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Original poster

Would you buy a house without a downstairs toilet?

146 replies

AmusedMaker · 15/07/2024 19:36

There is room to put one in ( house is a semi with plenty of room at the side ) but obviously this will cost.

The house is mine & I’m thinking of selling but just interested in your thoughts?
would it be a definite no regardless of whether there’s space to put one in ?

OP posts:
notacooldad · 15/07/2024 20:01

@Emily1200
I personally wouldn’t, one of our non-negotiables was a downstairs loo. So much easier when having guests over
Why is it so much easier? My guests just go to the toilet and that's it. I can't see how much difference it makes if they have to go up some stairs.

Shudacudawuda · 15/07/2024 20:02

AmelieTaylor · 15/07/2024 19:56

@Shudacudawuda

Well, for me it WAS essential thanks.

Accidents just happen. I hadn't planned to get hit by a car & be unable to get upstairs.

Show quote history

This is a weird response 😕.
I'm glad you had one when you needed it.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 15/07/2024 20:03

It wouldn't bother me particularly, it would be a nice to have, not a deal breaker.

What would stop me buying is any toilet that was directly off the kitchen.

renoleno · 15/07/2024 20:05

We recently did, only a suite upstairs. Would have preferred a downstairs WC but this was much cheaper and rest of the house and garden was fab. One with a downstairs WC was 30k more and rest of the house wasn't great. Can't actually put one in either due to soil pipe location unless we build an extension (or dreaded saniflo) so not on the cards anytime soon.

It's just DH and I, and we only want one DC. So figured it would be fine for a family of 3. DH and I are both quite speedy at toilet/shower business and used to live in a 1 bed 1 bath with no issues. A bit annoying when you have people visit but I've always lived in single floor apartments where of course people can see your bedrooms anyway. Just close the doors to other rooms.

The fact you can put one in will be attractive to buyers. It will no doubt put off some folk but there will be plenty who don't have the budget for it or are small families like ours where it's not a big deal.

Muffin101 · 15/07/2024 20:05

I’d prefer one, but it wouldn’t be a dealbreaker I don’t think. I don’t have one currently and I realised it was a pain in the arse when I started potty training my toddler plus it would be so useful in the case of an accident or surgery or whatever.

madameparis · 15/07/2024 20:05

Depends on quite a lot of factors. Where is the house? Do other similar sized properties have downstairs loos? Is it a small first time buyer property, or a family home?

I bought a 2 up 2 down in a city in my twenties, married, no children, both working full-time. It didn’t bother me in the slightest to not have a downstairs loo…… all other comparative properties in the area were the same.

Now as a Mother of young children, living in a larger family home, in the suburbs, yes I would be put off by a lack of downstairs loo. But I would consider a property that had potential for me to add it.

notacooldad · 15/07/2024 20:06

@AmelieTaylor
Well, for me it WAS essential thanks.

Accidents just happen. I hadn't planned to get hit by a car & be unable to get upstairs
Your situation, is not the same of the vast majority of MNers on here that simply must have a toilet because they don't know how they could cope. Your circumstances make it essential
.

chattyness · 15/07/2024 20:08

Doesn't affect me now as I'm in a bungalow but if I was buying a house I I wouldn't want to be without a downstairs loo because I like not having to run up and down and I love that guests and nosey rellies have no excuse to be poking about .I don't have anything to hide but it's privacy issue for me

GeorgeBeckett · 15/07/2024 20:09

I have! Downstairs toilet was on the list but this house had everything else and had space to put one in. It would be nice but actually I think I might benefit from the storage space more. And it doesn’t do us any harm to burn a few extra calories! We’re all in good nick (which could obviously change). Houses never used to have them.

Emily1200 · 15/07/2024 20:11

notacooldad · 15/07/2024 20:01

@Emily1200
I personally wouldn’t, one of our non-negotiables was a downstairs loo. So much easier when having guests over
Why is it so much easier? My guests just go to the toilet and that's it. I can't see how much difference it makes if they have to go up some stairs.

Not every guest is able to climb stairs to name one reason

Ineedaholidayyyy · 15/07/2024 20:15

I wouldn't spend money putting one in before you sell. It might be a deal breaker for some, but others won't mind, as pointed in this thread. We are hoping to move in the next few years, having a downstairs loo would be a nice to have, but definitely not essential for us. More bathrooms = more cleaning 😆

Elphamouche · 15/07/2024 20:21

We wouldn’t buy without.

RaininSummer · 15/07/2024 20:26

I have never lived in a house with more than one toilet so it wouldn't be a problem.

NewGreenDuck · 15/07/2024 20:27

For me, yes, it is. I've worked as a housing officer in the past and met so many people who lived in houses with only an upstairs loo. When infirmity, age, illness strikes and they could no longer do stairs easily they realised that having to get upstairs several times a day was too tiring. Yes, there are stair lifts but sometimes it's not feasible to use them or the person can't use a stair lift. So, I would not want a house with no downstairs facilities. In fact I have a shower room downstairs, so if the worst comes to the worst, I can live downstairs.

Original poster
AmusedMaker · 15/07/2024 20:36

Thank you everyone, good to see it’s not a deal breaker for most.
Hoping to put properly on the market in September so just wanted a few opinions.

OP posts:
LoveBluey · 15/07/2024 20:37

As others have said it's very dependent on what is usual in the area. Most houses near us do have a downstairs loo but hardly any have an en-suite unless they've had a loft conversion. So I probably wouldn't choose one without a downstairs loo unless I absolutely loved everything else and the price was right. I would want there to be potential to add one.

stichguru · 15/07/2024 20:39

How big is the house? How many people do you expect to be in the group that buys it? Obviously you can't tell totally - a single person might by a mansion, or a not well off family might want to shoehorn multiple kids into each room, but roughly I'd say a 1-2, maybe three bed is likely to be bought by a single person, couple or couple with one child, and one loo might be fine if they like other things about the house. A 4 bed, could be bought be the same people of course, but might appeal more to a couple with 2 or even 3 or 4 kids sharing rooms and a single loo is likely to make school and work mornings a total nightmare!

Itsrainingten · 15/07/2024 20:40

Ha! I've literally NEVER had a downstairs loo in my life. Nor have I even had a second one.
Having said that I DO want one when we move but we're going from a 2 and a half bedroom to a 4 bed so it would probably be a bit unusual NOT to have a second. Ideally downstairs.
I have definitely wished we had a second many times over the years. Like when potty training twins 😬

Oblomov24 · 15/07/2024 20:42

No. Having one is so good, I now consider it an essential.

YaWeeFurryBastard · 15/07/2024 20:43

It would be a dealbreaker for me. Mind I think I must have a toilet problem as we have three loos and I’m considering installing a fourth. There are two of us and a baby on the way 😂.

malakkalakka · 15/07/2024 20:48

We are a family of four with one loo, upstairs. We live in a 3 bed semi, none of the houses on the street have downstairs loos unless they've had renovations.

I can't say it bothers me that much. I just feel fortunate to have a house with a mortgage that we can afford.

Papricat · 15/07/2024 20:52

This is like asking if someone would buy a house without a roof...

KirstenBlest · 15/07/2024 20:58

Papricat · 15/07/2024 20:52

This is like asking if someone would buy a house without a roof...

Yes, exactly the same. I'm sure any surveyor would agree with you.

malakkalakka · 15/07/2024 21:01

Papricat · 15/07/2024 20:52

This is like asking if someone would buy a house without a roof...

Somebody has no idea how most of the country live...

confusedlots · 15/07/2024 21:02

I wouldn't buy it as a family home, but the first house I bought was a semi detached and didn't have a downstairs toilet and it wasn't an issue at all for me. Now I have a growing family and also a disabled family member who visits us regularly, and a downstairs toilet is a necessity for us.