Moving staircase in terraced house

markin

In pic 2 and 10 you can see a shaft where the original stair ended. it looks like it should be easy to put back.



here's next door to the left.
https://media.rightmove.co.uk/dir/60k/59831/65663894/59831_100031008618_FLP_01_0000_max_600x600.png

Bossypants

Fletchasketch wrote: »

Thanks for the responses!

Encouraged to hear that some people don't mind spiral staircases, my thinking was that it would be a pain for moving furniture and difficult for elderly/children.

I also prefer the original layout which divides the house into a clear living and dining area, but wasn't sure if that would be feasible given the upstairs layout.

Any other thoughts on cost much appreciated!

I never found it to be a concern for either my elderly parents or friends' young children. So long as it has hand rails, it should be fine. Furniture was mostly also fine, since most big pieces (i.e. wardrobes and beds) come apart for transport anyway. You just need a bit more strength in some cases, if the item needs to go straight up through the hole, rather than around the corner, so to speak. The only things I had to be a bit careful about were really big, older style chests of draws (which typically don't separate except for the draws coming out) and tables without removable legs. Everything else was fine.

Fletchasketch

Bossypants wrote: »

I never found it to be a concern for either my elderly parents or friends' young children. So long as it has hand rails, it should be fine. Furniture was mostly also fine, since most big pieces (i.e. wardrobes and beds) come apart for transport anyway. You just need a bit more strength in some cases, if the item needs to go straight up through the hole, rather than around the corner, so to speak. The only things I had to be a bit careful about were really big, older style chests of draws (which typically don't separate except for the draws coming out) and tables without removable legs. Everything else was fine.

Thanks, this is helpful. As I said, I prefer the original layout so if I were to buy it, I'd still change the stairs, I guess this just makes it less urgent.

Bossypants

If you really want to change the stairs, I would get a quote before you offer, stairs can be much more expensive and logistically complicated than you might think (in my case, for example, the previous owner had left the 'hole' where it originally was, but had moved the headroom around, so putting the original staircase back would have necessitated cutting into a chunk of the bathroom floor, which would have meant moving the bathroom door, which would have meant rejigging the bathroom walls, which would have impacted the bedrooms, and so on). This may not be the case with yours, but if it's a 'must have' for you, definitely get someone in to take a look before you make any moves.

If you decide that you are okay with the spiral stairs but still want the original layout, a compromise might be to leave the staircase, but put a stud wall on one or both sides of it, to return the layout to more or less what it was.

Fletchasketch

Yes, my concern is that I won't be able to reinstate the stairs without also changing the upstairs layout. If it looks promising, then I'll definitely take a builder round for a second viewing.

Sirrah67

markin wrote: »

In pic 2 and 10 you can see a shaft where the original stair ended. it looks like it should be easy to put back.
C


here's next door to the left.
https://media.rightmove.co.uk/dir/60k/59831/65663894/59831_100031008618_FLP_01_0000_max_600x600.png

This is your answer then, if you really would like to restore two separate rooms! Have the stairs going left to right, to give you access to the existing landing. You'll lose some space on each floor, but clever use of the understairs area will give extra storage.

Fletchasketch

Sirrah67 wrote: »

This is your answer then, if you really would like to restore two separate rooms! Have the stairs going left to right, to give you access to the existing landing. You'll lose some space on each floor, but clever use of the understairs area will give extra storage.

Yep! All depends on how much it would cost then!

zagubov

I'm not a fan of openplan, when every room has a telly or a soundsystem, or musical instruments etc. you need at least two receptions.

By all means connect the kitchen with a dining room.

As for upstairs it looks like there's room for three bedrooms plus a bathroom or even better a bathroom plus a WC.

All things to think about if you're going to re-do any internal walls.

konark

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I don't think a conventional staircase would easily fit in the available space without reducing the size of the main bedroom. What is the asking price of the house?

Are you sitting down?