AIBU to ask for your layout advice (pic attached)

[FelineFoxy]

So here's the issue:
Downstairs footprint is pretty much a square.
Upstairs is the same square with a bite taken out of it - basically you can walk on the flat roof of almost 1/4 of the downstairs, we call it the 'balcony/terrace'.
See attached photo to clarify my rubbish explanation!

We'd like to extend onto that flat roof. Sounds simple. But then the landing would have no natural daylight (currently the door to the flat roof/'balcony' is a glass door. But if that became a room, the only light source would go).
What to do?
Does anyone else have a galleried landing with no windows?
Advice please from you good people!!!

Roof lantern/ light tubes?

Providing the balcony can take the weight of another room I would build on it for sure. That would be worth more in space than any light in the hallway.

www.velux.co.uk/products/sun-tunnels?consent=none&ref-original=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

We have no window on our landing. It's fine. And it's where my desk is. Still fine.

In fact I reckon I've seen more landings without windows than with (and I've lived in 15 houses/flats over the years not to mention visiting anyone else's).

As a matter of interest what would you put there? Do you need a sixth bedroom?

Yep, roof lantern/ light tubes/ velux/ sky light thing. Lots of landings are similar. Other option is glass panels above the bedroom doors (very high so you can't see in to bedrooms at all).

I don't think I've ever lived in a house with windows on the landing!

Not having natural light on the landing must be pretty normal isn't it? I don't think I've ever lived in a house with a landing window.

My landing has a velux skylight

What are you planning on doing with said room? If not a bedroom or bathroom you could have a door with windows and particularly big windows in that room plus Veluxs so it would get some natural light that way?

On a totally separate note, have you ever thought of knocking the walls of the 3 back rooms out on the ground floor to make a large open plan kitchen with huge sliding doors to the back garden?

We had this issue when we extended over the garage. We changed the interior doors at the same time to half glazed ones and used sheer blinds for privacy where necessary (only the bathroom in our case). Never regretted having the extension done.

My mum and dad don't have windows on their landing either but they do have mini windows above the bedroom doors, though it is quite annoying if you want a dark bedroom and the landing light is on!

We got a light tube in landing ceiling after a double storey extension. It works well. Previous layout: a window on the left at the top of the stairs as that was an exterior wall; little bedroom ahead, two other bedrooms and bathroom to right. New layout: you can turn left at the top of the stairs into a living room and then my en suite bedroom

You just need really well thought out lighting in the hallway. I'd add it in to the build costs.

I can’t stand bedroom door mini windows! Darkness please!

I've only lived in one house with natural daylight on the landing and that was from a skylight in a flat roof, not a window. It is nicer, but I would think nowhere near as nice as having an extra room! The sun tunnels people have mentioned look like a good solution.

Not your question but do you have a toilet/shower/bath all with separate doors and no basin in the toilet? 😮

Agree with some other posters, I don’t think that I’ve seen many landings with windows. Stairs sometimes but not often in bigger houses where they are in the middle of the house. It would be fine.

The only light my landing gets is from the rooms it’s attached to and I’ve never given it any thought until now! I guess it’s a bit dark on winter mornings and I need to turn a light on if I want to sort the washing out, but not to walk through.

Depending on what you are going to use the room for you could keep the door open pretty much all the time to get light to the landing. You could put a really big window in or juliet balcony to ensure extra light.

I live in a mid terrace so no light on my stairs or landing. I found it handy to make the house as dark as possible for the DC to sleep with their doors open at night. So it can be a benefit.

We lost our side window on the landing with an extension- we put glass bricks over the doors in the two bathrooms that lead into the landing, which make a difference but I wouldn't want them in a bedroom- the light would drive me nuts.

Are you going to add another bathroom, the ratio might get a little crazy? One en suite, 5 others sharing one bathroom? Might be a problem if you tried to sell, what do others think?

How about turning bedroom 4 into a study and putting double glass doors in so the light from the window shines through onto the landing? Example attached.

We don't have any windows on the landing but as we rarely have all, if any, of the bedroom doors closed during the day light isn't a problem.

Light tunnels are great - my sister has them and they give the landing lovely natural light that seems to be from a skylight despite there being a whole additional floor of rooms above it!

We don't have windows on our landing - our house is much smaller though so daylight easily hits the landing! I've always fancied a sun tube though to lighten up the stairs a bit!

I have no window on my landing, the doors are left open so it gets plenty of light