Upside down home

Moreorlessmentallystable · 2023-04-01T08:16:51+00:00

We are in the process of designing our new home and considering going for an upside down home...so big open plan kitchen, dinner, living, separate utility and WC and a snug/office inrbeh upper floor. We have designed it so there is a driveway up and entrance at the top floor to eliminate the going up with bags of shopping etc... The obvious advantage is the views as we spend a lot of time in the social areas, but I am not sure if we'll miss just being able to walk from the kitchen to the garden for example...or the ease for taking bins out etc does anyone have any experience with this type of home?

Custardbanana · 01/04/2023 09:25

I've lived in a similar house and I loved it. Front door was at the upper level to the kitchen living and downstairs was the bedrooms and bathroom. All the warm air goes upstairs into the living spaces which is great in the winter. Which of course means the bedrooms are a little cooler which is good in the summer but you may not like it in the winter. I personally prefer a cooler bedroom.

Look at where your rear garden access is. Will you need to pass the bedrooms and a carpeted hallway to get outdoors with muddy shoes or gardening equipment.

RitaFires · 01/04/2023 09:28

I have an upside down house and there's a small deck outside the kitchen with stairs that lead directly into the garden. The utility is downstairs to make it easier to hang out washing.

Namechange828492 · 01/04/2023 09:30

My kitchen is on my 1st floor and i hate it, you can't just go in and oit of the garden

LawksaMercyMissus · 01/04/2023 09:31

Definitely utility downstairs, somewhere to keep wet coats and most of your washing will be generated down there.

Friend has an upside down house and has balconies upstairs so she can eat outside without going in the garden.

LawksaMercyMissus · 01/04/2023 09:33

Also, it's a nuisance lugging food shopping upstairs!

Winterisalmostover · 01/04/2023 10:12

I had an upside down house because of amazing views. Despite the location it took two years to sell as 9 out of 10 viewers hated the layout. I got tired of lugging my shopping upstairs to the kitchen. I did have a utility room on the ground floor though so washing wasn't such a problem.

Diyextension · 01/04/2023 11:53

Is the house built on a slope/ hill ?

Popetthetreehugger · 01/04/2023 12:01

Ours isn’t upside down but over 3 floors as amazing view . Laundry downstairs. We have a balcony running the length of the kitchen and lounge so can step straight out from either room . Wouldn’t like not to be able to just have a quick coffee outside. Could you incorporate a balcony? I definitely wouldn’t have had this house without it as would have felt like a flat with no access to outside.

CatOnTheChair · 01/04/2023 12:10

Upside down houses where they are built into a hill, and make sense with front door at street level - fine.
Houses that have a flight of stairs between the front door and the kitchen are more marmite.
If it is going to work for you, and you ate planning on staying go for it. If it's a "renovate and sell" job, leave it with a mote traditional layout.

I'm not sure I understand the driveway up to the second story comment - are you literally building up the drive to first story level?

If you have some plans, they may help people visualize things.

SilentHedges · 01/04/2023 16:37

Family members have one, and we stay there quite often. It doesn't work on many levels. As soon as someone goes upstairs to the kitchen/living room we are woken up in the ground floor bedroom by noises, footsteps and creaking. To eat in the garden, everything has to be carried from the upstairs kitchen, to downstairs, through a bedroom and round the garden to the patio. There is a small balcony in the living room which helps, but isnt really a garden substitute. Bedroom windows open at night are ground floor which I'm not keen on. It's a lovely house, but practically, I'd never buy an upside down house.

Original poster

Moreorlessmentallystable · 02/04/2023 23:33

Diyextension · 01/04/2023 11:53

Is the house built on a slope/ hill ?

Yes, there is a hill, we'll have views of a pond to the back, and farm land at the front with sea views on the horizon (not super close but can see it on a clear day)

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MissVantaBlack · 02/04/2023 23:49

I've stayed in an upside down house on holiday. It was built into a hillside, so the front door opened onto the first floor, which was very bright and airy and had lovely views. The stairs led down to the bedrooms and bathroom, which were cool and dim.

I liked the layout in many ways (especially the bright living rooms and dark sleeping areas). However, I always have the window open at night, which felt strange on the ground floor, and it would have benefitted from a balcony off the living room for meals outdoors.

Wedoronron · 02/04/2023 23:51

Where are the bedrooms? I hate downstairs bedrooms because of burglars. Feel like you have less chance to wake up.

Mamaneedsadrink · 02/04/2023 23:57

I have a house like this, we have views so this is why it has been designed this way (I think all houses with views are like this now). We have a balcony off the lounge and dining room (all open plan). There is a garden downstairs, but it is never used as we do all the 'living' upstairs. If you don't have the option of a balcony or similar could you install a dumb waiter to save carrying items up and down the stairs? I can imagine from a practical sense that would be a pain. Definitely have the rooms downstairs if you have nice views, it's such a waste otherwise given you realistically don't spend time in the bedrooms

Sgtmajormummy · 03/04/2023 00:07

I stayed in a house like this on holiday (barn conversion built into a hill).

The downstairs bedrooms were a bit chilly and might have had damp problems in the winter. The upstairs had glorious views of the countryside and it makes sense to be able to see them during daylight!

Diyextension · 03/04/2023 09:49

Wedoronron · 02/04/2023 23:51

Where are the bedrooms? I hate downstairs bedrooms because of burglars. Feel like you have less chance to wake up.

How often do you get burgled ?

MidlandCatGirl · 03/04/2023 22:52

If your house is in the shadow of the Malvern Hills it’s quite likely it’ll be ‘upside down’ - they still can be quite dark internally during the day so having the lounge upstairs to gain that extra light from the elevation helps.

I viewed a few but I realised I really disliked that you’d walk through the front door to be faced with the bedrooms and have to go up to the lounge, kitchen etc.

Original poster

Moreorlessmentallystable · 04/04/2023 16:37

Wedoronron · 02/04/2023 23:51

Where are the bedrooms? I hate downstairs bedrooms because of burglars. Feel like you have less chance to wake up.

Downstairs...we are in a very low crime area, as in people don't lock their doors if only going for a local walk, also CCTV from neighbours , and a few people have told me they have lived in the town their whole lives and never knew about our little street...tucked away a mile and and a half from the town centre

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Original poster

Moreorlessmentallystable · 04/04/2023 16:38

MidlandCatGirl · 03/04/2023 22:52

If your house is in the shadow of the Malvern Hills it’s quite likely it’ll be ‘upside down’ - they still can be quite dark internally during the day so having the lounge upstairs to gain that extra light from the elevation helps.

I viewed a few but I realised I really disliked that you’d walk through the front door to be faced with the bedrooms and have to go up to the lounge, kitchen etc.

Ours would have the entrance to the second floor as it's built on a hilly site we are making use of the natural topography.

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Original poster

Moreorlessmentallystable · 04/04/2023 16:40

Mamaneedsadrink · 02/04/2023 23:57

I have a house like this, we have views so this is why it has been designed this way (I think all houses with views are like this now). We have a balcony off the lounge and dining room (all open plan). There is a garden downstairs, but it is never used as we do all the 'living' upstairs. If you don't have the option of a balcony or similar could you install a dumb waiter to save carrying items up and down the stairs? I can imagine from a practical sense that would be a pain. Definitely have the rooms downstairs if you have nice views, it's such a waste otherwise given you realistically don't spend time in the bedrooms

Yes! We love the views, and plannin on a "long house" as views to the front of the countryside then to the back we have a pond :)

OP posts:

Original poster

Moreorlessmentallystable · 04/04/2023 16:42

SilentHedges · 01/04/2023 16:37

Family members have one, and we stay there quite often. It doesn't work on many levels. As soon as someone goes upstairs to the kitchen/living room we are woken up in the ground floor bedroom by noises, footsteps and creaking. To eat in the garden, everything has to be carried from the upstairs kitchen, to downstairs, through a bedroom and round the garden to the patio. There is a small balcony in the living room which helps, but isnt really a garden substitute. Bedroom windows open at night are ground floor which I'm not keen on. It's a lovely house, but practically, I'd never buy an upside down house.

Great points. Why do you hate windows open at night on the ground floor? We are currently living in a cottage so bedrooms are on ground floor anyway...

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GasPanic · 04/04/2023 19:11

I have one. Three floors, living + kitchen in middle. Bedrooms top and bottom.

Things I would say :

Negatives.

It's a pain in the ass hauling shopping upstairs, and rubbish back downstairs.

If the bedrooms are on different levels, for example one is on floor 3 and the other on floor 1, some people aren's so happy with having to traverse the stairs to deal with ill kids.

Obviously bringing stuff up the stairs like fridges, sofas to the living room or kitchen can be a bit tricky.

if it catches fire and you are on floor 3 its a long way down.

Positives.

Mine is more secure than a normal house, because it doesn't have many downstairs windows as the majority of the living space is upstairs.

No chance of people like the postman/neighbours walking past and gawping at you through the window. You do feel more secure and removed from the rest of the world living high up in your tower.

Views are better. My house and the houses around it dominate the area. You can't really be overlooked by anyone else - you do the overlooking.

Upstairs living space is pretty warm (downstairs is cold).

You can get pretty fit running from top to bottom.

If you decide to do a loft extension the views would be epic.

Despite the fact people on here don't seem to like them much, there doesn't seem any issues selling them round here and they seem to sell as for as much as the two storey normal houses with the same space.

I would have no issue buying one again.

SilentHedges · 04/04/2023 20:25

Moreorlessmentallystable · 04/04/2023 16:42

Great points. Why do you hate windows open at night on the ground floor? We are currently living in a cottage so bedrooms are on ground floor anyway...

Show quote history

Bedroom windows on the ground floor I'd rather not have from a security/safety point of view, when you might want them open at night while you sleep. I know ground floor flats, bungalows (your cottage), have this set up, but I'd rather avoid it. In fact, we're staying in the upside down house this weekend.

CharlotteStreetW1 · 04/04/2023 20:35

I stayed in one on holiday once. A long house style. It was bloody awful as another guest had a toddler who literally ran up and down the length of the building from early hours waking everyone up. It also had stairs up to the living area from the front door and I injured myself during the stay (thanks to a very slippery bathroom floor) so going up and down the stairs several times a day was purgatory.

Great views though, I'll grant you.

Diyextension · 04/04/2023 23:31

MissVantaBlack · 02/04/2023 23:49

I've stayed in an upside down house on holiday. It was built into a hillside, so the front door opened onto the first floor, which was very bright and airy and had lovely views. The stairs led down to the bedrooms and bathroom, which were cool and dim.

I liked the layout in many ways (especially the bright living rooms and dark sleeping areas). However, I always have the window open at night, which felt strange on the ground floor, and it would have benefitted from a balcony off the living room for meals outdoors.

This is like our layout .

op having access ( drive ) to the upper floor is ideal.

Things I’ve found about living upside down, noise can be a bit of a pain If someone is banging around in the living space and your in bed downstairs. I’ve yet to replace/ soundproof our floor but if I was building from new then I’d definitely go the more solid block and beam construction.

Access of some kind to the garden from the living/ kitchen area is needed ( balcony/ raised decking/ seating area ) with maybe steps down. So you don’t have to go downstairs to the garden.

Our layout out is a bit different to most as we have access (drives) to both upper and lower levels. From 2 sides it looks like a bungalow, and the other 2 a house. This means you never have to carry anything big or heavy upstairs.

Upstairs has living area/ kitchen ,utility,bathroom, and either a lounge/ bedroom/ office, we use it as a bedroom.

Downstairs has 2 bedrooms ( building a third) hallway and bathroom.

Buying a house on a hill was the last thing we were looking for as I do like flat plots, but when we saw it ,we could see the potential. Here’s the rightmove photos from when it was for sale.

the deck area and the conservatory had been added on after it was built.