Importance of downstairs toilet?

getmore4less

if you can get these to access the garden all the better.

laundry to the line,
kids in for a pee without going through the house
somewhere to ofload muddy shoes wet coats etc.

gingercordial

Yes to the downstairs loo. Good for one person to have a second loo to use whilst the other is in the bath/shower, and more accessible for visitors who don't have to traipse upstairs or may have mobility problems (thinking of parents getting older).

I wouldn't bother with a second shower downstairs. The house I grew up in had one but it was rarely used compared to the upstairs bathroom.

The_Logans

Definite yes for a loo downstairs, and using it as a laundry room too. I love having a utility area out of the kitchen where I can dump baskets of clean and dirty washing out of sight. As a mum of 2, I can see the benefit in a downstairs shower if you have room for it, and if you're having plumbing done for a loo, basin and washing machine I don't imagine it would cost a lot more to add the shower too.


When we were looking to buy our current house, I found houses that had just one bathroom off-putting. If you have an en-suite in the master bedroom then I wouldn't bother with adding the downstairs shower too.

saajan_12

I echo everyone else's comments that a downstairs loo would be useful for guests / as a second toilet outside the main bathroom and washing machine outside the kitchen so washing can be hidden away.

The shower would be be helpful as a second facility when the house is crowded, or if a downstairs room is ever converted to a bedroom for older residents. While this would have limited use, if you have the space, why not - most of the plumbing and building work would be done anyway, so it's just a bit of extra tiling and fitting a shower. Then you can say it has 2 bathrooms which I think sounds much more than 1 bathroom + downstairs WC.

Mossfarr

I would definitely install downstairs loo and shower - useful for those occasional 'accidents' the little ones have!
Also a real bonus for older people with reduced mobility.
If there is room for large sink, washer & drier then great, them too!

It may not add megabucks to the value of your house but it will definitely make it more desirable than other similar house on the market. It will make life easier for you too!

AmyTurtle

I would vote yes to toilet and possibly utility, and no to shower.
To me the benefit is not having a toilet downstairs specifically, but simply having 2 toilets in the house - anyone whose partner is a toilet hog like mine knows what I mean! We are currently moving from a rented 2 bed/1 bathroom flat to buying a 2 bed house with a bathroom and downstairs loo. I wouldn't even consider buying a house without 2 loos!

[Deleted User]

Downstairs loo - yes definitely. Adds a lot of appeal to a house

Downstairs shower.. Never needed one of those. Who wants to traipse around their house? I mean it's like the exact opposite in convenience as an en-suite.

Marvel1

A toilet/shower makes no difference to me whether it's upstairs or downstairs.

Gers

When renovating my current home I had the downstairs bathroom removed and a new one made out of a small bedroom upstairs.

I've retained a loo in the now utility room which houses dishwasher / washing machine and big fridge- freezer. Wouldn't be without it as the stairs here are so old, steep and huge. It's only really used for peeing in and I insist on the lid being closed before flushing.

Being in the country I can see the benefit of a downstairs shower room, but for town living I'm not too sure.

ciderboy2009

For me a downstairs/ second loo is a "nice to have" which would make a house more attractive to me (but not so attractive that I would want to pay more for it).
A downstairs shower would be a waste of space.
I would want the washing machine to be handy for the back garden to make it easier to hang the washing out so having it near the entrance hall (presumably the front of the house?) would not do anything for me.