# Toilet under the stairs - good or bad idea?



## ice (13 Feb 2011)

Hi

Just wondering what your opinions are on an under stairs toilet?

We are on a very tight budget and tight on space and the only way we can get a downstairs toilet and a large utility room is to put it under the stairs. 
My concerns are:
It will be pokey
It won't have any light
It won't get used.

On the plus side 
It will allow us to keep visitors downstairs. 
Is handy for the kids
It means we can have access to a toilet when the time comes for teenage girls to be spending all day in the upstairs bathroom 

I have come across this and think it looks nice:


but I don't know the measurments of this and if mine would be the same.

If we can't fit it under the stairs we'll probably have to do without a downstairs toilet
Any advice opinions would be great.


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## fobs (13 Feb 2011)

We have a downstairs toilet and find it very handy so would recommend if possible! As long as it is not as tight as the one on mrs brownes boys


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## fender (13 Feb 2011)

We have a toilet under the stairs. It is small with no natural light but gets used all the time. The only advantage of NOT having it would be a more open hall but the advantages out weigh this.

Keeping visitors downstairs is a great plus.


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## Sue Ellen (13 Feb 2011)

Will you need planning permission?


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## ice (13 Feb 2011)

Sue Ellen said:


> Will you need planning permission?



Never even considered that - do you think i would ?


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## Thirsty (13 Feb 2011)

Can't imagine you'd need planning, it's inside the house not impacting on neighbours, not putting a window.

If you can get a loo in downstairs I would definitely go for it, it's well worth doing from every aspect.


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## ice (13 Feb 2011)

Thanks for all the replies - going to get a few quotes and see if its possible to squeeze one in


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## sblandscapin (19 Feb 2011)

do the pro's out weigh the cons and no you dont need planning permission, just make sure you can ventilate it, i.e extractor fan to an outside source preferably the last thing you would like is nasty smells linguring around,


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## BillK (19 Feb 2011)

Our toilet under the stairs is invaluable for all the reasons stated by others.
We are perhaps fortunate that the stairs are effecively on an outside wall so the space underneath already had a small window providing natural light. We hava a full sized pan and cistern and a small washbasin. The foul drain runs alongside the outside wall so it was a simple job to put in a new manhole at the appropriate spot and to run the waste to this manhole. The pre-existing airbrick in the space was useful as it saved us a job.


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## MJ85 (20 Feb 2011)

*Extraction Fan*

If you are putting one of these in ensure it is not a ceiling mounted motor.
They vibrate like crazy and can be heard all over house.
Get an in-line one and mount motor directly onto solid wall or external mount fan


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## joeythelips (20 Feb 2011)

a toilet downstairs is a great idea. However like an attic conversion there is certain building regulations it must follow. Additionally there is its location. For example it must have an independent door out into a room that is not the kitchen

If your downstairs is the size of the toilet in the picture and is located midterace it will not be practical and you will not encourage your guests to use it.

Perhaps if you post a picture we might be able to give you some ideas.


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## ice (20 Feb 2011)

joeythelips said:


> a toilet downstairs is a great idea. However like an attic conversion there is certain building regulations it must follow. Additionally there is its location. For example it must have an independent door out into a room that is not the kitchen
> 
> If your downstairs is the size of the toilet in the picture and is located midterace it will not be practical and you will not encourage your guests to use it.
> 
> Perhaps if you post a picture we might be able to give you some ideas.



yes it will be similar in size to the one in the picture. I don't mind adult guests using upstairs , was thinking of downstairs for kids and for us when the upstairs one is in use. It's far from ideal in terms of space but as we are lacking in space its kind of there or do without one. But I don't want it to be a pokey space noone uses.


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## Bronte (21 Feb 2011)

Even if pokey it will be used, a lot.  A downstairs toilet is a must in any house.  Could you reduce your utility space to have a better toilet space.


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## joeythelips (21 Feb 2011)

ice said:


> yes it will be similar in size to the one in the picture. I don't mind adult guests using upstairs , was thinking of downstairs for kids and for us when the upstairs one is in use. It's far from ideal in terms of space but as we are lacking in space its kind of there or do without one. But I don't want it to be a pokey space noone uses.


 
With respect to you so you are asking and answering your questions.

All you need to do is work out the details.

If your house is mid terraced you will need to use a sani flow in all likely cases

but what i would suggest doing is getting plumbers in. Its going to be compact need stuff you need. You will need to put the basin at the highest point as you will need to allow people stand up The advantages of this is you can run a mirror with a good light and it should light up the whole bathroom.


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## ice (23 Feb 2011)

joeythelips said:


> With respect to you so you are asking and answering your questions.
> 
> All you need to do is work out the details.
> 
> ...


Yes you are right. 
I suppose I know its going to be poky and not spacious but I think it will serve its function. plumber said we would get it in ok.
Just hope the kids don't grow any taller than 6ft


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## Pope John 11 (27 Feb 2011)

I had a toilet and a small corner sink unit under the stairs which was just opposite the main door to the sitting room. I wanted to get a 2nd shower in the house, so I closed up the original sitting room door,relocated the door to the opposite end of the wall, which still leads into the sitting room.

I gained an extra 1.3sqm of hall space which now has become toilet space. Relocated the old toilet door, moved the sink and the toilet out from under stairs into the original hall space, tiled floor to ceiling, put in a 1.2 x 1.0m shower with glass and chrome frame. 

Now have a large shower room, with toilet, sink, radiator, towel rail. Its a hugh addition to the house. At the same time I changed the shower upstairs in the bathroom to electric, so that the downstairs shower worked off the gas heating and the pump. 

The reason I did this is because I could not make any of the rooms ensuite.

Its worked a treat. So in winter the downstairs shower is used alot.


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## Society (16 Apr 2011)

Ice,  did you put in the downstairs toilet?   Would you recommend cloakrooms4u?
I heard somewhere that understairs toilets must comply with buidling regs i.e. wheelchair accessible - is this an issue as considering putting one in
thanks


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## flatfish (17 Apr 2011)

I hope I'm in the right area. I have aground floor apartment in a 25 year old apartment block.  I plan to put a shower in the utillity room when I remove the old gas boiler.  My problem is that the master fuse board is in the room.  So also is the washing machine and clothes dryer and the hot press.  Can I have the shower while still keeping the fuse board in the room?  It strikes me as unlikely.  Is it expensive to move it through thewall into the kitchen?  Any advice would be most welcome.


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## Leo (18 Apr 2011)

flatfish said:


> I hope I'm in the right area. I have aground floor apartment in a 25 year old apartment block. I plan to put a shower in the utillity room when I remove the old gas boiler. My problem is that the master fuse board is in the room. So also is the washing machine and clothes dryer and the hot press. Can I have the shower while still keeping the fuse board in the room? It strikes me as unlikely. Is it expensive to move it through thewall into the kitchen? Any advice would be most welcome.


 
Please don't hijack threads.
Leo


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## flatfish (18 Apr 2011)

Sorry Leo.  Dont know where to put it.


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## Leo (18 Apr 2011)

Hi Flatfish, please start a new thread in this forum. 
Leo


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