Would you buy a house with stairs to the front door?

DigForVictory

Our first house was a terrace with steps.
I learned to haul a laden tandem buggy up them, and dress to use my backside as well as both hands when conditions were icy.
We got a cellar out of it, into which went all the stuff we didn't want the under 5s getting at...
Make no assumptions about young parents & elderlies - if they want to live there, they'll figure it! Meanwhile, you love it & that's the important bit. Enjoy!

Kynthia

It does reduce your pool of buyers, but not enough to worry about.

sinizterguy

Loopy28 wrote: »

I am currently considering an offer on a house I love. However, my parents have said I should be concerned that there are stairs to the front door (the house is elevated)

They say that it will put off any potential buyers with small children/push chairs or elderly buyers or those with a disability and therefore could be an issue for us when we come to sell.

The stairs do not put me off as it is just me, hubbie and 16 yr old.

The property has only been on the market a month so too early to tell if they are having difficulty selling yet.

Thoughts/advice very much appreciated

You're not buying a house for buyers with children/pushchairs, elderly or disabled. You're buying it for yourself.

If you're happy with it, then get it.

When you sell, some who is not bothered by it will buy it.

I didn't want a semi-detached house. Doesn't mean that others feel the same.

Davesnave

I have only skimmed, but does this house have an accessible back door, reached without the steps, or only a few?

We rented a house with steps at the front for a short while, but it had a side way and rear entrance too, which we used just as much as the front door.

phill99

Remember that the people who have looked at the house already wont be in the group your parents have mentioned. But there will be loads of people in the who it is not an issue to.

No house will appeal to every potential buyer, its the way of the market. Also there are many areas in the UK where most houses have steps to them. Have you been to Brighton?

harrys_dad

It is standard in many houses in France, including new ones, to have steps leading up to an elevated front door. This allows a large "sous-sol" (cellar) underneath the whole of the ground floor. The houses are often built on a slight slope so as suggested by a poster above the "back entrance" may be at ground level.

Does "your" house have a cellar? If so, it would be a good trade off for the steps up to the front door.

suziemoon

It wouldn't put me off, are other houses in the road the same? Is it a feature of just your property? Sounds great to me especially if you make a feature of them.

flora48

I lived in a such a house for 25 years and absolutely loved it. We had fantastic views. The steps didn't bother me when I was 36 with children aged 10 and 12. They would bother me now, hence my current home being a bungalow.

When I came to sell the pool of buyers was somewhat reduced. My heart sank when I saw the EA had sent a couple with a 7 week old baby and the other couple with a disabled granny, but a little more trouble to sell could not detract from the lovely years we spent there.

If you love the house go for it!

MadelinesMum

I viewed a lovely semi detached house but was put off by 13 concrete steps to the pavement and then 4 more steps to the house. The garden was also very steep and really needed to be terraced like the neighbours had done.

I opted for a damp, terraced house with no parking. Wish I'd chosen the house with the steps now!

Loopy28

Thanks for the input. There is a back door which is more accessible. There are some views from the back garden to some trees but nothing spectacular.

We are between offering on this and another one. The other one is just as nice inside, no steps but has a small tiered garden, it had been on the market for 8 months and as the house is lovely, I think the garden is an issue for families. Plus of this house is it is about 7k cheaper.

Not been having much luck with house hunting, one offer on a different house at asking price-rejected, another house for 2k under-rejected! I need some luck or maybe to increase my offers. Starting to think first offers are always rejected.