How much would you value a downstairs loo when pricing a house?

PasturesNew

MrJB wrote: »

The house I am in the process of buying is new and thus has an abundance of toilets. 3 Bedroom house with downstairs Loo, loo in bathroom and loo in ensuite. Growing up I went for a period of 4-5 years living in a house with one toilet in the family bathroom with the entire family getting ready for work at a similar time - I like having multiple toilets now!

A downstairs loo is now 'compulsory' due to the requirement to have an accessible loo for building regs. But by heck they put them in some odd places, just to squeeze them in.

onlyroz

We have a four-bed house with a family bathroom on the first floor and an ensuite on the second floor, but no ground-floor toilet. I'd like to install one but hubby doesn't see the point. Also the only place one could go would be in the utility room extension behind the kitchen, and I'm not sure how hygienic that would be.

fairy_lights

It would depend on the layout of the house really - I wouldn't want a downstairs loo in a small terraced house because it would mean losing space from somewhere else. I've seen a few downstairs toilets that have been crammed in under the stairs and are so small your knees are toughing the wall, and I wouldn't put much value on that.

MrJB

PasturesNew wrote: »

A downstairs loo is now 'compulsory' due to the requirement to have an accessible loo for building regs. But by heck they put them in some odd places, just to squeeze them in.

Ahh interesting fact (that I should have been aware of!), our downstairs loo is in the hallway as you come in - in many ways I'd of liked to have a wider hall and a nice space for shoes/coat rack - instead we will just have to have a no coat policy.

TBagpuss

Your best bet is to look at listings for properties similar to yours, in your area, and see what (if any) difference in price there is.

I agre with PPs that the larger the hoseu is, the more likely it is that a downstairs loo will add some value, provided that there is a suitable space.

When I was looking at properties I did view one which had an extra loo put in opening directly off the dining room end of a living/dining room. If I had not already been put off the house by various other issues that would have put me right off!

Another I looked at had had a downstairs loo squeezed into what had been the cupboard under the stairs. It was so cramped that I think it would be wholly umpractical for anyone othe than a small child to use, and meant tat thre was no storage and no real space elsewhere in the hall for coats etc so again, very offputting and definitely not a selling point.

matchboxfull

MrJB wrote: »

Ahh interesting fact (that I should have been aware of!), our downstairs loo is in the hallway as you come in - in many ways I'd of liked to have a wider hall and a nice space for shoes/coat rack - instead we will just have to have a no coat policy.

We don't have an obvious space for a coat rack, so we've put a hatstand in the understairs cupboard. Works pretty well.

HappyMJ

MrJB wrote: »

Ahh interesting fact (that I should have been aware of!), our downstairs loo is in the hallway as you come in - in many ways I'd of liked to have a wider hall and a nice space for shoes/coat rack - instead we will just have to have a no coat policy.

In the house I lived in with the downstairs loo off the entry I used the loo as the room containing the coat rack for visitors to hang their coats.

In the flat I live in now I use the airing cupboard for that. Guests actually like that as they get a nice warm coat to wear when they leave.

Bogof_Babe

I wouldn't be put off even if it was "small and cramped". So long as it served the purpose intended, and had a small hand-wash basin (although I have seen a toilet in B&Q with a tiny basin built into the water tank!), if you gotta go you gotta go, and there might be times when you are extremely grateful for it, be it ever so modest!

Also an asset when entertaining, as your guests don't have to traipse up your stairs and see into your bedrooms if you've left doors open!

SailorSam

I've got a downstairs loo, i think when the house was built it may have been some sort of coal shed. There's a little wash basin in there and it's handy if you're working outside or doing the garden you don't need to come into the main part of the house before you can have a wash.

PasturesNew

MrJB wrote: »

Ahh interesting fact (that I should have been aware of!), our downstairs loo is in the hallway as you come in - in many ways I'd of liked to have a wider hall and a nice space for shoes/coat rack - instead we will just have to have a no coat policy.

Mine's like that, it breaks up the house/flow (and everything!). I am currently trying to work out an appropriate layout to shove it out into an extension .... adding about 8'x9' to the living room, which isn't something to sneeze at.

As it has to be accessible I've got a super wide front door, super wide hallway and super wide loo door leading to a super large loo .... all 'wasted space', but I want to retain the facility in case I break a leg