Cloakrooms and Downstairs Toilets in Swindon

If you have ever had a queue on the landing on a school morning, you already know why a downstairs toilet matters. It is also one of the few home improvements that estate agents consistently say buyers look for, especially in three and four-bedroom family homes.

Where we put new cloakrooms

• Under the stairs. The classic option in Swindon’s semis and terraces. The sloping ceiling means planning carefully so you can sit and stand comfortably.
• In a utility room. Partitioning off part of a utility gives a toilet and a laundry area that share plumbing.
• From a hallway cupboard or old coal store. Common in 1930s homes around Old Town and Rodbourne.
• In a garage conversion. Often as part of a larger project with a boot room.

Making a small room work

Cloakrooms are tiny, so every centimetre counts. Our usual toolkit:

• Short-projection and back-to-wall toilets that save valuable space in front of the pan.
• Corner or slimline basins, sometimes as narrow as 25cm, with a wall-mounted tap to save even more depth.
• Concealed cisterns behind a boxed-in shelf for a neater finish.
• An outward-opening or pocket door so nobody has to squeeze past the door to sit down.
• A good fan. Cloakrooms rarely have a window, so we always fit quiet, effective extraction ducted to the outside.

Have fun with it

A cloakroom is the perfect place to be bold. Because it is small, a striking wallpaper, dark green tiles, a patterned floor or a statement brass tap doesn’t cost the earth and doesn’t overwhelm. Many of our customers choose a more adventurous look here than anywhere else in the house, and it is often the room guests remember.

Cloakroom prices

Project	Typical cost
Refresh an existing cloakroom: new suite, tiles and flooring	£3,500 – £5,000
New cloakroom in an under-stairs space with gravity drainage	£5,500 – £7,000
New cloakroom needing a macerator or long drainage run	£6,500 – £8,000+

What the work involves

1. Survey. We check headroom, the route to the soil stack, the water supply and where the fan will vent.
2. Building and drainage. Stud walls if needed, new waste pipe, water supply and electrics for the fan and lights.
3. Waterproofing and boarding. Moisture-resistant boards behind the basin and toilet.
4. Tiling and flooring. Laid by our own tiling team, who take extra care with cuts in small spaces where every one is on show.
5. Fitting and finishing. Toilet, basin, tap, mirror, lighting and accessories, then a full clean.

Planning a bigger job? We often fit a cloakroom alongside a new family bathroom or en-suite, so the work is done in one go with one team.