Downstairs toilet in a typical terrace house, needed?

Hockeynut

I've never been a big fan of 2 bedroom houses/flats that have 2 toilets, or even flats, it really riles me as a waste of space for living areas. How pointless!

Anyways, enough background... I've bought a project house for me to live in, that needs a lot of work. If you can imagine your typical 2 bed (+attic room) terrace. As you go into the house, in order, it is Lounge > Dining Room > Kitchen, to give you an idea, fairly typical Victorian terrace.

It needs an entire new kitchen, from scratch, (as much of it was missing). A few people have suggested adding a downstairs toilet. So it was in the plan to put a stud wall across the end of the kitchen and have a loo (and wash machine) in that new room. This meant the kitchen work-surface areas suffered from not being anywhere near as big as I'd originally planned. And having had a kitchen which didn't have a lot of workspace I was quite concious of that.

Since then I've opened up the Dining to Kitchen area with a RSJ and everywhere looks a lot lighter. I can see all the way down the garden from both rooms, which I really like, and it brings more light to both rooms.

So this has made me reconsider the new downstairs toilet. I will be the only occupant of the house, well for the foreseable future unless things change for me! lol I must come from a different mindset obviously than many people in that I don't see the problem in going upstairs to use the loo. But people also insist that it'll add more value to what is a 'family size' house than it would cost to put in, while I already have a fairly blank canvas.

Sorry for the background, thought it might help bring it into context. So the question is, would it add much more to what is only a 2 bed + attic (not official 3rd bed) house. And is it appropriate to have more than 1 toilet in a house of that size and age?

Thanks.

wolfehouse

don't know about value but it will help it sell on when the time comes.
it is not recommended to have a loo just off a kitchen (some hygiene thing i guess) although i have seen it in older houses with a maids room and toilet near the kitchen.

i have lived in a house with only one toilet upstairs and personally would always want one downstairs too. imho i would see what neighbours have done just to get ideas.

Halloway

It's very handy if you have children or have a wife that takes weeks to have a bath (presuming your main bathroom also contains the toilet.)

loracan1

It's nice to have an extra loo, might make it more saleable but I don't think it would actually add value and would of course use up space.

LadyC

You're effectively making a utility room which may add value/saleability to the house. I would describe it as a utillity room when coming to sell the house.

Also it would save traipsing upstairs if you had a call of nature whilst gardening! Of course, you may not do gardening in which case that's not really a plus point.

tori.k

it came down to 2 houses when we brought our house, one of the deciding factors was that this one had a downstairs loo with 3 kids it was a must really, espec because my youngest was only 2 at the time. i will argue that it will add value to the property even if its only a case of a faster selling time, if you really dislike the idea of a downstairs w/c at this time could you not install the pipework so if you change your mind you could add one later in the utillity room without any major hassles

Hockeynut

Thanks everyone so far for your replies. I'm not totally against the idea, I can see that for people who aren't in the house on their own (like me) then it would be of more benefit. The worry is that the kitchen size and worktop space might suffer at it's expense. It's a 4.6m galley kitchen (including about 1.3m at the end for the utility/toilet room). With 2 full heights (Fridge/freezer & cooker) it doesn't leave a lot of work-surface.

dander

I know exactly what you mean - I find ensuite bathrooms so infuriating - especially when I poke my nose around new estates pretending to be a buyer (nosy? me?) and the show houses have these tiny bedrooms that they just about cram a bed into, no room for wardrobes, no built in cupboards, but acres of space given over so you can have two or three bathrooms in a three bed house. The only hobby or interest people who buy these houses are allowed is 'pampering' because there's no room to store anything other than shampoo anywhere in the house. Ok... rant over...

I personally think it's probably a total case of swings and roundabouts - yes, there are people who will find the convenience of a downstairs loo a plus factor in your house, but equally, if you create a lovely open, views to the garden kitchen diner, there are going to be people that are wowed by the spacious family-friendly space.

I would say that kitchens are really important in houses and while it's great to add a loo to some wasted space, what you would be doing would be taking a chunk out of valuable space. You might add a little value for having the loo, but lose value for having a tiny kitchen - meaning it all comes out the same in the end. Do what you like best!

LeeSouthEast

Downstairs loo versus bigger kitchen? No brainer bud... bigger kitchen every time!

lisahobden

can you not squeeze in a loo under the stairs?

Doozergirl

It is only a small house, most of those houses wouldn't even have that loft room surely? If I were doing your house to sell, I personally wouldn't bother. It's a 'nice to have' but it isn't something that most people will have on their 'must have' list when they are looking for a reasonably priced family home.