Where should we install a downstairs toilet? (floor plans included)

[Downstairstoilet]

We are in desperate need of a downstairs toilet but don’t have a huge budget so an extension won’t be possible. Our first thought was under the stairs but it doesn’t meet the height requirements.
Second thought was to take up part of the garage space (see picture two) but our long term plan is to knock through from the kitchen to utility/laundry room to create a larger kitchen/diner with bifold doors. So we’d already need to take the back section of the garage for that. Installing a toilet in front of this would mean the garage would no longer fit a car. This is our forever home and we have a driveway plus two spaces in front of our house so we never use the garage to store our car but I worry about devaluing the house long term.
Any other opinions would be greatly appreciated!

[otherusername]

@Downstairstoilet

I’ve just done a quick updated floorplan if we were to do the box in the middle of the garage for the toilet then knock the wall between the kitchen/utility to make a larger kitchen/diner with bifold doors.
What do you think?

Don't forget to factor in where all the laundry room 'stuff' (washer/dryer/airer etc) will go, your new kitchen plan doesn't look huge in terms of cupboard space if you have to fit in extra appliances plus having a space to hide things like your hoover and ironing board out of sight is so helpful. You could use the remainder of your garage for that maybe?

[ZeldaWillTellYourFortune]

That looks nice.

[Caspianberg]

I would there’s a lot of doors in that plan. Where do you plan to put actual kitchen as very little wall space

door opposite toilet form hall might be better, then sofa can be L shaped facing into the garden.

[CellophaneFlower]

@Caspianberg

I would there’s a lot of doors in that plan. Where do you plan to put actual kitchen as very little wall space

door opposite toilet form hall might be better, then sofa can be L shaped facing into the garden.

That's not her sofa, it's her kitchen!

I think it looks good, but I'd also add a door in hall to get to the loo.

[Caspianberg]

@CellophaneFlower oops, of course it is. Sorry, caught floor plan and replied whilst toddler in bath meant I didn’t look properly

[CrystalMaisie]

Just as an aside, we made the back of our integrated garage into a utility room. I decided against a door into the remaining garage to give us more wall space for cupboards. The best thing about doing that is how much warmer it’s made the kitchen, no cold draft from the garage anymore.

[crumpet]

Keep a separate utility if you can, and a lootility would be fine. We had one in a previous house (not as nice as this image which also has no loo), and hid the utility elements behind cupboard does so 90% of the time it jut looked like a large downstairs loo.

[MaggieFS]

Agree with the above pp. I would absolutely keep a utility, or lootility. It's all well and good being able to have appliances in a garage but you also want surfaces and cupboards. And you really don't want them in an open plan kitchen.

[Downstairstoilet]

We had an architect round last night to give us some different ideas about where to put the downstairs toilet/reconfiguring the kitchen. He came up with a totally different option of keeping the utility as it is, adding the downstairs toilet just off it so still leaving enough space to in the garage to park a car. Installing bifolds in the current kitchen then moving the kitchen into the current dining.
I think this is the best plan yet as it means no major alterations (knocking walls down) and we can keep our loo-tility separate.
I’ve drawn up a rough floor plan, what do you think?

[ZeldaWillTellYourFortune]

Yes, I like moving the kitchen over.

[MaggieFS]

Looks v good but I thought it was most important to you to have the bifold across the back wall 🤷‍♀️

Makes sense though and sounds like you're happy with it- go for it!

[GasPanic]

Doesn't work for me. Hasn't increased the size of the kitchen (your long term stated aim).

is it really worth all the expense of moving the kitchen units over to the other side of the room, knowing that all you effectively get for that process is the bi fold doors next to the dining table ? How much are those bi fold doors onto the dining table actually going to cost you in cash ? £10K-£15K ? I'd need one hell of a view to justify that.

[Caspianberg]

Yes you haven’t gained any space?

Moving the laundry into garage will be far cheaper than moving an entire kitchen. Plus you actually gain day to day space

[Seaweed42]

I think your latest plan is good. You aren't losing any space.

Would it work better to have the door into the Laundry closer to behind the kitchen door, so it's more directly in front of the new toilet. See my badly drawn plan...

This will give you a more closed off 'dining area' in front of those doors.
In the winter you won't be opening those doors so the table can be moved closer to that corner of the room.

you have to remember you'll be treking a bit from the kitchen into the utility room to dump stuff.

Otherwise the dining area is a bit of a hallway. But it might be too many doors there unless you had a sliding door.

What's the garden/patio like outside those doors?
I'd spend any money saved on that, because that is what you will be looking at all day.

[GasPanic]

@Caspianberg

Yes you haven’t gained any space?

Moving the laundry into garage will be far cheaper than moving an entire kitchen. Plus you actually gain day to day space

"Yes you haven’t gained any space?"

Key issue for me. If you are going to spend that money you want to spend it in a way that adds value to the house, not just moving stuff around from a to b.

Adding the toilet in the garage adds value to me, but swapping the kitchen round doesn't.

[TheCraicDealer]

It seems like a sensible idea in principle but you’ve then got to get your water, gas supply etc over to the other side of the house. And if I learnt one thing from watching every single episode of Your Home Made Perfect is that moving services = £££. Could potentially be a lot of money for no additional living space, just a very, very expensive downstairs loo.

[Downstairstoilet]

@MaggieFS
the bifold is across the back wall?

[Downstairstoilet]

I thought relocating services would be cheaper than knocking down walls and putting up rsj’s but maybe not 🤦🏼‍♀️
It wasn’t necessarily that we needed to make the kitchen bigger. It’s just currently very dark as we only have a small window above the sink with wall units to each side so hardly light gets in. Hence the want for bifolds or double doors at the back. I also don’t love the layout as the oven door open into the kitchen doorway which means I have to make sure no one is walking through every time I open the oven and same for the dishwasher opening at the utility door.

[MaggieFS]

@Downstairstoilet

@MaggieFS
the bifold is across the back wall?

Yes, but my [mis] interpretation was that you wanted to fully open up across the back.

If you literally only want a toilet and bifolds in that space then it works and it's a good solution.

I agree with pp though that it's a huge cost to move a kitchen only to end up in a corner with no outlook. IMHO, I think more living space is more valuable than being able to park a car in a garage, especially when you have a driveway... but I appreciate that's not what you're asking.

[MerryMarigold]

Is the hallway really as big as the dining room? I would put it by the front door if that's possible (not sure if that's under the stairs or if there is currently a 'gap' right by the front door.

[JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn]

What are the plans for the playroom when your children no longer need it? It seems like a massive expense for something that won't always be needed.

[Downstairstoilet]

@MerryMarigold
no it’s not but I’m not sure how draw it on the floorplan accurately without skewing the other rooms.
We currently have coat and shoe storage across the left hand side, in front of the stairs and behind the front door I normally leave the pushchair so it’s not a big enough space for a toilet and we don’t have the head height to put one under the stairs.

[Downstairstoilet]

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn
the play room is a conservatory which we actually hate as it’s either freezing or boiling so is more like a toy storage room currently.

[Heronwatcher]

I think the new plan looks great. At this moment in time maximising internal space is definitely the best idea. And if your kids don’t need the play room as they get older you have the option of making that the dining room and then having a lovely reading or sitting area in front of the bifold doors. Interestingly in the latest series of love it or list it quite a few of the renovations have been about making existing space work better, and the ones I saw turned out really well.

And I think ideally I would try to keep the garage big enough for a car- having a starage (storage garage) wouldn’t bother me but for quite a few people I know who have sports or vintage cars it would be a deal breaker.

[Calmdown14]

Rearranging your space can make a massive difference even if it doesn't add square footage.

I like it but I would really give some thought to your doors. It would be nice to have a sight line from the front door right the way through .

The way they open will make or break that space. I'd have a glass door opening into the hallway so you are not making a pinch point round the dining table. Or a pocket door if the walls allow. Otherwise you have to walk round the door to get to the toilet.

It's also a bit tight on the corner into the kitchen but you could get an extending table so it's not out that size all the time.

Play about on a kitchen planner to ensure it gives you enough space..