Would this put you off a house?

[peekaboo321]

These are the stairs - in my living room. Would it annoy you or not bother you?

Did you knock a wall down, or was it designed like that?
Not keen at all, sorry.

I like it.

I really dislike houses where you open the front door and you’re faced with the stairs.

Lived in one for years and coming downstairs into a cold hallway was horrible.

No it's how it was when we bought it. I think next door boxed theirs in but all the other houses in the street have the same.

Our last-but-one house had open stairs in a reception room and I wasn't massively keen.

However, it was a fairly old house (Georgian) and of a decent size, so there was more than one reception room meaning we didn't have to sit in that one when it was winter with the cold air going straight up the stairs.

Also, the room with the stairs wasn't the first one you entered on coming in the front door - there was an additional reception room (approx 16' x 10') into which the front door opened. We made this a large hall with big table etc plus coat hanging/shoe storage, with the kitchen beyond. You then came through the 'hall' into the room with the stairs.

My pet hate is houses where the front door opens straight into a reception room that also contains the stairs, so if yours has a lobby/hall area inside the front door @peekaboo321 I wouldn't be entirely put off!

That should have read 'the heat going straight up the stairs' 🙄

I lived in a rented property like that years ago and wouldn't ever buy a house with stairs up from the living room because of the heat issue - we found way too much heat was disappearing up those stairs and leaving us cold downstairs.

I'm having my similar stairs boarded in. I cant stand stairs in the living room.

I like em.

I really dislike this. I can't figure out why but I've been in houses similar and I just hate it

It can be draughty for whoever is sitting directly under the stairwell (speaks from experience).

I actually like it. Not a fan of similar stairs boxed in for a narrow dark stair case. I would move the sofa forward to make a pathway across the the lounge rather than everyone coming through the middle of the room.

I would change the spindles to glass panels but other than that, it wouldn't bother me

I like the open stairs. Nothing worse than boxed in claustrophobic stairwells. Unless they’re meant to be, like a back staircase or going up to an attic or down to a basement or cellar. Then they’re appropriately mysterious and a bit eerie.

I’m offended by the sofas especially the one plonked in front of the stairs.

We had this in one of our first houses, and my little ones could crawl through the stair posts - we had to put some garden netting up them! Looked brilliant?!

I wouldn't want it as I wouldn't be keen on effectively having to heat a larger area than I need, particularly if I'm the only person in. I would also be concerned about noise.

I dont like it because it turns the lounge into a corridor, with people walking through all the time to go upstairs, to the bathroom, to the kitchen.

And lack of privacy so if kids wander onto the stairs in the evening (like mine have a habit of doing) they can see what you're watching on TV, or hear adult conversations before you know they're there.

And noise and heat travels.

But I dont like open plan in general.

It would put me off. I don't mind the look but I don't like noise, cooking smells or, most importantly, heat going upstairs. Very difficult to keep heating costs down if it all goes straight upstairs, and bedrooms don't need to be kept as warm.

That’s where your heat goes.

It would be a no from me - I wouldn't even view it as it would be one of my non-negotiables. However, Im sure some of the things I love in a house others hate so its is personal taste.

I don't understand the problem?

No, it wouldn't, if the rest of the house was right... but I would be mindful of all the heat going straight upstairs so would prefer a closed off living room if there was a choice.

We bought a house with the stairs in the living room and regretted it. The living room always seemed cold while the landing was lovely and warm. We used to joke that we should put the settee and tv on the landing. I don't even really feel the cold.

Also any sounds/noise can be heard clearly upstairs. I would go to bed and could clearly hear the tv that my DH was watching even though he had the sound fairly low. It stopped me sleeping.

We vowed never to live in a house like that again

I want to take the wall down between my hall and living room so it ends up like this, but would like a little porch first so we don't walk straight through front door into living room.

Our house had these but previous owners boxed it off, it's much better imo!!

It would put me off .