Upside down house

[Hijabihouse]

We're FTB and saw a lovely conversion yesterday where the bedrooms were on the ground floor and the living spaces above. Would this put anyone off buying and why? Aware I might have my judgement clouded by the lovely kitchen!

I would be put off as I can't be arsed carrying the shopping upstairs to the kitchen. Unless there is street level access to the first floor (some houses like that near me built on hills).

Where was the washing machine? You would want to (1) lug a heavy washing machine upstairs to the kitchen nor (2) sleep under a washing machine bouncing around the upstairs floor .... So long as the house has a ground floor utility room, I think it could work.

Yes, it's a bit of a compromise having the bedrooms downstairs in summer, when I want to sleep with the windows open. People buy bungalows though. I would just say make sure you don't overpay.

If I'm honest, the safety aspect would put me off (and I know it's illogical as you're no more likely to be burgled in an upside down house!). The thought of a burglar coming in via patio doors and going into my children's room looking for car keys would worry me a bit - and I'm not a very anxious parent.

I had a friend as a child who lived in one where her bedroom was next to the front door so if the doorbell rang while she was asleep, it would wake her up every time.

Some people think it's safer to sleep on a higher level. You can keep your bedroom windows open at night. You might not be so keen if they are on the ground floor? However there are bungalows.

It's good to be able to eat outside without carrying everything down the stairs

I used to live in a property like this.

Upsides:
Living area felt more private and it was generally warmer as heat rises;
Thus bedrooms were cooler for sleeping.
When we got in from a day out we could ditch coats, bags, shoes, toys etc into the appropriate bedroom to be put away and not have a collection building up in the hall.
Downsides:
the shopping point but only once a week;
Bins, particularly recycling
Having to come downstairs to answer the door
I didn’t have a garden

In overall terms I don’t mind either set up. I assume there is a reason it’s upside down, like a picture window with a view?
What’s garden access like?

Is it upside for a reason? Lots of houses do this so the eg living room can benefit from an amazing view by being upstairs. If so is the view another plus point for the house?

Where is the main access - upstairs because it's on a hill, or downstairs at the bedroom level? If the latter, do you know why it's been arranged that way? The disadvantage of bedrooms being on the entry level is you have visitors traipsing through the more private spaces to get to the communal ones.

I’ve lived in a house like this and would do it again. Quite liked the living room getting more evening light and better views than the bedroom.

Are dumb waiters expensive to install?

Carting shopping upstairs, bins downstairs might be an issue

Couple of houses in my town I've noticed have done this. One has a fantastic view as on the outskirts at top of hill, the other is on my lovely but residential estate which looks a bit... odd!

But I used to live in a bungalow for a while and it's no different, never felt any less secure.

Wouldn't put me off if the house was ideal.

We’re currently staying in a house like this while we wait to complete on our next purchase.

We do like the living space being warmer/bedrooms cooler, but the issue we have is that the kitchen diner is on the ground floor too and only the living room upstairs, which is a PITA with a toddler as we can’t be cooking/loading the dishwasher/doing the laundry and supervising her at the same time.

If you don’t have small children and/or all of the living space is on the same level, then it wouldn’t be an issue.

Depends if it's upside down for a reason- like amazing views from living areas. I do prefer sleeping on first floor but I grew up in bungalows and it was fine.

There's a few upside down houses near us and they're like that because they're set into a steep hill. They were smaller than we were looking for, so didn't iew any but the fact that a significant portion is underground would have put us off, anyhow, as the potential for damp that would be expensive to fix would be huge. (plus, some of the bedrooms had tiny strip windows that, apart from being a safety concern, would make the room rather dingy.

Quite a few houses like this where I grew up. Mainly to take full advantage of the gorgeous views I think and in a hilly area.

I liked it. Apart from the bins aspect, it was a much nicer set up as rooms with the big windows and lovely views were where you spent most of the day.
(Apart from teenage child, obviously, who would’ve been a basement dweller wherever we lived! 😁)

I had a house like this (sea views from middle and top floor). I found I never used the garden. That one staircase (I had a deck and stairs down to garden form living floor, and each bedroom had double doors out to garden) was an obstacle too far. My bedroom was above the living floor, but three were below. My kids were down there and doors definitely closed and locked at night.

Thanks all for the helpful comments. No garden with this one (just parking) with this house. Kitchen/dinner is on the top witb the lounge, then two bed rows and two en suites below.

Really good points about shopping/bins/laundry, but we're with my PIL in a three story house at the moment so used to lots if stairs!

Sounds like a decent set up - having lots of stairs also keeps you fit!

There’s a fair few like that around here, because they have previously flooded. It’s a lot cheaper to replace ruined bedroom furniture that it is to replace all your white goods and your kitchen.

My in laws have an upside down house. But they live on the Isle of Wight with a sea view so it's pretty common near them tbh. It is a pain in the summer but it's pretty secluded where they live so they can get away with windows open a bit.

Not sure I'd want one without a view....having said that we have a town house with a hog lounge on the first floor and it's lush and cozy but the rest of the living space is downstairs. Not keen on 1st floor kitchen tbh.

We viewed a house like this and we just didn’t feel it was practical and yes the lay out was a no go for us.

Can I ask, how come it doesn’t have a garden? I’ve never seen a property that literally has no land round it. I think that maybe a bigger issue.

I missed buying an upside down house and I love them!