Help! 1 toilet or 2?

SimPaul

I live in a 2 bed flat in London...at the moment I have 1 bathroom with a toilet, a bath and a basin, which is 2m x 1.5m and very cramped.

I have another 1m x 1m room with just a toilet and a basin in it. Both 'bathrooms' are next to each other.

I plan to make the replace the main bathroom, leaving just a bath/shower and a basin, so completely removing the toilet. In the other smaller room I plan to replace the existing toilet and basin.

Question: By removing a toilet, am I reducing the value or sellability of my flat? My Dad says yes, I think (given that they are so close), a more spacious main bathroom would be better. Any opinions?

sloth

I didn't mean to thank you for this post but to reply! Whhhooopsss!

I think it depends on who your target market wouuld be and what kind of area you were in. You may have a couple buying who might where say the boyfriend may, in an emergency, use the toilet whilst the girlfriend was in the bath, hence they may prefer one larger bathroom and accept that this may happen every now and then. If you have two flat mates sharing, they would obviously not be so intimate and may prefer two toilets.

mcspanna

SimPaul wrote: »

I live in a 2 bed flat in London...at the moment I have 1 bathroom with a toilet, a bath and a basin, which is 2m x 1.5m and very cramped.

I have another 1m x 1m room with just a toilet and a basin in it. Both 'bathrooms' are next to each other.

I plan to make the replace the main bathroom, leaving just a bath/shower and a basin, so completely removing the toilet. In the other smaller room I plan to replace the existing toilet and basin.

Question: By removing a toilet, am I reducing the value or sellability of my flat? My Dad says yes, I think (given that they are so close), a more spacious main bathroom would be better. Any opinions?

Is there any way that you could create a small ensuite to the master bedroom? that would probably increase the value more than 'just two bathrooms' but it all depends on the layout of your place. Ideal Standard do some good bathroom bits and bobs like corner toilets so you can fit a complete bath/shower room into an incredibly small space.

anonymousie

2 definately. My BIL and SIL live in central london in a 2 bed flat (very posh!) and moved a little along the block to get a slightly bigger lounge and 2nd bathroom- if you have friends to stay 2 loos is great.

Plasticman

Unless it's a huge (grand) flat, I'd get rid of one toilet and have a bit more space. People don't tend to expect two bathrooms in an average two bed flat.

dander

If you can afford it, and it's practical to do so, I would have thought knocking the two together to create one bigger bathroom would be the neatest option.

I think in most two bedroom flats, two loos isn't really expected. I would have thought it would make no difference at all to value - some people might prefer the flat because of the loo arrangment, but they probably wouldn't pay extra.

SimPaul

they are together, but divided by corrider so not possible to make into one...wanted to turn the small one into an ensuite actually as it backs onto the bedroom but the lease forbids structural changes! Damn management companies.

So it's going to be one bath with shower and a basin with a separate toilet room. Should be much more spacious.

Plasticman

Good luck!

belfastgirl23

I know when we lived in a 2 bed flat I would have preferred seperate WC from bathroom - that way if I wanted a bath and DH had mates in for the football they wouldn't have had to hold it till I got out

Doozergirl

You can ask for permission to knock through. Leases would normally stipulate that you don't do work to protect your neighbours, but done correctly, they can't 'reasonably' withold permission.

The ensuite is what would certainly increase value. Taking out one toilet will have no effect on value at all so you can do what you like there!

Do have a look for space saving bathroom ranges - they're really clever and they really help!

olly300

I would definitely see if you could have 2 bathrooms in the flat both with toilets and one with a bath and the smaller one with just a shower. Even with falling house prices flats with 2 bathrooms sell for more.

If you are really stuck for ideas how on to fit it in you can measure the bathrooms, work out where your soil/drainage pipes are, go to specialise bathroom shops and get plans drawn up, then go away and think about them.;)