please share original floor plans with dimensions

I actually think the front downstairs looks a bit funny -- basically 1 door 'under the stairs' to go to the rest of downstairs , likewise to head upstairs you sort of funnel along that side of the house , through that door , then do a Z around through/near the family room .

Even the wall when you come in the entry is a bit strange , and the folding doors -- I understand your desire to have a quiet area , but with all the foot traffic from the entry , the garage , the upstairs , and trying to 'seal' the folding doors , you've basically overruled all of that .

I can't work out the exact layouts , but maybe try a 180 degree stair back near the bath/laundry , with the laundry partially under the stairs ( washer , linen cupboard , etc ) -- your present design basically wastes the stair space ( when maybe you'll have storage , lust not noted ) .

In a nutshell , I'd almost start with a clean sheet downstairs ( or downstairs front half ) and decide what you actually need , what you want , and what you can do without -- do you need the office where it is ? Do you need the family room there ? I hate to say it , but you almost need to start with a stair design and placement , THEN work the rooms around that , not the other way round , to get the least compromises .

Thanks Pottsy99. I know and agree with what you are saying. I wanted a u stair where the laundry/bathroom is however it wasnt possible because upstairs we couldn’t fit them in as as well as get all the bedrooms in so stairs had to go along the long wall. I’ll try and dig out the original plans but the family room and and office rooms are existing rooms (currently bedrooms) and the hallway around them are exisiting.

Here are original plans.

It looks like you have taken out a lot of walls , and even looks like you have taken out the side wall where there are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom ?

By the time you have done all of that , strengthened where the existing walls were but also to carry the extra weight of upstairs , you'd almost be knock down and rebuild , then you could essentially do what you want ? Of course , you may have brick walls , a pool , or other features , but as you've seen and no doubt priced , it's going to be expensive and still not quite what you want .

Of course , I may be totally wrong . . . . . . .

It’s a semi detached so unfortunately can’t knock down rebuild but otherwise we would have loved to.

I don’t think it is a significant issue having the stair in that direction. But I’m not keen on the dogleg under the stairs. Perhaps move laundry and bathroom around a bit. Okl and Siriuskey may have some great ideas. I am thinking

Maybe I get rid of the sink in the butlers pantry (do I really need that?) and make that less wide so the laundry and bathroom aren’t as long if that makes sense.

I don't believe there is any other option in relocating the stair. You have a small narrow house and you are making it a 5 bedroom house, with two living areas and an office. Unless you are prepared to sacrifice something the current stair position and orientation can't be beaten. My problem is the family room, downstairs bathroom, and understair access to the rest of the house. I would be refining this area as it is clunky and doesn't really work - possibly by making the family room more open plan, removing the divisions, and removing the L-shaped hall way around the family room.

Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls and Dr Retro Virtual Visits

Oooh. This is interesting Kate. Thanks.

unable to read dimensions my suggestion has the stairwell moved towards the kitchen and adds a separate powder room and small study upstairs and generous storage under the stairs and in the original front hallway but you need to make sure that the rooms sizes shown for the laundry, downstairs bathroom, pantry and kitchen will fit within the actual dimensions

Thank you oklouise. This is what I imagined in my mind so will show our architect and hopefully we can make it work.

I have just now checked my laptop to post my rough sketch to see that OKL has similar thoughts for the upstairs, Except I have been working on keeping the stairs in the original position. so I will see how I go

With so many bedrooms that bathroom won't cut it, there must be a separate toilet with vanity to cope with the morning peak!

yes siruskey, there does needs to be a separate powder room for so many bedrooms but any change to the stairs will need to allow a much longer space as, without the L shape used in the original stairs and we have to assume that downstairs has a traditional high ceiling, there needs to be more steps up and a longer run

Yes it will but I think working with stairs to fit the void space and the skylight above it would be worth that., instead of a space for stairs and a separate void, I feel it would be better to combine the two, There appears plenty of space for a separate WC and linen, the only consideration is the pier outside the bathroom.. any aspect known?

yes high ceilings (3.3m I think) and a south facing semi so skylight are really important.

Moving the stairs back into the family,

Stairs can be an awful waste of space when space is tight, so having part of the kitchen, Fridge, Toaster MW etc under part of the stairs off the kitchen makes use of this space. Because you have 3300 ceilings the stairs need to be long and gradual even a small platform part way, which should work, These stairs will be open above with sky lights over head bringing natural light into both the upstairs and ground floor.. As previously discussed these stairs should fit still allowing room for a much needed separate WC with vanity to deal with the morning rush, the only thing that needs to be taken into account is the load bearing Pier next to the bathroom.

great idea to change the entry hall

Thanks OKL, I thought that you would have done that also as it was obvious to me that the house needed opening up to natural light. I didn't mind the stairs to the front of the house, guessing that was where the car would park but when the up stairs floorplan showed the WC within the Bathroom, that changed my mind.with so many bedrooms that is never going to work. It could be done without a toilet in the bathroom to allow for a double vanity by having the toilet separate gives more space for that

I love the idea of having the walkway on the open side of the house to let in the natural light but that means entering the kitchen next to the kitchen sink (i want it on the window, not island because we are too messy!) and the butlers pantry is on opposite wall tucked under stairs which is quite far away.

Do you see a way to have a seperate WC in the upstairs with the current plan?

Also not convinced about the stairs in the kitchen area, no idea why I just feel a bit funny about it.

We could swap the WIP with the Laundry,

Keeping the stairs to the front of the house could mean taking up some of the Void as a WC space, I will do a floorplan to try and show this. The small sink in the kitchen is mainly for water and cooking which is absolutely necessary, all dirty cleanup would be done in the Pantry area

Thank you, appreciate this.

I will want to wash up in the kitchen (not pantry - thought I’d have small sink there for occasional use) As my children are still youngish and I tend to clean up while they eat. Pantry is more for storage than cooking/cleaning. will probably only clean in there when we have guests over and I’ve used it to hide the mess. Also still hoping to keep the 3m island (fam of 6). Totally get I’m wanting it all!

I think I’m leaning towards oklouise design except open the family room right up and possibly move stairs slightly towards front of house and then would have to move the seperate WC to closer to study to fit it.

the house and it's existing dimensions will make the final decisions for you

Siriuskey- I just read your message probably and yes the wc towards the void should work?

Thanks oklouise. House is 6m wide at the point where the stairs are trying to fit past the laundry/bathroom

This keeping the stairs as planned, including a separate toilet upstairs which I need to draw up

Because your ceilings are so high this will allow for a section of wall 2100 - 2400 height which hides a sink cleanup within the kitchen family which will be full of light., plus a storage area. I am working on showing you what this would look like in 3D if I can

With all the light coming in through all the windows you won't need the extra void anyway, great spot for the Toilet perhaps

Thank you all. This has been so helpful. I asked for new stair direction and got a bonus seperate wc too. Yay!

Can I ask re seperate WC, would you say I should not have one in main bathroom or keep in main bathroom and add the extra WC too. The main bathroom needs work too, I have never been happy with it.

As I suggested in an earlier post I would remove the Toilet from the family bathroom to allow for a bigger vanity, the new Toilet needs a vanity so that it can triple the vanity space

Great, yes big vanity is really important. Do you think this would work to keep toilet in there so I can have two toilets (the new one outside and one in the bathroom) or is it too squishy and removing it all together is only way. Excuse my poor drawings....

You only have 2m to work with, 750 plus trim for the door 800-900 for the WC , you would have reduced usable vanity that way better as it is.

The following , a small shower vanity WC