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Original poster

Would you buy a semi over 4 floors?

24 replies

UpAt5amAgain · 24/04/2021 06:41

We are currently a bit stuck - have a large semi in a great location, which is spread over 3 floors.

We'd love a detached with a big garden but we've been looking for a long time and they are scarce. To stay in the school area, commutable, etc it's an incredibly difficult ask. We've leaflets potential houses but no success.

Previously it was just a 'would be nice one day' but we're now expecting another baby and it's become a bit more pressing!

We have a large attic that we could extend into and put our eldest up there but it would mean being over 4 floors. Is that insane?

It is fairly normal in our closest city for big fancy townhouses to be over 4/5 floors and everyone is OK with that but we're in suburbia...

The cost of a loft conversion would be high, probably £50k+ because builders are massively in demand at the moment, but the stamp duty on a new house would probably be a similar cost or more.

Would you buy a 4 storey house?

OP posts:
MyOtherProfile · 24/04/2021 06:45

No. For young families 4 floors mean children too far away when they go to bed. For older people, who wants to run up and down so many stairs?

How old are your children? How many? Can you not convert a garage or add a room on the back somehow?

CovidCorvid · 24/04/2021 06:47

No. Too many stairs. We looked at one which was over 3 floors and to be honest that put me off.

Whatalottachocca · 24/04/2021 06:47

Our house is 4 storeys and we love it. It's great exercise too, running up and down those stairs.

MumofSpud · 24/04/2021 06:47

I have a semi over 3 floors sand hate it!!
Maybe I am lazy but hoovering stairs is a nightmare!
The 3rd floor has 2 bedrooms and in between an airing cupboard. DD(15) has her room up there and I do feel she is cut off - she doesn't mind though!
Also her room has those 'slopey' windows (velux?) which are rubbish - in the summer if you open them, they let in so much light. If it rains water comes in!

HollyBollyBooBoo · 24/04/2021 06:48

I personally find 3 floors irritating, 4 would be awful.

Original poster
UpAt5amAgain · 24/04/2021 06:51

Thanks for replying. I do agree - I've found 3 floors with a young family hard going.

DC are 5 and 3 and about to be a newborn. Garden is too small to extend into, we've thought about every option but to extend I think the loft would be the only suitable space. In a way it would be ideal as there is a perfect place for a staircase and the loft is huge with a high ceiling.

The older kids can share for a while once the baby needs a room but as they grow the rooms are really too cramped for that to be a longer term option.

Maybe we just make do with sharing and keep looking...

OP posts:
borntobequiet · 24/04/2021 06:51

I had a terraced house over 4 floors and absolutely loved it, basement study, Velux windows and all. The stairs kept me fit.

CovidCorvid · 24/04/2021 06:54

Do you need to be in the school area? I assume 5yo already has a place so won’t the younger ones get sibling priority? Or are you thinking secondary catchment area?

BlueLobelia · 24/04/2021 06:58

Ours is 5 floors. When we had our bedroom on the top floor and the kitchen on the ground floor it was a pain in the arse to forget to take your morning coffee back to bed with you.

When we had the DCs we moved ourselves all into the second floor., As they have become older we have moved around, DH and i are on the third floor. As is the guest room. The Dcs are on the fourth floor. The fifth floor has the WFH and home schooling area. The second floor has a sitting room. First floor (ground floor) has kitchen and dining room.

I love it!!!

BlueLobelia · 24/04/2021 06:59

Oh- i am saying ground floor is the 'first floor'. Just for clarity.

Original poster
UpAt5amAgain · 24/04/2021 07:04

5 year old has been offered a school place just this week, starting in August. I'm not totally sure what would happen if we moved out of catchment after he has a place. I'll ask around. I don't think it would guarantee my younger one(s) a place as its an oversubscribed school and it would be a placing request with sibling priority which comes below a catchment place I think. I'll check!

In saying all that we're actually fairly open to moving catchment (especially before August) as loads of the schools around here are pretty good, but even with a pretty open mind on area there is just nothing suitable on the market. Sad

I'm sure it's pregnancy hormones adding my brain but I just can't figure out what to do!

OP posts:
chloechloe · 24/04/2021 07:13

We have 4 floors with 3 DC and I love it!

The basement has home office/ guest room, utility room and a big storage/play room.

Ground floor - kitchen, dining room, lounge, WC, cloakroom.

1st floor - 2 big bedrooms and bathroom.

2nd floor - 2 bedrooms.

We live in a great location in the center of town where there is no room left to build, so that dictates that the house footprints are small and you build high! The basement office/ guest room has large windows so is a nice space and the house has a flat roof so the top floor has normal windows and ceiling height.

Ours kids are 6,4 and 2 for what it’s worth. The 2 yo sleeps upstairs on his own and the other 2 are together for the moment (theoretically - can’t get the 2 yo out of our bed!)

I think the important thing is that the rooms are in a location that works well rather than it being a quirky layout. But that seems to be the case for you.

TrashKitten10 · 24/04/2021 07:20

Once you have a school place you deciding to move doesn't affect that place. But yes, it depends on admissions criteria how high up on the list you'd be for admissions for the younger children.

How urgent is the move? You don't actually say how many bedrooms you currently have? I can't picture a 3 story home with only two bedrooms but I'm assuming this is what you have to make it such a squash? I wouldn't have such young children spread out over so many floors. Are any of the bedrooms particularly big and could be divided? Do you have an extra reception room you could convert to a bedroom? Newborn will be in with you for a while so you've got a bit of time to think about it and see if anything comes into the market.

DinosaurDiana · 24/04/2021 07:23

Would I buy a 4 storey house ? No.
But if that’s normal where you live, and you've no chance of moving to your dream house, go for it. Someone will buy it.

bakingdemon · 24/04/2021 07:43

We're about to start renovating a townhouse which will be 4 floors when we're done. Lower ground, raised ground, first and second floors. Bedrooms will all be on top two. Can't wait to live in it!

Larryslockdownlunch · 24/04/2021 07:45

I have 4 stories and we are about to commence a loft conversion to make it 5! I have a baby but we'll move into the loft which will be a big bedroom and single bedroom plus shower room. So baby will have little bedroom next to mine. The rest of the kids are older so will be fine on whatever level. I don't mind the stairs. Don't even think about it anymore.

CovidCorvid · 24/04/2021 07:57

I suppose the other thing to think is would turning it into a 4 story house mean it would be your forever home...if you’d happily live there for 20 plus years does it matter if it’s a bit harder to sell in the future?

I’m sure someone would buy it but you’d have to accept the price of a 4 bed four story house will probably be less than a 4 bed 3 story house for example.

BeechTreeView · 24/04/2021 08:36

Yes.

Witchlight · 24/04/2021 11:30

We have a 4 story house. The first two floors are living spaces and the top two bedrooms.

Children like having their own floor.
Teenagers love having their own floor.
Now they’ve left home, guests like having their own floor.

Lots of town houses are like this.

NewHouseNewMe · 24/04/2021 12:05

No.
Three levels is my max and even then, only if the kids or guests are above me. I did it the other way before and found myself very cut off from the rest of the house.

Changingwiththetimes · 25/04/2021 00:33

No. I had a three floored property and swore next one had to be two max. I don't like kitchens one floor and receptions on another, for one thing. Plus it may seem top heavy - I value living space over bedrooms space.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 25/04/2021 00:41

No

Pyewackect · 25/04/2021 00:45

Our house is 4 stories , if you include below stairs. Have to say it’s a bit of a pain sometimes but you save on gym membership.

Rainbowqueeen · 25/04/2021 00:56

I’d keep looking for a while longer. You are pregnant and older kids can share for a while. I’d give it 2 years of looking before making a decision.

I’d also spend that time properly investigating the loft conversion option so that you make best use of the space and hopefully by then it will be easier to get a builder

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