Toilet in closet.

[Trihard]

I am doing an appraisal on a purchase of an early 1900s colonial house that the seller is flipping. The subject is 2,000 SF. with 1 full bathroom. The seller put a toilet in a 3 x 5 closet with no sink, only a toilet. The toilet is near the kitchen, and of course the realtor stated that this as a 1/2 bathroom because they can use the kitchen sink to wash their hands. I was able to find an old comparable that sold five years ago with similar square footage that had 1 full bathroom only, so I am guessing the 1 full bathroom for 2,000 sf is accepted by the market. But I am wondering how do I report the toilet closet in the appraisal, and is there any adjustment for it? Some input would be appreciated.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Well...i guess that's where the term "water closet" came from. I would find that the best way to describe it is a one-fixture bathroom. Now, the real question to me is there a functional obsolescence for having a stink hole next to the kitchen and I would think so. That would be one door that would be locked shut if I owned the house.

 

[Tom4value]

I am doing an appraisal on a purchase of an early 1900s colonial house that the seller is flipping. The subject is 2,000 SF. with 1 full bathroom. The seller put a toilet in a 3 x 5 closet with no sink, only a toilet. The toilet is near the kitchen, and of course the realtor stated that this as a 1/2 bathroom because they can use the kitchen sink to wash their hands. I was able to find an old comparable that sold five years ago with similar square footage that had 1 full bathroom only, so I am guessing the 1 full bathroom for 2,000 sf is accepted by the market. But I am wondering how do I report the toilet closet in the appraisal, and is there any adjustment for it? Some input would be appreciated.

I had an identical situation last fall. One bathroom in a 1900's house is common. Remember, when the house was built, there were no bathrooms; they had outhouses back then. Your data confirms this.

Now, is the toilet in a kitchen a half bath? No. Let's be real, like the full bath, it was added later, as an afterthought. They didn't think that people cooking dinner probably wouldn't want someone "doing their business" a couple feet away. Nor would if a guest needed the "powder room" would want to use the kitchen sink to wash their hands.

I actually did, by a stroke of luck, find an old sale, of a dissimilar house, that had just a toilet room with no vanity. I was unable to extract any positive or negative affect on the sales price so I explained that it had no market value.

 

[ucbruin]

"Now, the real question to me is there a functional obsolescence for having a stink hole next to the kitchen and I would think so."



Many newer homes also have bathrooms in very close proximity to the kitchen....
Good luck having the "market" provide a small dollar amount adjustment....
You are a silly boy....

 

[Raven59]

I believe that having a toilet on the main floor is more important than having guests use the private space upstairs. When purchasing an early 1900s house, one should already be aware of the unique floor plan quirks that come with older homes. These quirks contribute to the charming and characterful nature of such homes. The buyer of this type of house may be more concerned with the architecture than the floor plan inadequacies.

 

[Surf Cat]

With 2000 Sq. Ft. available, they put a toilet in the kitchen behind a door....with no sink. If that doesn't scream DIY thinking after a few beers....I don't know what does.

Kudos to the optimistic thinking from the realtor in that the kitchen sink doubles as a bathroom sink.

It's these kind of instances that should keep appraisers relevant. One could only hope....

 

[ucbruin]

With 2000 Sq. Ft. available, they put a toilet in the kitchen behind a door....with no sink. If that doesn't scream DIY thinking after a few beers....I don't know what does.

Kudos to the optimistic thinking from the realtor in that the kitchen sink doubles as a bathroom sink.

It's these kind of instances that should keep appraisers relevant. One could only hope....

This would be the type of appraisal and adjustment that would give reviewer dublin a conniption fit, if not the vapers....

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

But in your kitchen...gross. I've never seen a bathroom adjacent to a kitchen in a new home during my 30 years. In the hall yes, but not in the kitchen. Maybe in the mudroom adjacent to the kitchen but not a door into the kitchen.

 

[Raven59]

But in your kitchen...gross. I've never seen a bathroom adjacent to a kitchen in a new home during my 30 years. In the hall yes, but not in the kitchen. Maybe in the mudroom adjacent to the kitchen but not a door into the kitchen.

Doubles up as a disposal.

 

[Tom4value]

Well...i guess that's where the term "water closet" came from. I would find that the best way to describe it is a one-fixture bathroom. Now, the real question to me is there a functional obsolescence for having a stink hole next to the kitchen and I would think so. That would be one door that would be locked shut if I owned the house.

Can’t tell if you were joking about the “water closet” origin but you are indeed correct!

Those old houses had the bath on the second floor near the bedrooms. Over time, people didn’t want their guests going upstairs in their private area so they wanted a sink and toilet on the first floor. Since the first floor plan couldn’t really change, the only real solution was to convert a closet into a half bath. Hence the term.