Whis is a first-floor powder room a must-have?

[Anonymous]

In another thread, someone mentioned the lack of a first-floor powder room being a deal breaker for many buyers, and I'm curious why that is. Is it for when you have guests, so you don't have to send them upstairs or downstairs? Is it just about not having to go up or downstairs yourself to use the bathroom if you're on the main floor?

I don't think I've ever lived in a house with a first-floor powder room (although I grew up in a ranch where nearly everything, including the hall bathroom, was on the main floor), so it's never been something I look for. I'm not saying it's bad for lack of a powder room to be a deal-killer—I'm just not sure why it is.

Can anyone enlighten me? If lack of a powder room is a deal-breaker for you, why is that?

[Anonymous]

Yes, my elderly parents don't want to go up or down stairs.

I've only ever seen one house in real life that didn't have a first floor bathroom. It was a 2 bedroom condo/townhouse where the bathroom was upstairs. And the people who lived there complained bitterly. They had a nice camp bucket set up in the garage for their mom when she visited.

[Anonymous]

All of the above. I have 3 kids under 5 so a bathroom on every floor is a necessity. I also don't want guests to have to use stairs, especially since many of my guests are older and mobility impaired. It's also a convenience thing for myself and my spouse - he sprained an ankle a few months back and having to go up and down stairs just to use the bathroom would've been a huge pain. I'd never consider a house without a powder room on the ground floor for all of these reasons.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Guests. Convenience for family members living in the house. Older family members who come over for lunch, dinner, or a visit (we have local in their 80's -- have lived in our house over 15 years, so relatives age right along).

And from personal experience, if/when anyone has a bad knee or back, it's nice to be on the main level for the day.

If you've had a powder room, as we have in our homes, I would not consider a home without one.

[Anonymous]

We don't have one in our 1927 rowhouse in WoTP DC. It's annoying but not a deal breaker. And I guarantee we'd have 6 offers for our house if we put it up for sale.

[Anonymous]

For us, second floor is private (our bedrooms) and 3rd floor is H's office, so I like to keep the guests on the first floor for everything.

[Anonymous]

Its not a deal breaker for me, but sure is nice to have. Both for when elderly people visit, as a PP said, but also because a powder room is very easy to keep tidy and attractive. I'm a clean/neat freak so our upstairs bathrooms are almost always in good shape, but they are just used more and have more personal items left out.

[Anonymous]

No powder room is a non-starter. Anytime someone visits your house, they need to use the bathroom if they're there for more than an hour or so. Sending them upstairs or downstairs is not just inconvenient, it's often privacy-invading for the owner and extremely awkward for the guest ("yes, suzy, please use our bathroom. It's right through my spouse's and my bedroom!")

[Anonymous]

Guests. I seriously can’t imagine a multi story house without a first floor powder room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its not a deal breaker for me, but sure is nice to have. Both for when elderly people visit, as a PP said, but also because a powder room is very easy to keep tidy and attractive. I'm a clean/neat freak so our upstairs bathrooms are almost always in good shape, but they are just used more and have more personal items left out.

Ah, that makes sense. I hadn't even thought about a powder room as being a lot easier to keep presentable for company than an everyday bathroom would be.

[Anonymous]

Because having to climb stairs every time you have to use the restroom becomes a massive PITA, and for people with infirmities, an impossibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No powder room is a non-starter. Anytime someone visits your house, they need to use the bathroom if they're there for more than an hour or so. Sending them upstairs or downstairs is not just inconvenient, it's often privacy-invading for the owner and extremely awkward for the guest ("yes, suzy, please use our bathroom. It's right through my spouse's and my bedroom!")

"And please ignore all of our personal effects! Pay no attention to the fertility drugs, antidepressants, rogaine, and god knows what else we have in there!"

[Anonymous]

Not sending guests up or down stairs is a big one - my FIL has limited mobility and it would be a pain. But having a bathroom on every floor was also very helpful during potty training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We don't have one in our 1927 rowhouse in WoTP DC. It's annoying but not a deal breaker. And I guarantee we'd have 6 offers for our house if we put it up for sale.

You'd have 12 offers if you had one.

[Anonymous]

It's also just daily life convenience - just walked in doors with groceries or after walking dog and picking up poop, or whatever and want to wash hands - but spouse is doing dishes in kitchen sink. Or 5 year old picked up something gross on walk and want to wash his hands immediately and not walk upstairs, trailing hands on bannister and walls.

Or watching a show and want to pee quickly - just faster/easier to be on same level than troop upstairs.

Or the flip side - I've gone to bed and DH wants some privacy pooping so he goes downstairs because our en suite bath doesn't shield sounds!

I live in a 1914 rowhouse in NW DC. Almost all neighbors have an added 1st floor half bath. PP is right - one without still gets multiple offers. But the half bath is much more attractive.