moving staircase in victorian two up two down...help!!!!

[amatthews]

We are just in process of buying a victorian two up and two down cottage with a staircase running in the middle of the house between lounge and dining room dividing it in two halves. We thought about opening the space downstairs and moving the staircase to the hallway. We suspect (!) one of the walls next to the staircase may be a supporting wall... although it is just a speculation...
Is it possible to move the staircase at all? if it is a supporting wall how much does it cost to put an alternative support so we can open the space? Do you know properties where it has been successfully done?
Thank you for any advice.
Best wishes,
Anna

 

[Ian Bond]

You probably won't like my advice, but I'd say leave the staircase where it is.

Even if you overcome the technical problems of moving the staircase (which I am sure you can) you will have

a) lost the original staircase
b) changed the orginal room layout, losing the period cottage charm

And then there's making new access for the stairs. You'd need to alter the floor above, perhaps remove part of the ceiling, which may be the original lath and plaster.

When you start making these sorts of changes to old buildings, you can very quickly obliterate the very things that drew you to them in the first place. Lath and plaster gets replaced with plasterboard, modern joinery replaces time-worn originals and so on.

If it was my house , I'd live in it for a bit before setting out on major changes. Essential maintenace first, of course.

There's some great advice on the PPUK Information page.
http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/article024.htm

Good luck with the purchase

 

[Moo]

I'll second that.

 

[biffvernon]

Thirded

 

[amatthews]

Ian, thank you for your post. I will sleep now very well. That's what I honestly think, too but I guess I have seen too many property programs For a covenience of our lifestyle it would be a great thing to do.. We are planning to move our bathroom upstairs anyway so we need to lose lots of space from one bedroom which is not ideal but English people somehow don't make their houses comfortable and beautiful, they just make them sellable. I have been here for last 5 years and wonder what the tv house doctor would say to my parents who moved their kitchen upstairs as they find it more convenient and have huge open space downstairs and don't give a damn about anybody )) Thanks Ian, I actually like your post because it will save me lots of headache.

 

[Ian Bond]

No problem, Anna.

I think I sensed your reluctance to move the staircase, by the fact that you asked us the question on PPUK - anyone with their mind made up would have just gone ahead and done it!

Anyway, best of luck in your new house, and whatever you decide to do with it their are plenty of people on this site who will be glad to offer advice. I wish I'd had access to PPUK when I started my current project *ahem* 10 years ago. I could have saved myself a lot of time, money and trouble

 

[Peter]

Not too many cottages left in Bristol so keep it as it is.

 

[Penners]

Fourthded.

One other point, Anna. If you install a new staircase (or move the existing one) you would need to comply with the building regulations, which have a complicated set of rules about the minimum rise, maximum going and minimum headroom for a staircase. As your existing staircase in its current location predates these rules, it doesn't have to comply.

Compliance in a cottage is often extremely difficult.

There - that's another excuse to leave things as they are!

 

[Ian Bond]

Very true, David.

My attic stairs are a prime example - more of a ladder, and about 5'2 clearance under the tie-beam. Ouch, must remember to duck!

I very much subscribe to the "if it aint broke, don't fix it" school of thought. That and I'm tight-fisted and it's also cheaper.



Ian

 

[Gervase]

ER, at the risk of wasting bandwidth, 'fifthed'. Don't do it! Not that you will, of course - those nagging agenbites of inwit have already done their work...

 

[Penners]

those nagging agenbites of inwit have already done their work...

You appear to have lapsed into Swahili, Gervase. Or am I being thick?

 

[Ian Bond]

I dunno either Penners, but I think Gervase is suggesting that Anna leaves the staircase where it is!

Fortunately Anna is in accord with our suggestions - she is definitely one of us, a period property saver, and not a "de-storation enthusiast".

Come on Gervase - put us all out of our ignorance here!!!!

 

[amatthews]

yes, Anna is very happy to leave it where it is hearing that I have somebody on my side.... Anna has another headache... moving the bathroom upstairs and turning one of the bedrooms into a shoe box.... can't wait to move in and check the dimentions...why do I hate estate agents...

 

[Ian Bond]

can't wait to move in and check the dimentions...why do I hate estate agents...

Probably with very good reason, Anna!

 

[Moo]

Turning the boxroom into a bathroom can be quite successful, and won't necessarily turn the back bedroom into a shoebox. Just tell the builder to make the passageway as narrow as possible - just wide enough to get the bath down it.
It helps, of course, if there isn't a chimneybreast.

 

[amatthews]

Turning the boxroom into a bathroom .

There is no box room. There are just two "good size" bedrooms, one is gonna become a bathroom and bedroom. We plan to do it other way round than other people do, which means the bathroom on the left side, bedroom on the right not to lose bedroom space for corridors. That would need probably moving a window. It has all potential for a nightmare but I know a very good Polish builder and won't use British ever again (Sorry). unless it needs certificates, but only if necessary like Fensa Corgi etc.

 

[Penners]

Anna has another headache... turning one of the bedrooms into a shoe box

That's a novel idea. In a lot of modern houses they seem to have turned a shoe box into a bedroom.