What do we think of split level/upside down houses?

vansboy

These two are good examples of what you can do, with an upside down house, the second one is next door to the one I re-developed a few years back.

Advantages were, from the entrance porch, the bedrooms being 'downstairs', that means just six steps, or living space and master bedroom, goes up six steps.

I made it all open plan, which meant a good view above the close, together with 5metres of patio doors, with views accross countryside. I did wrap around the decking, to the bedroom, which was also dual aspect, all two metres above the garden.

The people who bought it, loved it and still do. However, the two on sale now, are taking their time to find buyers.

I liked it and would have another.

VB


http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47282298.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61773194.html

shirlgirl2004

MrsSA wrote: »

Yes getmore4less that's the one, thank you!

Out of curiosity, what makes this so difficult to have children in? All the bedrooms are on the same floor and, just like with a normal house, the stairs would be baby proofed to prevent any accidents. Maybe if the kids were in the garden and we needed to be in the kitchen but I don't think until they were old enough to be left alone, we would do that anyway.

I could understand more so dogs with them needing to be let out etc, but again good training would allow the dog to alert to needing to go out. :think:

I'm just trying to see the potential cons of the home before making any decisions!

Yes it's getting to the garden. You have to go down pop the dogs out to the loo go back upstairs and then go back down again 5 minutes later or stand waiting to see when they've been. If you have more than one dog you can guarantee they won't all want to come in at the same time.

Very hard to watch the children and cook dinner at the same time. If they get into an awkward situation they could have [STRIKE]murdered each other[/STRIKE] come a cropper by the time you got down stairs.

zagubov

This is a well-designed example of how upside-down houses could work well. (Not affiliated with them or connected in any way).

jedthehumanoid

We're going to view a (sort of) upside down house next week. It's a 2 bed mid terrace that has been totally gutted and re-jigged. Ground floor has a lounge on the front as you'd expect in a terrace, then the stairs, then the back room which would have been a kitchen/dining room has been changed to a bedroom with en-suite and access to the garden.


Upstairs the ceiling has been removed to make it double height and has an open plan kitchen/lounge and another bedroom on the front. The bathroom is on a mezzanine floor above in what would have been loft space and there's a small mezzanine level snug.


It's been done to maximise views from the upper floor as the row of terraces back onto the estuary so have a nice view. The upstairs lounge has French doors and a Juliet balcony to take advantage of this. Looks like a normal mid terrace from the street.


If it was one of many of the same style I don't see the design as a problem but it is unique in the area. This one has been up for sale for quite a while and recently has changed agents (and updated the first listed date on Rightmove, sneaky). It would seem the design is limiting the audience as it is so odd.

LadyDee

MrsSA wrote: »

Yeah this is exactly how it is- all bedrooms are downstairs with a 'sun room' to exit to the garden so no bedrooms would need to be walked through to get out. All usual rooms are above and the kitchen has a balcony deck off it that overlooks the garden.


Yep the one at the very end- in the home report questionnaire the owner has stated the woods are protected so should stop any potential "rip down for new houses".
The field is also farmland I believe of the large farm nearby so again if planners haven't acquired it yet it's unlikely they could do so (all speculation of course but this could be said of most places that have some level of surrounding empty space).

Noise doesn't concern me TOO much- we've lived in a ground floor apartment for the last 4 years with hundreds of other home owners around us in the square lol. We also live above the rising shutter to the garage and have since managed to block it out completely.

I agree with the dog thing- going through the utility room/garage would be the easiest option and I'm sure the dog would get used to it (my Mum's dog was always so good at alerting to needing to go out and that was with very, very little training).

Don't rely too much on the so-called "protected" nature of that land. A local golf course on land given to the people of the city decades ago by a local landowner in perpetuity with a covenant forbidding development, that the land should only ever be used for leisure activities, is now being ripped apart and covered with new builds, thanks to the local Council breaking the covenant.