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Original poster

Cottage with a downstairs bathroom only. Leave it?

67 replies

Wannabemamas · 13/12/2023 18:38

Found a cute cottage within our budget in an expensive area. A bit small but very cute, only downside is that it only has a downstairs bathroom and not upstairs. Would this be a massive mistake?

OP posts:
Eekmystro · 13/12/2023 18:46

Had a downstairs bathroom in my last house, it was an absolute pain overnight. I wouldn’t do it again personally unless the bedroom was downstairs too.

CormorantStrikesBack · 13/12/2023 18:48

I wouldn’t buy it. It would have been possibly ok when younger but now I’m older I’m up to the loo quite a bit. Also not good for poorly kids.

Wolfpa · 13/12/2023 18:49

Are there options for a bathroom upstairs in the future? I have lived in many houses where the bathroom is downstairs you work with what you have.

better an independent bathroom downstairs then one that is off the main bedroom

Charlingspont · 13/12/2023 18:50

Not a mistake no. Our neighbour lives in just such a cottage and is in his late 70s. A year ago, he was very unwell and in hospital for a few weeks - he'd caught a winter virus, felt dizzy, fell over upstairs, hit his head, been unconscious, and when he came round he couldn't get up. He's a big man and the ambulance people had a hell of a job getting him downstairs. When he came out, he didn't want to risk that again, so has made his dining room into a bedroom, and thankfully, he has a downstairs bathroom!

So personally, I think it's a good thing for the future. If he didn't have a downstairs bathroom, he'd be looking at having to move.

Original poster
Wannabemamas · 13/12/2023 18:51

@Wolfpa I don’t think so. This is the floorplan

Cottage with a downstairs bathroom only. Leave it?
OP posts:
MerryChristmasToYou · 13/12/2023 18:52

It depends on the house layout. When I was looking, I ruled out houses with only one downstairs bathroom because they tend to be behind the kitchen.
Like in the floorplan given.

An option might be to carve out enough space for a small cloakroom upstairs.

CorylusAgain · 13/12/2023 18:54

It's entirely livable.
Many cottage style or small terraced Victorian houses have this. I lived happily in my terraced house with downstairs bathroom for many years.
It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me if everything else was what I wanted.

WhatWouldJeevesDo · 13/12/2023 18:54

They can be very cold if built on afterwards and three outside walls.

ShowOfHands · 13/12/2023 18:55

I've lived.in a house with that exact layout, with 2 small children from birth to 9 years.

It was absolutely fine.

LindorDoubleChoc · 13/12/2023 18:55

It's fine when you are young and don't need to get up in the night for a pee. And then again when you are old if you can convert a downstairs room to a bedroom. Probably not so good in middle age!

Original poster
Wannabemamas · 13/12/2023 18:55

But would it be an issue to resell?

OP posts:
creamcheeseandlox · 13/12/2023 18:57

My bil had a cottage like this and they hated having to traipse through the kitchen and back when ever someone had a shower...seems so odd to be tiptoeing through a busy kitchen wrapped in a towel. And just inconvenient.

MerryChristmasToYou · 13/12/2023 18:58

Yes, probably, because people now expect at least a separate loo and a family bathroom.

NotMeNoNo · 13/12/2023 18:58

It's a teeny house. So it's only a few steps to the bathroom from anywhere. I think it's fine.
It's not like it's some huge draughty house where it's a long walk to the bathroom.
It's just for historical reasons probably added later than main building.
If you want a teeny house with an upstairs ensuite there are lots of new builds.

Eekmystro · 13/12/2023 19:00

Can’t you make a toilet in that cupboard area of the main bedroom? Or is it not large enough. Even just a toilet upstairs would make a big difference.

When we sold out last house people did comment on the downstairs toilet and it put some people off…/but it did still sell.

CorylusAgain · 13/12/2023 19:00

creamcheeseandlox · 13/12/2023 18:57

My bil had a cottage like this and they hated having to traipse through the kitchen and back when ever someone had a shower...seems so odd to be tiptoeing through a busy kitchen wrapped in a towel. And just inconvenient.

Whereas I have lovely memories of lazing in a bath with a glass of wine chatting to my dp as he cooked dinner 🤣
It's not an arrangement that suits everyone but loads of us have / are living happily in such an arrangement

Cheepcheepcheep · 13/12/2023 19:04

Fairly standard in a lot of the period properties in my town. Wouldn’t work for us but as a result we bought in the 30s houses further out. We get an upstairs bathroom and drive. They get period features and a much shorter walk into town. We don’t get the period features and stroll into town. They don’t get the upstairs bathroom and a drive. And frankly if you want all those 4 things you need to spend £500k more so that’s not really a concern!

I wouldn’t worry too much about resale as it’s not uncommon (unless you’re planning to flip it) so just focus on whether it works for you.

stepintochristmas1 · 13/12/2023 19:05

No it's fine and quite common .

Ribenaberry12 · 13/12/2023 19:06

I lived in a very similar cottage and got used to it really quickly and found it fine. There were advantages - being able to mop the kitchen and bathroom floors at once, had the washing machine in there which meant we had space for a dishwasher in the kitchen, not having to run upstairs to the loo, being able to have a bath in peace after dinner if everyone was in the lounge/upstairs. Not having to traipse mud upstairs if been in the garden and wanting a shower. Now I’ve written all that I’ve realised how much I quite liked it!

Wotchaz · 13/12/2023 19:08

Our last house had this exact layout and it’s really standard for Victorian/Edwardian cottages. Didn’t cause us any issues either living there or selling, as a PP has said in a house this small everything’s really close anyway so it’s not like you’ve got to trek for miles.

otherwayup · 13/12/2023 19:13

I lived in a house with a downstairs bathroom only for most of my dc's childhoods and we actually loved it.

Used to love sticking them both in the bath with the door wide open while I made dinner and it was brilliant during the potty training years too!

It's also brilliant when you're entertaining as nobody needs to go upstairs 😂

otherwayup · 13/12/2023 19:14

We moved to a bigger house eventually but if I'm honest I really miss our little house!

MerryChristmasToYou · 13/12/2023 19:15

A big plus is that if you flood the bathroom or have a leaky shower, it doesn't damage the ceiling of the room below it.

maximist · 13/12/2023 19:21

A firm no from me. I get up at least once in the night for the loo, sometimes more, and having to go downstairs and through the kitchen in the cold dead of night would drive me mad. I'd have to put dressing gown and slippers on - I don't need to with my upstairs bathroom just across from my bedroom.

dontcallmelen · 13/12/2023 19:21

MerryChristmasToYou · 13/12/2023 19:15

A big plus is that if you flood the bathroom or have a leaky shower, it doesn't damage the ceiling of the room below it.

This definitely, speaking as a person who had multiple leaks from dodgy plumbing in an upstairs bathroom, it wouldn’t put me off as plenty of this type of houses have downstairs bathrooms, looking at the floor plan you could possibly at a later date do a small side return extension making the bathroom/kitchen area slightly bigger & build up over the kitchen/bathroom giving you a bathroom & possibly a dressing room/office upstairs obviously this very much depends on budget/ceiling price of the street or if it’s long/short term home.