Strange combination of rooms !

poppysarah

PasturesNew wrote: »

Nothing wrong with loo/laundry, size depending - but location of the room is the issue here I think. I'd move it to where the study is, it's in an insane position right now.

It's under the bathroom which is why it's there - less work for plumbing. Moving it would involve a lot of messing I imagine.

jackieb

It wouldn't bother me. I've seen a few houses with this. What would bother me if there was a toilet straight off the kitchen. I've seen quite a few on TV programmes like Homes Under The Hammer. Also there seems to be many loos with no handbasin in the same room (bathroom split in 2 and the sink and bath in one room - lone toilet in the other). There were a few new builds in our town recently and they have a downstairs loo under the stairs. A second loo is nice but this one had a door straight into the livingroom (the stairs were in the livingroom). If you had a guest, or you had people in, there's no way anyone could use that toilet.

Grimbal

Oh no, now that IS wrong. Still, at least you could listen to the TV whilst going. You could even watch it too if your guests weren't that choosy

dizziblonde

jackieb wrote: »

It wouldn't bother me. I've seen a few houses with this. What would bother me if there was a toilet straight off the kitchen. I've seen quite a few on TV programmes like Homes Under The Hammer. Also there seems to be many loos with no handbasin in the same room (bathroom split in 2 and the sink and bath in one room - lone toilet in the other). There were a few new builds in our town recently and they have a downstairs loo under the stairs. A second loo is nice but this one had a door straight into the livingroom (the stairs were in the livingroom). If you had a guest, or you had people in, there's no way anyone could use that toilet.

The house we've just moved out of had our only bathroom in the house opening directly onto the lounge. The brainiac known as my former landlord had decided to make the house a three-bed instead of a two-bed to make it worth more, took the bathroom out upstairs but didn't remove the pipes just boxed them in meaning the skirting board in that room was all about a foot away from the wall itself, then put the bathroom in an expanded version of the cupboard under the stairs - with the bath under the actual slope of the stairs itself so you had to climb in over the tap end and duck and turn to get into the bath itself. If you had visitors in the lounge they could hear every tinkle and if you were in the house on your own you could leave the door open and watch TV while doing yer business... couldn't have friends over to kip on the sofa because if you needed the loo in the middle of the night you'd disturb them... stupidest idea ever.

jackieb

That was one stupid landlord - some people are a law unto themselves. But this one is in a new build. Just had a look at the plans and the kitchen is on open plan with the livingroom too. I thought that new regs meant you had to have an extra door between a toilet and the kitchen?

Doozergirl

poppysarah wrote: »

It's under the bathroom which is why it's there - less work for plumbing. Moving it would involve a lot of messing I imagine.

No it wouldn't. It's because the house was designed by an idiot. The study is right next to the kitchen below the en-suite ( in fact bigger than the family bathroom). There has to be drainage that side and the plumbing for a w/m is so easy.

It's quite clear to me that the architect has designed a utility off the kitchen complete with a back door (judging by the size of the existing window) but the developer's wife or three year old has decided that study would 'add value' so they've binned off the original utility. I think it actually detracts from the value with all the rest of the bad design. It should be a great place to keep the bins/recycling by the back door and then take them out. Even if you put a door in, you need a proper patio at the back. I can't understand why they've put the patio at the side either? It makes much nicer sense to have big folding sliders looking out onto the garden from so you can see it from the front door even.

I couldn't even bring myself to offer on that house because my 10 year old could design a better house than that. With the square footage available it actually makes me angry that they could fundamental design basics so wrong! I completely agree in a house of that size there is no need to combine WC/utility. You'd almost certainly have to install a utility for the sake of common sense.

Why dark rooms in the middle of the house? The wood sliding doors aren't there for open plan purposes, it's because the lounge would be pitch black without them. I agree it looks more like a poor extension than a new build. I think it should either be kitchen and lounge without the extra back room, or it was originally designed as a conservatory which might have worked better as you'd get more light in to the centre of the house? What sane developer 'dresses' a house with two chairs and an ornament but doesn't even put up lampshades?

Please don't buy it! It makes me angry :rotfl:

Doozergirl

jackieb wrote: »

That was one stupid landlord - some people are a law unto themselves. But this one is in a new build. Just had a look at the plans and the kitchen is on open plan with the livingroom too. I thought that new regs meant you had to have an extra door between a toilet and the kitchen?

They used to think that smells carried germs. It was really quite old regs that stipulated two doors. It must be ten years or so ago that they changed. New regulations require a wash hand basin and extractor in WCs, one door. Slightly more sensible than walking through two doors and then washing your hands in the kitchen sink!

New regs also dictate that you should really have a downstairs WC for accessibility for disabled people. That is why houses which are really too small to carry a downstairs loo have them in strange places. My preference would be not to bother with a downstairs loo in a two bed house - you're going to hear someone from pretty much everywhere in the house anyway! And if I had to have one, I'd want it tucked away under the stairs rather than having a smaller lounge.

I think it's a case of handier there, than not there at all.

LilacPixie

I am surprised it is a new build TBH, the single story bit looks like an extension. I would not like it not so much for the toilet/WM issue but if its nice day I want to pin my washing outside. for this house i would have to trail through drawing room and family room to get out. I would much rather the sturdy was a utility room with a door straight to garden for getting washing in and out and other things like kids with muddy feet, pets with mussy paws etc.

IMO that layout is not appropriate for a family home.

Grimbal

Doozergirl wrote: »

Please don't buy it! It makes me angry :rotfl:

:D:D

I got that impression somehow!!

The strange thing is for us, the house would actually work. I spend most of my time in the kitchen & hubby is almost surgically attached to t'internet (well admittedly I am, but I am a moblie addict as I have a laptop ). So, we'd be within sight of each other

We're looking for a house for us (no kids) for the next 30-40 years or so until we're ready to downsize, so it would be a good layout for the way we are now. However, before even thinking about a re-sale, I would put a utility in the study, moving the WM out of the loo, and make what is the dining room now an office.

I am very grateful that a lot of you seem to have very similar opinions to me on this. The house I think is generally very badly designed and laid out and is not suitable for easy family living. I have no idea how someone could get this so badly wrong!

I think I would be happy with paying 80% of asking, even with all of it's drawbacks. It's telling that it hasn't sold in the 3 months it's been on - I'll keep an eye on it and let you know if/when it goes !

seven-day-weekend

Cissi wrote: »

I wouldn't have the slightest problem with this. It's pretty much the norm in Scandinavia and other European countries. To be honest, when I first arrived in the UK I remember finding it very strange seeing washing machines in the kitchen! The combination of dirty laundry and food, or clean laundry and grease stains etc never seemed that appealing to me. Obviously a separate utility room is the best solution, but if there isn't room then a bathroom makes more sense to me than the kitchen. I wouldn't necessarily choose the guest loo though, the family bathroom might work better.

I can identify with this. Many houses in this part of Spain have their washing machines in the dowstairs loo (mine is), or in the bathroom - the one place where they don't put it is the kitchen. I would never want one in the kitchen again and if there is no dedicated utility room I think a downstairs loo is a good place to install it (plumbing etc).

As to the loo/washing machine room being one, so what, I don't care if the washing machine is on when I visit the loo! I don't dry the washing there but it wouldn't bother me if I did.