Would you have a space saver stair?

[Lemoncordial]

We're looking at putting a loft conversion on our house. It's a small house so the room is going to be small, so we need to make the most of the space. We're going to put a shower and toilet up there.

If we put a space saver stair in, then we can put the shower room at the top of the stairs so you don't have to go through the bedroom to get to the toilet and shower.

If we use a normal stair case, the shower and toilet will have to be ensuite. Which means that if anyone else in the house needs to use that toilet, they'll have to go through someone's bedroom, which will be annoying when our young kids are teens. However, I hate space saver stairs and worry about someone falling down them, especially young kids.

Our existing bathroom and toilet is on the ground floor.

Wwyd?

I'd go for the en-suite option. PIL put in a playroom with those space saving stairs. They had so many incidents of grandchildren falling down them that they redesigned the whole upstairs to get access with proper stairs.

Couldn't you make the loft room the master bedroom so nobody else needs to use the extra shower room.

I would go for the compromise of ensuite shower / loo rather than space saver stairs every time.

Ensuite definitely

Even a small double could be turned into a single and a small shower room!

It's not clear though what problem are you trying to solve? Kids would use downstairs bathroom and you use en-suite if two people need loo/shower at same time.

Not a modern space saver staircase, but PiL have an exceeding steep staircase to the lift conversion. I hate them, and need to come down backwards. Put in a proper staircase, and work with the space that leaves you with.

I'll go against the grain here; at my previous house I had space saver stairs going to my loft extension bedroom and I didn't mind them. They're daunting at first but as you get used to them, they're fine and you end up being able to nip up and down them quickly. For guests, they were a struggle at first though.
Personally didn't have issues selling the house and the loft room was considered a fourth bedroom.
Although a word of warning if you do go for them, don't varnish them as my DP did, sigh.

So you're going to be taking a small space and making the sleeping area even smaller just so it can have a shower and loo

We have some to a loft room. My DD aged 9 has the room and she manages fine. They are not at all easy if you want to take a pile of washing up and even the cat struggles to come down them.
They were there when we moved in and we will keep them for now but I don't think I would have chosen and I certainly wouldn't have them again.

@Burnthurst187

So you're going to be taking a small space and making the sleeping area even smaller just so it can have a shower and loo

Yes. I'm desperate for a second bathroom!

@titchy

Even a small double could be turned into a single and a small shower room!

It's not clear though what problem are you trying to solve? Kids would use downstairs bathroom and you use en-suite if two people need loo/shower at same time.

We thought that it might be dd's room when she's older.

No, don’t have a space saver. It will reduce the value of your house and be a constant nightmare with the kids.

I would go for ensuite. I lived in a house as a student with really steep stairs and fell down them a couple of times (sober!) so wouldn't want kids running up and down them.

I'd worry about how I'd carry a pile of bedding to be washed down those narrow stairs without falling?

inspiralingstairsystems.co.uk/square-spiral-stairs

These are nicer than space saver and round spiral stairs.

I stayed as a guest in a house with space saver stairs. It’s amazing how quickly you get used to them.

We have a set to one room and we got used to them so quickly. Obviously we are careful on them, but as a fairly clumsy person I am careful on all staircases!

The Planning Portal says these stairs can be used for one room only. Is a bedroom AND an en suite usable by others not in that bedroom not TWO rooms? It just sounds like a poor idea. I’d extend in the conventional way.

An ex had one of those half tread stairs in his house and it was so bloody terrifying I had to crawl up. Completely useless as I never had my hands free to carry anything. I asked him how he'd got furniture and stuff up to that room and he said it was so awkward on the stairs he rigged up a pulley at the window when he moved in!

We have alternate tread stairs to our loft room which is our room. They're not ideal but were literally the only way to put in stairs without sacrificing a bedroom. We have never fallen. We've put in griptape on the edges and an extra handrail. Able bodied adults shouldn't have an issue at all. If you've lost out on a house due to this that's up to you, but it's not a deal clincher. We are currently trying to sell and someone utterly loved the house but couldn't stand the stairs- its their loss but you really do get used to it and I'd rather have another bedroom than just a proper stairs. It's all above board with building regs too, thank you very much.

Tbh I think some of you need to get a grip!

A lot of people will be put off buying your house due to the stairs @MrsJamin. Probably hard for you to accept that and inevitably, if it’s priced for the more limited market, there will be people willing to make the same compromise as you for the extra space.

MrsJamin: the possible buyer walked away though didn’t they. They had choice snd they didn’t choose your house specifically because they didn’t like the staircase.

I do tend to find people don’t like quirky things that sometimes vendors love. People can probably buy several houses that are just as good but without the “quirk” of the staircase. It highlights the risk of installing such a staircase that many people don’t like. It might make selling difficult. It might well reduce the number of possible buyers to a trickle. The buyers don’t see it as a loss they didn’t buy your house. They see it as a deal breaker and walked away.

There are a lot of people on here who seem to view houses as an investment to a much greater degree than a place to live.
You do what you need to do to make your home work for you.
Not everyone is going to be selling up and moving on with any regularity.
Obviously if you have a view to selling in the short to medium term, listen to the housing market experts.

But if you are not, then make the space work for you.

I don't love it. I value a bedroom more! We didn't put it in. We had a loft company come round to give us a quote to rearrange things and it would have been £40k to fix due to lack of space. If you haven't lived with one don't just clutch your pearls and say you could never live with it. We have literally never misplaced a foot. I know some buyers will be put off. It is mentioned in the details so we aren't hiding it on rightmove. What do you think I should do, spend £40k just to appease some people?

No they look dangerous