< Return to Talk
09.04.19, 16:33 PM General Topics
56 replies
Would you buy a house with no bathroom on the main floor? I'm looking at a gorgeous house in the burbs, 2700 sq feet, 1.5 million dollars. But you have to go upstairs or downstairs to the finished basement to use the bathroom. My kids are past potty training age, but I feel like that might be a dealbreaker. [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:33 PM Flag
 

Dear UrbanBaby community,

Thank you so much for being a valued member of the UrbanBaby community. We wanted to inform you that we are shutting down the site on July 6th. We are grateful for your participation and support that has helped make UrbanBaby such an important resource to parents for many years.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email us at urbanbaby-support@cbsinteractive.com.

Thanks so much,

UrbanBaby Support

»
[ Removed by moderator ] [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:34 PM Flag
»
I guess I could live with it but is definitely an inconvenience. And not great when you have guests, esp older relatives visiting. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:35 PM Flag
»
[ Removed by moderator ] [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:36 PM Flag
»
Yes, with my mom that would have been a total deal breaker. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 07:29 PM Flag
»
Is it possible to add a small powder room? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:36 PM Flag
»
Not easily or cheaply. Very old house. Walls would have to be torn up to put in plumbing. Not sure I want to go through that. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:39 PM Flag
»
Is the second floor bath over the kitchen? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:11 PM Flag
»
this would be my suggestion. Friends of ours added and teeny powder room to their older home--just a toilet and itty bitty sink in the corner. It's all that is needed really. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:40 PM Flag
»
In a very old house there will most likely be surprises when you open up the walls. Op should factor that in - the costs can go way up very fast. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:45 PM Flag
»
I wouldn’t do it. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:39 PM Flag
»
No, because I did this in the past and it was not worth it. Makes it much, much harder to sell your house in the future too. We had older family who evacuated to stay at our house and it was awful. They had to set up a portable potty in our garage. Never again. Pass on it. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:43 PM Flag
»
*** evacuated from a hurricane [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:44 PM Flag
»
I find it hard to believe a 2700 square foot home listed at 1.5m doesn't have a main floor bathroom. Is that even to standard building code ???? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:43 PM Flag
»
OP said it's an old house. Wasn't uncommon back in the day. My mom grew up in a five bedroom house with one bathroom upstairs. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:48 PM Flag
»
^^and building code isn't going to dictate the number of or the placement of bathrooms unless its a public space. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:52 PM Flag
»
I could live in a house like that. I live in a 3 bedroom apartment with one bathroom so I am used to guests using my bathroom with all of my stuff in it. I have a nice medicine cabinet and put everything away either in that or under the sink. Nothing is in plain site. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:55 PM Flag
»
That's fine, but is there enough space in the first floor, so that you can make one? My friends made one under the staircase in their old historic rowhouse, that was way smaller in SQ.FT than your home. I think if you really love the location and the house overall, you can make it happen and it will be worth it. The only thing you cannot change about the house is location, everything else can be rebuilt, remodeled, etc. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 09:18 PM Flag
»
I don’t dispute that. Just disputing that a house without a downstairs bathroom is not to code (I’m not OP by the way). [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 10:50 PM Flag
»
We have a home built in 1810 and there are two main floor baths... [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 04:54 PM Flag
»
Can you remodel and make it happen? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:47 PM Flag
»
Deal breaker for me. Your guests have to go upstairs to the main bathroom with all of your stuff? Now way. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:49 PM Flag
»
Not in the suburbs, I expect supreme comforts from suburban lifestyle, otherwise, not worth the compromise. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:50 PM Flag
»
+1 [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 07:16 PM Flag
»
+2 [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 04:54 AM Flag
»
Is the house priced accordingly i.e. is it cheaper than it would be with the bathroom? If it's a good deal - good neighborhood, location, schools I might do it and add a small powder room. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:50 PM Flag
»
Link to the listing please [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 04:54 PM Flag
»
My friends bought a house like this and didn't put in the powder room for 8 years. It was a complete pain in the butt. Whenever anyone visited (older) with mobility issues, it was really hard. Buy the house, sure. But build the bathroom sooner than later. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:11 PM Flag
»
If there is an upstairs that means there is a space under the stairs where you could put one. I live in a historic neighborhood in Massachusetts and many of the Victorian homes here have triangular shaped first floor baths under the stairs. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:17 PM Flag
»
same in row houses in WDC [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 06:40 PM Flag
»
and many in Brooklyn [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 12:05 AM Flag
»
My Auntie needs one of those. She has a four-bedroom Victorian in Beverly with one bathroom. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 06:42 PM Flag
»
No. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:25 PM Flag
»
no way [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:28 PM Flag
»
No but my parents are elderly so they wouldn't be able to come over. A while ago a poster was complaining her mil wouldn't come over because there was no ground floor bathroom. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:37 PM Flag
»
This. Plus think of temporary ailments/injuries (i.e. if a guest or someone in the family breaks a leg, etc.). [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:54 PM Flag
»
some posters would consider that a selling point. ;) [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 09:24 PM Flag
»
No way. Absolutely no way. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:42 PM Flag
»
if you have guests or entertain often, having them traipse around the house would be annoying. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 05:47 PM Flag
»
nope. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 06:09 PM Flag
»
No, unless your options are truly limited. Our BFFs had that floor plan and it really sucked. They hated it and when they bought a similar house down the street (they loved the location), they squeezed in a powder room on first floor. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 06:39 PM Flag
»
if your parents are elderly, and visit a few times a year, ity could be a problem. Im guessing that this house is WAY nicer than others in its price range for this reason. For many its a deal breaker. since theres a bathroom in the basement, i'd be ok with it, but id worry when my parents cane to visit. At a point, a flight of stairs is not an option. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 08:23 PM Flag
»
that being said, i live in a tiny apt in NYC. Like another poster said, if you live out in the burbs, you want the comforts of it. You dont cut corners when u live in bumblef***, but in a big house. Otherwise, live in the city and compromise on everything but location like the rest of us! [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 08:25 PM Flag
»
Well, bumblef*** is a bit of an exaggeration. It is 8 miles outside of Boston. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 09:25 PM Flag
»
Lol. I knew someone would get bent about that. My point is, if you actually lived in Boston you’d lose at least a bedroom. To live 8 miles away, you should get more for your money. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 09:32 PM Flag
»
That someone is OP (i.e. me). And yes in prime Boston (Back Bay), 1.5 M would only buy you 1000-1400 sq feet. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 11:40 PM Flag
»
That’s my point. Living in the burbs should afford you the comforts. If you lived in Boston, you’d have to make sacrifices. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 02:55 AM Flag
»
OP. Yes, fair enough. But in this particular burb, the only people who don't have to make sacrifices are people who have a budget over 2M. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 09:14 AM Flag
»
I hear you! [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.06.19, 01:05 PM Flag
»
Can you add one? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 09:51 PM Flag
»
I will bring my architect friend with me to the next showing to find out. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 09:14 AM Flag
»
Yes, I would. But I guess I'm not as fussy as some people. I also can't afford a 1.5 million dollar, 2700 sq feet house, so.....I'm not even in this category. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 10:16 PM Flag
»
You'll get used to it. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.04.19, 11:57 PM Flag
»
I would be fine with this. pretty common for older homes. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 12:04 AM Flag
»
NO. My brother has a house like this. SO annoying. It would be a deal breaker for me. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 02:05 AM Flag
»
My SIL has a house like this. She put in a tiny powder room on the ground floor. The sink is so small that it is laughable. If you're 15 lbs overweight you won't fit inside the room. They have one full bathroom upstairs. I don't know how they function. That is my idea of hell. Deal breaker for me. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 03:21 AM Flag
»
Never [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 09.05.19, 09:51 AM Flag
Refresh » New Post »
Select Category
close [X]

close [X]

Select a Category (only 1)

category
Stages
Regions