Moving stairs

GraceF125

I wondered if anyone could help with 'Who is the best person to work out where to place stairs?'
We are moving into a house where ideally we would like them re-positioned or if that's not possible/too expensive, then the existing (open tread 1980s design which wouldn't meet current building regs and our out-of-place in a period property) replaced with something safer and more traditional. There are quite a few different possibilities I can imagine in my head - but with no idea if the headroom/turns/landing layout upstairs would actually work (there's plenty of room downstairs for re-positioning).
We are planning to take some walls out downstairs - so will be getting a structural engineer in for that. Will they be able to advise/plan new stairs too? Or can a builder or joiner who makes stairs do the feasibility study/planning/measurements themselves too? Or is this an architect's job?
Our budget doesn't really stretch to an architect for the whole project but if we need one for this I guess we could get one in on a hourly rate just for the stairs planning if we have to?

Hoploz

The 'best' person to design is going to be an architect. I can design and envisage most things, but as you point out, positioning of stairs is particularly tricky and is a pro job ideally.

However if you aren't extending or whatever then yes, a structural engineer can probably come up with a good answer as well.

It's worth bearing in mind that when you're thinking of instructing an architect/structural engineer/builder, they will always come out and have a look initially free of charge so you can all meet and discuss what you're hoping to do. This can be very useful for picking people's brains for a variety of ideas and costs nothing!

Obvs you then choose someone and it all gets properly thought-through and planned, but you can often pick up some good suggestions along the way

GraceF125

Thank you, yes I'm hoping the Structural Engineer, who we will definitely need, will also be able to help with the stairs, but wasn't sure if it was in their remit.
Good idea though with getting some architects out for a free appraisal. I jumped the gun a bit I think by phoning one who was all ready to come out till I told him our budget, he then would have only come out for an hourly rate...

Doozergirl

New stairs are not the remit of a structural engineer! Not unless you want the treads individually cantilevered out of a wall or something.

It's an architect's job really. The floorpan has to be considered as well as the stairs and regulations to consider. It can make it quite a specialist job.

GraceF125

Ah, thank you Doozergirl, that's what I needed to know. So I guess the first thing we should do is find an architect happy to do just the plans, before we get the structural engineer in.

System

Pretty much an architects job, you might find a technologist working locally that could do it too...
Either will work with a structural engineer to get what you want, they're not all separate bits who don't coordinate with each other, your architect will be able to recommend a few engineers and obtain quotes etc too

GraceF125

Thanks. I had assumed we'd need an architect but then the one I spoke to said our budget was too small to afford one, so I was trying to work out how we could manage it ourselves to save money.
I had imagined that £20-£30k would be sufficient for the building alterations (knocking down walls, installing rsjs, new stairs) as they're all internal and there's no extension being built. Am I being unrealistic do you think?

Doozergirl

You told them your budget was £20-30k and they told you that you couldn't afford to employ them?

You need a one man/lady band.

£20-30k isn't an unreasonable budget but what else goes with knock throughs and stair movements? Renovations in addition?

GraceF125

There will be making-good afterwards and new flooring, but there shouldn't be any major renovations as such - the property was rather unsympathetically modernised in the 1980/90s. We were thinking once the structural work has been done (for 20k?) we'll see what's left over (if anything!) to make any other improvements.

I think the architect meant that employing him to take on the project would eat into our budget too much proportion-wise. But if we do need one for the stairs then I'll try and find one happy to just do the plans, as you suggested.

I'm grateful for your help, I'm trying to get my head around the best way forward as we haven't done any major structural work on a house before.

ellie27

We had a couple architects out to ours recently.

We 'were' looking to reposition stairs, and knock down a couple walls to make kitchen/diner and install doors onto garden. We said budget up to £30k and they said that was a reasonable budget to cover that.

The actual kitchen/flooring etc was all on top.

Fees around £3k for architect.

We have decided to keep the stairs where they are and still do the rest!

GraceF125

Thanks Ellie, that sounds very similar, and good to know it can be done within our budget. We may end up not moving the stairs but will need to update them at a minimum. And ideally I'd like to move the kitchen too but that's the bit that I imagine our budget won't cover at this stage and will have to wait!

That's in the region of what I imagined an architect might cost - is that just for the initial design/plans?