Upstairs or Downstairs Bathroom

ActionCat

Unfortunately not keen on loft rooms! But thank you for the suggestion

It seems that properties around here go for generally the same sort of price whether upstairs bathroom and 2-bed or downstairs bathroom and 3-bed. Though it is hard to tell with asking prices and some have no extension, others have 1 or 2-storey extensions, some terraces are a narrower etc. But I think I may contact an estate agent or two and see what they think.

It is certainly clear that people in this area still do buy houses with downstairs bathrooms. But I, like many people here, want an upstairs bathroom and the only reason we bought this house was because we could see that we could move it upstairs...of course, now we are thinking about starting a family, that has created the dilemma of whether to keep the third bedroom or not!

I guess what it boils down to is money. How much it would cost to move the bathroom upstairs and how much sooner we would have to move out due to not having a third bedroom. Is the amount of money spent worth it in comparison to work we may do to improve the current kitchen/bathroom etc? The third bedroom would be tiny anyway, so we would be looking at moving in the medium future anyway. And we would certainly do a lot of work ourselves which would make doing any work a bit cheaper. And I will have a look at the room sizes to see if we can add a corridoor upstairs to a third bedroom extension and look into adding piers and RSJ's as mlz1413 suggested.

There must be huge numbers of homeowners having this very same dilemma! He he.

Thanks!

arthur_dent_2

I don't see what all the fuss is about we have a downstairs bathroom and it doesn't inconvenience us at all. I have a 4 + 6 year old and they are fine with it also. However if I was to be lucky enough to have a spare £30,000 lieing about I would knock down the bathroom and put in a garage and an upstairs bathroom instead. People do like upstairs bathrooms, but they are not the be all and end all of everything.

ActionCat

Yeah, but getting rid of my downstairs bathroom would give me space to have a better kitchen, a breakfast area and a view into my garden

arthur_dent_2

It is all up to you a bigger or better kitchen is always a bonus, you will have to sit down with a pen and paper and list the pros and cons of both options. I am lucky in that my downstairs bathroom is tacked onto the side and my kitchen is tacked on to the back making them very seperate to each other.

pinkshoes

I've lived in a house almost identical to the one you describe, and having the downstairs bathroom was evil! I had to trek downstairs, through the lounge, and then through the kitchen just to go pee at night.

However, had their been just a toilet and sink upstairs, then that would have been perfect!

If I'd ever bought that house, I would have put a small bathroom in upstairs, perhaps making one of the two doubles a single, then reduce the size of the downstairs bathroom to just a toilet and sink, and make the kitchen bigger. That way you get a bathroom, 3 bedrooms, AND a downstairs toilet. It depends on the size of your bedrooms though.

telfordwhite

moneysavinmonkey wrote: »

I would never buy/rent a house again with only a downstairs bathroom.
It was beyond inconvenient + dangerous.
i once fell down the stairs going to the loo in the night and knocked myself out for an hour or so!

Perhaps you should drink a little less next time...:beer:

LillyJ

arthur_dent wrote: »

I don't see what all the fuss is about we have a downstairs bathroom and it doesn't inconvenience us at all. I have a 4 + 6 year old and they are fine with it also. However if I was to be lucky enough to have a spare £30,000 lieing about I would knock down the bathroom and put in a garage and an upstairs bathroom instead. People do like upstairs bathrooms, but they are not the be all and end all of everything.

We wouldn't even take the details of houses without an upstairs bathroom (and I have lived in rented for many years with a downstairs bathroom so I know what it's like!)
So it is important when coming to sell. EA said lots of people felt the same way as us.

MrsE_2

The only way I would look at a three bed with a downstairs bathroom is if it were priced at the cost of a two bed minus the cost of installing a bathroom in the box room.
Its not a layout I would live with.
But areas differ, is it common where you live?

Big kitchen diner & french doors, fab:D

LillyJ

Where I live it is very common indeed (about half the houses have them) but I wouldn't live with it either.
We didn't mind a 2 bed at all, but minded the bathroom. But I suppose there are other people who need a 3 bed and won't mind the downstairs bathroom.
Round here 3 beds with upstairs bathrooms are pretty rare, so if you can get both (ie make a smaller 3rd bedroom) AND an upstairs bathroom, it would be very popular.

PasturesNew

How big are your rooms upstairs? Could you just nick 2' off each one to create a bathroom?