New builds. Do you really need three toilets in a 2 bed mid/semi?

Shelldean

Teapot55 said:

I reckon there’s still thousands, if not millions of turn-of-the-century terraced houses in this country with no upstairs toilet/ bathroom. 

Some stagger downstairs in the middle of the night. Guess others have a bucket, especially as they get older. 

Definitely not discussed at dinner parties 🤣

And some a few decades newer.

Nans house built 1925 was originally outside loo. And inside bathroom.
Lol knocked down made bigger kitchen, and loo squeezed into bathroom. That must've been mid 70'a as I recall using the outside loo, and there's pics of me stood on the back step in don't of the door!But it's
All downstairs.

Another house I know built literally just before the war, same.execution as above.

AND Yes traipsing thru the whole.house was a pigging nuisance.

ArbitraryRandom

RelievedSheff said:

MobileSaver said:

mi-key said:

Boiling water taps are definitely a pointless fad to impress people with how hi tech your kitchen is.... Plus the ones I have tried don't really work that well.

My girlfriend thought the same... until I had one installed.

Now she uses it every single day (for cooking as well as hot drinks) and wouldn't be without it; it's quick and simple and the Quooker one we have provides actual boiling water instantly on tap.

I also have a smaller one in my kitchenette and really missed it when it was out of action for a week, waiting three or four minutes for a kettle to boil felt like an eternity.

How much does it cost per day to keep the water boiling all day?

I was just googling that.

It's hard to find concrete figures (most quote pence and energy prices have changed more than a little recently), but several articles put it about equal to using a 500ml kettle boiled three times a day. 

Meaning a long payback period for the £300 tap vs my £30 kettle

MobileSaver

RelievedSheff said:

MobileSaver said:

mi-key said:

Boiling water taps are definitely a pointless fad to impress people with how hi tech your kitchen is.... Plus the ones I have tried don't really work that well.

My girlfriend thought the same... until I had one installed.

Now she uses it every single day (for cooking as well as hot drinks) and wouldn't be without it; it's quick and simple and the Quooker one we have provides actual boiling water instantly on tap.

I also have a smaller one in my kitchenette and really missed it when it was out of action for a week, waiting three or four minutes for a kettle to boil felt like an eternity.

How much does it cost per day to keep the water boiling all day?

If you mean just to keep the tank full of boiling water without using any of it then that is only 3p per day.

From memory if you use a Quooker for at least four cups of tea a day then it's cheaper (apart from the initial tap cost obviously) to run than a kettle would be. The main reason being that every time you use a Quooker you are only boiling say an exact cup's worth and not at least 2 or 3 cups worth that most people do every time they boil a kettle.

MobileSaver

ArbitraryRandom said:

RelievedSheff said:

MobileSaver said:

mi-key said:

Boiling water taps are definitely a pointless fad to impress people with how hi tech your kitchen is.... Plus the ones I have tried don't really work that well.

My girlfriend thought the same... until I had one installed.

Now she uses it every single day (for cooking as well as hot drinks) and wouldn't be without it; it's quick and simple and the Quooker one we have provides actual boiling water instantly on tap.

I also have a smaller one in my kitchenette and really missed it when it was out of action for a week, waiting three or four minutes for a kettle to boil felt like an eternity.

How much does it cost per day to keep the water boiling all day?

Meaning a long payback period for the £300 tap vs my £30 kettle

I think in essence the running costs are pretty much the same or a little cheaper than running a normal kettle; it's not about saving money but about saving time and simple convenience - we would never go back to kettles and a couple of friends have now had Quookers installed since seeing our's in action.

mi-key

I'm not sure about the cheaper ones, but the ones I tried were all around £1000 or more ! That is a lot of cups of tea to make back that outlay. I guess if you are spending £30K on a kitchen then it may make sense, but I think I'll stick with a kettle for now

MobileSaver

mi-key said:

I'm not sure about the cheaper ones, but the ones I tried were all around £1000 or more ! That is a lot of cups of tea to make back that outlay. I guess if you are spending £30K on a kitchen then it may make sense, but I think I'll stick with a kettle for now

Yep, it would never make sense from a money-saving point of view but it's not supposed to - it's a luxury WIBNIF that gives real benefits.

You're also right that both my friends installed one when installing brand new kitchens so an extra £1,000 when you're already spending £30,000 is pocket change in the grand scheme of things.

ArbitraryRandom

MobileSaver said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

RelievedSheff said:

MobileSaver said:

mi-key said:

Boiling water taps are definitely a pointless fad to impress people with how hi tech your kitchen is.... Plus the ones I have tried don't really work that well.

My girlfriend thought the same... until I had one installed.

Now she uses it every single day (for cooking as well as hot drinks) and wouldn't be without it; it's quick and simple and the Quooker one we have provides actual boiling water instantly on tap.

I also have a smaller one in my kitchenette and really missed it when it was out of action for a week, waiting three or four minutes for a kettle to boil felt like an eternity.

How much does it cost per day to keep the water boiling all day?

Meaning a long payback period for the £300 tap vs my £30 kettle

I think in essence the running costs are pretty much the same or a little cheaper than running a normal kettle; it's not about saving money but about saving time and simple convenience - we would never go back to kettles and a couple of friends have now had Quookers installed since seeing our's in action.

They were installed in an office I used to work in, so I have experience of them, and they were an option I could have installed as part of a recent renovation. 

I don't personally think they add enough value to be worth the cost of purchase and install. But then I'm also someone who uses making a cup of tea as an excuse to have a screen break, so don't resent 3 minutes to pick up the post or have a conversation with the cat. 

Which is to say I have no problem with anyone who does want them, but I'm not dismissing them out of lack of familiarity or whatever. 

[Deleted User]

Most British houses aren't really designed, in the sense that there isn't an architect trying to build something practical.

They get a technician to meet the legal requirements (downstairs loo), the marketing department requirements (people like en-suite), and then reduce cost to an absolute minimum.

Noneforit999

You will find opinions vary on this.

We moved from a house with downstairs toilet to one without and we are considering having one put in somewhere, its not the end of the world but its something we didn't realise we were going to miss from the old house.

Its like most things in a house, its down to what people value more. 

Having an en suite is handy if you have guests over or if the kids use the bathroom in the morning, means you can do your business in the peace of your own toilet. 

We don't have one in our current house but I would prefer to have one if it was possible. 

Slinky

Having nearly killed myself falling downstairs in the dark when coming out of the bathroom, I really value our newly installed ensuite.