Cost of reversing a staircase?

[mervynmouse]

Has anyone reversed the direction of the staircase in their home and is able to give me a ballpark figure on cost?

It's a tiny 2 bed approx 1900 railway workers cottage and the bathroom has been moved upstairs in the past by reducing the size of one of the bedrooms. However, due to the direction of the stairs, the bathroom is accessed only through that bedroom which belongs to DS.

The previous owners seem to have tried to counter the inconvenience of this set up by keeping a small cloakroom in the corner of the kitchen, presumably where the bathroom used to be situated. I would like to get rid of this really to have room for a table and as it does feel like you are just having a pee at the end of the kitchen!

I had considered making a Jack and Jill bathroom by creating a second entrance via the walk in cupboard in the main bedroom but I've been advised it's not really possible to make a full width doorway from this side and will likely end up looking rather clumsy and odd.

So, am I mad considering reversing the stairs so we can have a separate entrance to the bathroom? It would seem a better long term solution and increase value of house (although I am in no hurry to sell at all) but I can't seem to find any ideas on what kind of cost I would be looking at. Any ideas gratefully received.

We have had an entirely new staircase built so that we gained head height. It was bespoke, so pricey. Can't remember price exactly, sorry, but several thousand pounds! However, this was the only solution and we went to a staircase specialist because we had to have it made to fit the space available. If you are lucky you can get one off the shelf but staircases are subject to regulations, eg no open treads, so you really should go to a staircase company if the space is a bit difficult. You will presumably need a landing, be certain the headroom works and that the design will actually fit into the space. Would it be better to have a half landing, for example? What height do you need the treads and risers to be? DH is a structural engineer and worked with the company to get this right. The staircase is then fitted and you finish it a coding to your taste. The floors need work where the old one has come out etc.

Our new one has made all the difference. In your case I think it sounds vital to get the bathroom readily available and remove the kitchen one. Kitchen bathrooms are not permitted anyway unless you have a lobby between the kitchen and the bathroom.

You can a toilet off a kitchen without a lobby-that rule was abolished years ago. I think we were quoted about £5000 in London-we didn't go ahead. I think you could go it for less.

We had a quote for changing a staircase in our last house. It was c.£10,000. We didnt go ahead (but sort of regretted it later).

Thanks for replies. Sounds like it could be prohibitively expensive.

My other option is potentially extending behind the side porch and putting in a shower room but it would be a tight fit.

So ending up with a downstairs shower room and upstairs en suite bathroom although not to the master bedroom. Which I suppose would be fine if a bit unusual. Plus I could get rid of the loo on the corner of the kitchen, which as highlighted on another thread can be difficult to live with!

You are right superram. Who would actually want a loo directly off the kitchen though? My info was based on an extension we did a while back.