sink.

I don't have enough cupboard space downstairs and am seriously thinking of changing this space to a cupboard/pantry or possibly a washing machine room instead.. Would this knock lots of the value or affect saleability if I do it? It's a 6 bedroom house - there are 2 bathrooms upstairs.

Can you draw a diagram/rough floorplan?

In general I would say don’t get rid of a downstairs loo if future buyers are likely to be young families. Also 6 bed house, I would want a downstairs loo. But there may be somewhere else you could put in a pantry/laundry and/or ways to improve the loo.

Yes I'd have thought you'd be knocking loads off the value and saleability tbh. If it was a two bedder you'd get away with it, but people looking for six bedrooms will be families with lots of kids, or even just a couple of kids. Re-jig it so it's useable.

Floor plan?

Personally I would want the downstairs loo and wouldnt buy a house without one. However if you plan on living there for a long time then you can always have the piping boxed up so it is still there to replace the loo quickly and easily if you or future buyers want it back

I wouldn't, I'd look at ways to improve the loo, smaller sink(?), sliding door, etc.

Have you got space in a bathroom upstairs to stack your washing machine and tumble drier? That might make some extra kitchen space.

We are 5 bed Victorian with no downstairs loo and I'm currently looking at how I could use a bit of the side return to get one in, albeit off the back of the kitchen. I think a big family home without one is off putting to families.

You’ll be sorry if you do. 🙂

Technically it's against building regs to remove a downstairs loo where one already exists?

Oh gosh is it? I didn't know that.

But pretty unanimous views there! I will look at changing the washbasin around I think

Thank you everyone!

You can get loos with a sink in the cistern.

I too was going to suggest changing to toilet to one with a sink above the cistern, or just next to it (depending on the room size). Could you install a sliding door and put the washing machine where the current sink is?
www.plumbworld.co.uk/affine-tivoli-2-in-1-toilet-and-basin-combination-unit-tap-waste-included-936-1258231?utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=GB&utm_campaign=GoogleBase&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlMaGBhD3ARIsAPvWd6irL94xyeffmr4G4l2g8mCAofsQ2O_bhgQ35Gnz98egWIbq3RlschcaAqbQEALw_wcB

www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/arezzo-900mm-gloss-grey-combination-bathroom-suite-unit-inc-cistern-square-toilet?campaign=googlebase&PS2PVV1=16016&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlMaGBhD3ARIsAPvWd6iZsjvYa5Y3izJPTV6S2sOrTNE3r34baWS5juGIcKTTTHhmEhwhe8gaApNdEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

We bought a house with a long skinny downstairs loo, door at one end so the sink was always in the way.

We chopped off one end and turned it into a laundry cupboard (just room for the machines stacked plus laundry liquids hung on the door). Then we redid the remaining space as a shorter loo - the sink and loo were at opposite ends and the door is in between (new door knocked through from hall).

I’m wondering if you can do something similar- but need a floorplan!

omg the pressure of a floor plan!

A badly drawn plan - basically it's a standard Victorian terraced house 2 through receptions and kitchen at the back.

Great diagram, but what are the dimensions of the current cloakroom? Is it already a sliding door or not?

Ah ok, seems the loo’s been squeezed in to a pretty small space.

I presume no plans to do the side return any time soon? would buyers be likely to do the side return?

I think you could improve the loo by getting a very small rectangular sink and half recessing it into this wall which I assume is a stud wall (marked in green).

Yes, it's a small space. I'm trying to remember what was there when I moved in as I think the cellar and toilet were combined in some way.

I could definitely improve it by changing the washbasin. The door opens out onto the passage and isn't a problem (the kitchen door opens into the kitchen.).

I'm not planning to do the side return, but any purchasers would have that option which I'm assuming would be appealing to them. Am planning to sell at some stage and possibly this year.

Honestly if you’re planning to sell that soon, and if purchasers may well do building work anyway, I wouldn’t bother doing anything to it. It will tick a box for a number of sellers so is worth keeping since it’s already there.

In the meantime, for more storage is there space for cupboards in the dining room ?

Oh no, I’d keep the loo.

Gosh if you’re selling in a year or so don’t waste your money just keep as is.

The selling window is 1-3 years at the moment, so it might be 3 years. But yes, noted.