Downstairs bathrooms

CALI

Hi, just wondering how off-putting in general is a downstairs loo when thinking of buying a house? I am looking to buy at the moment and most of the houses that I like in the area I want to be in have downstairs bathrooms. I am just wondering if it could be a major problem when the time comes to sell the house on?

Electric

When I was in college I used to live in a house with a downstairs bathroom. It was off the kitchen which wasn't the best.

It was fine during the day when you were downstairs etc. But at night it was some pain in the arse! It sucked having to get up and go downstairs. And I remember one night one of the girls was sick but didn't make it downstairs and to the bathroom in time. She ended up puking in the kitchen. Not pretty.

Personally I would be put off a house with a downstairs bathroom. When you're just out of the shower you just want to pad into your bedroom not traipse through the house in your towel. Not appealing if you have guests!

You never know though someone could love your house enough to overlook this.

Tails142

As far as I'm aware building regs. require all new build houses to have downstairs toilets in addition to wider front doors etc.

I'd say that full downstairs bathrooms will become more usual as a result instead of having the extra waste of space of having two toilets in small properties.

Del2005

Tails142 wrote: »

As far as I'm aware building regs. require all new build houses to have downstairs toilets in addition to wider front doors etc.

I'd say that full downstairs bathrooms will become more usual as a result instead of having the extra waste of space of having two toilets in small properties.

I have to laugh at this. I know people who have duplex houses on the 1st and 2nd floor. But they still have a wide front door and a huge downstairs toilet. The only way into their place is up a shed load of stairs though I know it was brought in to save the goverment money in the long term by building houses with wheelchair access already in but seems a bit silly doing where there is no way to get a wheelchair in in the first place. Most of the stairs up to the houses are dodgy enough for an able bodied person, I'd hate to try and bring a wheelchair or buggy up. Then the stairs can't be altered any way as the person doesn't own the outside.

dame

I think the OP means a downstairs "loo" rather than a full bathroom (which is probably upstairs). A downstairs loo would be a selling point actually. It's very useful for families with young children (quicker for child to get to in a hurry than running upstairs). It's also handy to have for visitors that you mightn't necessarily want wandering upstairs in your house.

CALI

No, unfortunately I do mean a full bathroom downstairs! The house is an old city one where they were built before running water. so the bathroom is an extension. This keeps the house having two upstairs bedrooms. I guess it depends on the location downstairs too. If is is off the hall grand but traipsing through the kitchen after a shower is a bit painful. I think it may have to be the compromise i make as i guess it;s hard to get exactly what you want! thanks for the replies!

Victor

Del2005 wrote: »

I have to laugh at this. I know people who have duplex houses on the 1st and 2nd floor. But they still have a wide front door and a huge downstairs toilet. The only way into their place is up a shed load of stairs though I know it was brought in to save the goverment money in the long term by building houses with wheelchair access already in but seems a bit silly doing where there is no way to get a wheelchair in in the first place. Most of the stairs up to the houses are dodgy enough for an able bodied person, I'd hate to try and bring a wheelchair or buggy up. Then the stairs can't be altered any way as the person doesn't own the outside.

Yeah, they are appalling. Whatever about a single building with 3-4 apartments, whole terraces of them isn't on. The solution in such circumstance is townhouses (1- or 2-storey) on the ground floor and apartments overhead or a shared terrace at second floor (third storey) level.

The upper level duplexes still need to allow for people who are less capable but not necessarily in a wheel chair. Lots of people with arthritis could manage 1 or 2 storeys, but the third might be too much.