DOWNSTAIRS LOOS
Adding a downstairs cloakroom can transform your home’s functionality and desirability – not to mention save wear and tear on your staircase or knee joints. Get big ideas for your smallest room with our must-read guide to lovely little loos…
... with 5* style! Our big ideas for your smallest room
Considering its diminutive size and unglamorous purpose, a downstairs loo is one of the most desirable rooms on property buyers’ wish lists. Perhaps not so surprising if you’ve ever lived in a house without one – and we’re talking most homes built between the 1930s and 1980s – and have experienced the pain of having to schlep upstairs multiple times a day, or have youngsters with hopeless bladder control (RIP stylish stair runner). A lack of a downstairs loo will ratchet up the cringe factor when you have guests, knowing they’ll peer into messy bedrooms en route upstairs. More worryingly, it can painfully affect the value of your property: nearly half of buyers won’t consider a property without one, according to Checkatrade.
The good news (again according to Checkatrade) is that installing a new downstairs loo can cost as little as £800 per square metre, less if you’re prepared to do the painting and tiling yourself. Furthermore, the investment can add nearly five per cent to the value of your home, not to mention its saleability. Cashback! It’s unlikely you’ll need planning permission, unless the project is part of an extension or you live in a listed home or Conservation Area. But you will need building regulation approval, with a completion certificate for if you ever sell. Some councils require any new groundfloor toilet to be fully accessible to wheelchair users, which is desirable but may restrict your location options.
Speaking of locations, the soil pipe position is often the decider – the toilet must connect with external sewerage in the shortest, straightest route possible. A macerator-style pump could save the day. Floors will usually need to be lifted to add hot and cold water from the kitchen or a bathroom above. It might not be worth the expense of connecting a radiator in a room you don’t linger in.
Finding space for a whole new room is rarely easy.
Start by checking the space under the stairs (headroom allowing) or consider sectioning off a small area of hallway or laundry room. Moving a living room doorway can be enough to free up space for a small cloakroom at the end of the hall. Aim for a footprint of at least 130cm x 70cm.
If you need space to manoeuvre a wheelchair, consider knocking through to a garage or outhouse, or adding a modest extension. Checkatrade says the average cost will be around £1,250 per square metre. Finally, if there’s an opportunity to install an external window, grab it. Nothing makes a small room feel smaller than lack of natural light.
Head for height
If your house is semi or fully detached, installing a toilet under the stairs is generally easy because the soil pipe often runs externally on the same wall as the staircase runs inside. Position the toilet under the lower stairs, with the cistern towards the foot of the stairs, and the basin at the highest point. You can sit down to use the loo but stand to wash hands. Measure the tallest member of your household to see if they can comfortably use the facilities without their head touching the stair treads above.
Measure it up
Choosing the best-sized sanitaryware for your small room is crucial, but don’t forget to think practically. A tiny narrow basin is okay if the space calls for it, but be prepared for more water outside the bowl than in, especially where little children are involved. Go bigger if you can. A corner-mounted design could help with access into the room. Check out short-projection or cloakroom toilets. They tend to be around 60cm deep compared to the standard 62cm, providing valuable knee space.