Split level kitchen - leveling it!

[Maxf]

I'm looking at a house to potentially buy as a family home. It ticks lots of boxes, but like a few Victorian terraces in London it has a level change. This has 2 steps in the middle of the kitchen (the higher level is only a 3m section at the very rear of the house).

This is a bit of a deal breaker for me, as small kids would be a nightmare to keep an eye on, and the step has compromised the kitchen layout.

Is it generally possible (builder involved, but not getting into structural surveys, engineers and massive expense) to drop a c3x2,5m of floor about 30cm? The kitchen opens onto the garden, so there would be a step up in level, and the kitchen floor would effectively be below the level of the patio.

I assume the floor is concrete and I have no idea how far down the foundations are. The kitchen has another storey on top, so is bearing a decent load.

I know anything is possible, but cost is a factor here.

Edited by Maxf on Monday 8th May 18:03

[hyphen]

Would be easier to raise the level of the lower bit, if thats an option?

Otherwise assuming its Joists rather than concrete in the raised bit, Won't be that expensive to take out old joists and put in new lower down, you just need to assess the existing by taking up the floor and seeing how they run, if sitting on dwarf walls, air bricks height and so on. If the builder thinks the joists are providing any lateral support the you may need an engineer. Consider installing under floor heating, whilst you are there too.

What does the builder say?

[Maxf]

hyphen said:

Would be easier to raise the level of the lower bit, if thats an option?

Otherwise assuming its Joists rather than concrete in the raised bit, Won't be that expensive to take out old joists and put in new lower down, you just need to assess the existing by taking up the floor and seeing how they run, if sitting on dwarf walls, air bricks height and so on. If the builder thinks the joists are providing any lateral support the you may need an engineer. Consider installing under floor heating, whilst you are there too.

What does the builder say?

No builder involved yet as we haven't got far enough down the line of buying it. It will almost certainly be a concrete floor - it's tiled so impossible to lift, but feels solid. The house is built on a slight slope and is built up at the front, so again, likely to be a solid floor.

raising the floor would be easier, but will then leave us with a change of level in other places - which we want to avoid.

[TA14]

It would be difficult to do carefully without causing cracks in the surrounding walls. I suppose that you could strip the kitchen out and make big steel saw cuts through the floor close to the walls then break out the floor that way. Then dig out and lower the patio re-instating with a terrace. £5K plus refit kitchen??

[Maxf]

£5k would be worth it - definitely. I wouldn't especially worry about the height of the patio, a step up wouldn't bother me - it's the change in levels, twinned with carrying food/hot stuff and kids playing.

[Gav147]

Maxf said:

I know anything is possible, but cost is a factor here.

That is the problem, until you start taking out the floor you have no idea what you will find I'm afraid, the footings may well be well under the level you want to go down too, they may also not be, there could also be services, gas, electric, water main etc under there that need moving.

As you say anything is possible but...

[Maxf]

Gav147 said:

That is the problem, until you start taking out the floor you have no idea what you will find I'm afraid, the footings may well be well under the level you want to go down too, they may also not be, there could also be services, gas, electric, water main etc under there that need moving.

As you say anything is possible but...

I hadn't considered services, which I imagine would ramp the cost and difficulty right up. We'd be paying top £ for the house, so realistically it probably isn't for us. The previous owners may well have come to the conclusion that dropping the floor was too hard, hence leaving it.

Thanks for the help!

Edited to add pic of the step:

Edited by Maxf on Tuesday 9th May 08:44

[Lesgrandepotato]

I doubt they built with a step if it was easy to detail out... don't forget you'd be dropping windows and door heights as well.

Looks fine to me! Kids will soon be old enough to cope with it

[carreauchompeur]

Yeah, personally I'd live with it. Failing that middle option is turning it into a shallow ramp?

[Eddie Strohacker]

Soften it with a bit of stick on carpet until the kids are old enough to cope & then live with it as a rather nice feature.

[hyphen]

Maxf said:

£5k would be worth it - definitely. I wouldn't especially worry about the height of the patio, a step up wouldn't bother me - it's the change in levels, twinned with carrying food/hot stuff and kids playing.

Maxf said:

Edited to add pic of the step:

I was imagining things a lot worse- I think it isn't much of an issue, if anything seems to break up the floor well.

Sticking some lights in the steps would make it look nice lit up in evenings. I wouldn't worry about kids they are tougher and wiser then they look, can always add EVA foam mats till older.

I suspect its more a case of not being totally sure of the house?

[WindyCommon]

Kids bounce. They also learn. When you've had them longer you'll get used to this!

I agree that this is actually quite a nice feature. Looks like a good room - I wouldn't be put off.

[brrapp]

Just looked at the external pictures of that kitchen, if you take that floor much lower, you'll be below the bottom of the walls and possibly below the foundations. Any thing's possible but prohibitively expensive. I presume this is it?
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

[robinessex]

Here's the solution !!!

[hyphen]

OP, there is another house for sale in Blackheath, much cheaper and you can make your mark on it House For Sale

[cb31]

brrapp said:

Just looked at the external pictures of that kitchen, if you take that floor much lower, you'll be below the bottom of the walls and possibly below the foundations. Any thing's possible but prohibitively expensive. I presume this is it?
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Nice house and the kitchen is totally fine. As others have mentioned it won't be an issue with kids and to me it looks very expensive to remove, certainly not worth the effort and cost.

[Maxf]

Points noted! Lights are a good idea and worth thinking about.

The house behind the bush is being auctioned today!