Are downstairs bathrooms unattractive?

Debt_Free_Chick

How many bedrooms do you have?

If three or less, I would lose the downstairs bathroom. Unfortunately, they are becoming very .... ermmm .... negative

If the bathroom is an extension to the original outline of the building, you could consider demolishing it and not replacing it.

However, I would consider re-using it as a boot room/utility room/boiler room. Somewhere for storage, washing machine, boiler and wet clothes e.g. boots, wellies & coats.

To compliment the house, have a tiled floor and a tongue & groove wooden panel, up to dado rail height. Shelves or hooks at shoulder height for storage. A boot/shoe rack and hooks for coats would finish it off.

Could you then include an en-suite shower room in the main bedroom? These two things, IMHO, would really "up" the appeal of your house, compared with similar in the neighbourhood - unless they've already done the same, that is.

silvercar

A downstairs toilet would be useful, but please don't put the coat rail/ cupboard inside the toilet.

Debt_Free_Chick

silvercar wrote: »

A downstairs toilet would be useful

An excellent idea

but please don't put the coat rail/ cupboard inside the toilet.

Why do people do this?

BrandNewDay

You mentioned that the garden was tiny. If the extension takes up a lot of space, it may be worth enlarging the garden. But... it's my gut feeling that people who care about a large garden will want one bigger than you'd end up with. That is to say, some people like a garden that's bigger than the footprint of the house. We're actually the opposite. We hate to garden. As far as we're concerned, all you need is room to hang washing and enough space for a toddler to push a trike in a circle. My dream garden would be a paved courtyard with some greenery in tubs.

Wickedkitten

I wouldn't mind it if the downstairs bathroom was off the living room, however one that was in the back of the kitchen would put me right off.

Zed42

With the bathroom at the back of the kitchen for many years as a child ... I would have to say ... bathroom upstairs is always better, but a loo downstairs is always useful.

I think the idea of having a small utility room and downstairs cloakroom would be the best idea.

With 4 beds, you've just go have at least 2 loos.

Pumpkin_Pie_5

Debt_Free_Chick wrote: »

Why do people do this?

Probably because the smell woudl stop moths and other creepy crawiles getting into the coats?


Me myself, I would get rid of the downstairs bathroom and have a utility room - with a loo if poss but not necessarily.... <sigh> (Pumpkin longs for a utility room!):A

PP xx

Bun

Personally I like having a downstairs bathroom as it's handy for little ones, however it can put people off for the reasons described already. Also think about the noise someone going to the loo might make, and see if you would want this near a busy socal area (tried and tested with DH I'm afraid)and try to site an additional downstairs loo accordingly.

*Louise*

If you can afford to have a bathroom fitted into the loft conversion, then you shouldn't need the one downstairs, and a bigger kitchen would be better

However, if you decide to keep the downstairs bathroom, that does have its uses (convenient for kids eg) and then there's not really a need for one at the top of the house.

I know someone who has a bathroom next to their kitchen and was worried about smells......so her family are only allowed to use it for a wee....any more than that and they have to go upstairs!:rotfl:

PasturesNew

roses wrote: »

1) If you were going to buy a three-four bedroom house (4 once I get the loft done!), would you mind a third bathroom at the back of the kitchen or would you prefer a larger kitchen with a view of the tiny garden?

I don't mind a bathroom downstairs as such, but thinking of what that layout might be, it's likely I'd prefer that space to be an open plan kitchen/diner with direct access into the back garden. Otherwise I'd feel "trapped" in the house, having to go to a lot of effort to sit outside for 2 minutes, when I could have simply stepped out... or could have sat inside with patio doors open.

roses wrote: »

2) If I can't afford to get the loft conversion with a bathroom then would you mind a second bathroom at the back of the kitchen or would you prefer a larger kitchen with a view of the tiny garden?

Definitely larger kitchen/view. But in the loft conversion I'd try to price in a small en-suite shower/loo. That can't be £10k surely. What is the bulk of that cost going to be on?

I think the answer lays in the overall size/orientation of the property and individual rooms as to the full possibilities. Difficult to visualise it as I myself am mentally seeing houses I've known in the past when I think of your options.