How useful are downstairs loos?

[mussinboots]

On the search for a property to house us all and I'm seeing quite a few properties with a tiny downstairs loo. We're in a flat currently and with twin toddlers that's a godsend at present with last minute toilet dashes but once they're fully toilet trained, is it worth having a downstairs loo?

Oh god yes, I wish we had one. 4 adults in the house, and sometimes it is a nightmare trying to get in the bathroom when you need a pee.

Yes! For visitors, or when tummy bugs visit the house, etc etc. Personally I wouldnt buy a house without a downstairs loo!

Yes

I live in a house with an upstairs bathroom only and you cope. However, we have two adults, a 14yr old and a 10yr old in the house and it would be so, so much better to have a second toilet. Especially in a morning when we all need to get ready for work. If people could have a quick wee or brush their teeth somewhere else, it would mean uninterrupted bathing and showering.

Annoyingly, we are 2 years into waiting for a builder to come and add the downstairs toilet and no end in sight.

Very useful, we have two, one at the front of the house and a garden toilet at the back

I hate not having a downstairs toilet; I have 4 kids and only one toilet upstairs and it’s annoying as my kids always decide that they need it as soon as someone else is using it, I also would prefer visitors not having to go upstairs

Yes. Visitors use the downstairs loo. I don't want people traipsing upstairs

Also useful when cooking, no need to run upstairs..

For me they are a necessity as I am disabled so I try not to go upstairs more than once a day. I WFH too so it would be impossible otherwise

I’d never buy a house with only one toilet. Tummy bugs, food poisoning, guests, evil poos ….. more than one loo is a godsend.

Super useful. More than one toilet was on our ‘necessary’ list when we bought our new house last year. As it is, we have 3 now for 3 of us 😂
I wouldn’t be without a downstairs loo!

Downstairs loo are a godsend
Keep kids toothbrushes in there , makes school mornings so much easier

We had one put into our tiny understair cupboard about 5 years ago. Don't know how we managed without it now. Although we didn't always have so many people living here to be fair. But with five of us here it's a definite Godsend.

Yes, because even when toilet-trained, they have accidents and urgent dashes that could easily turn into accidents.

Useful for visitors too.

We paid £6000 to have a downstairs loo put in. It was worth every single penny. I had sickness all through pregnancy so it was great not having to run upstairs. We are now potty training our toddler and we dont have to worry about having to rush upstairs.
And as someone else said, its really good that visitors dont have to go upstairs.

I found it essential when I and two teenage DDs were all trying to get showered/bathed and teeth done before going out to work/school in the morning. Now they are grown up and I live alone, I still find it convenient not to have to trek upstairs to the loo, especially when my long Covid fatigue is having a bad day.

It means we can have visitors round when DC are in bed, and they are much less disturbed, plus there's no possibility of someone mistakenly going into their rooms. It was a must when we looked for this house.

I like that guests don’t need to go upstairs (then I don’t have to tidy up there when people come) and generally when kids are small it’s useful to not have to go upstairs but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker to me

My two are 20 and 18 and we only got a downstairs loo put in last year. It wasn't a big deal not having it while they were growing up but I love having it now!

Putting in a downstairs loo is the single best thing we ever did in this house, and there’s only two of us.

Oh wow! I wasn't expecting these responses! I would hate to use someone's downstairs loo for fear of sounds being heard outside, smells, etc. especially a loo right next to the front entrance. I was thinking of converting any downstairs loo to an actual 'cloakroom' for coats, jackets, wellies, etc.

Yes …downstairs loo is a must !

Good points re: stopping guests from traipsing upstairs and 'accidentally' walking into someone's bedroom (I have nosy ILs).

This is the example I'm referring to:

I don’t like guests going upstairs I find lots of people peek around upstairs when they go up to the loo! Even when telling them where the loo is I find bedrooms doors open etc (that was closed) I don’t poo in other people’s houses so I don’t worry about noises or smell personally 😬

Downstairs loo is a must-have for me. It means people don’t have to go upstairs in my house so I don’t need to tidy up there when people are over. Also good for people who can’t do stairs.