@Victoria, Well, now that you've asked... We got planning permission for the project back in November but the first builder we asked for a quote suggested that we were wasting a lot of potential by not putting another room up there (at the top/back of the first picture). So, I revised the drawing by adding another bedroom to the rear and putting another bathroom/en-suite where the void and resubmitting for planning. After some time, the structural engineer came up with drawings and calculations for the project and the builder's quote came in @ £125k. With VAT on top of that, we just can't justify spending that much and was expecting it to be less. So, the whole project is on hold while we consider our options... Thanks for your interest.

Carpeting the stairs will probably be cheaper than a runner! It isn't a style flop at all - it's just the norm and the colour of the carpet can be used to tie the tiled hallway to the upstairs, thus drawing the eye up and making the space feel larger (as the eye goes from one colour to another.) I too love bare stairs but soon found them an inconvenience with the cleaning! A quick vacuum and carpet stairs are done. With wood it's a brush and pan, then a wipe over with a damp cloth or disinfectant. Dare I say this... at the end of the day it is your home. I have regularly helped my neighbours and almost pandered to them - it gets one nowhere. I recently returned home and found my neighbour had been having her workmen park their vans on my drive as she thought I had gone away. No apology and she didn't clean the cigarettes, dirt or nails away either. Don't feel bad in apologising and buying a pair of quality slippers or slipper socks! I imagine the noise comes from wearing shoes?

Thanks for the advise Kate! We are blessed with great proportions and height in the hallway so the staircase will not take from room space. My husband works in construction so we are confident that is the case. We are share of freehold. Great relationship with other share so permission should be straight forward with legals, party walls etc naturally written to support. Our Nextdoor neighbour/ same flat layout as us just had planing approved for front loft conversion and moving kitchen to front bedroom. Big job 😬 for all of us neighbours but we are all pretty easy going. The finances is a major consideration. Will we be happy living here with 2 young girls in 5-10 years time. We paid top ££ for a turnkey flat. That was 6 years ago. We have since had 2 girls. Tiny kitchen and so much lost space is not ideal. Moving to a new house in this area will cost us £35-£45k stamp, moving and legal. Also the house will need work to get within our budget - likely £40k minimum. The mortgage will also be bigger…with children in the mix I find making these decisions so much harder! The project in flat will probably cost £100k.

Your ideas are impressive. I wouldn't start there though. It is really important to spend more time figuring out what space you need and how you want to use it first. Once you have that clear then the right design solution for you will become undeniable. What anyone here would do is really irrelevant because it's your house and your budget - so only you can know what is really going to be best for you and worth spending the money on. I do understand though that when you're not sure it feels reassuring to get other people's input. Best thing to do now is to get yourself a free copy of my Design Your Home Vision Checklist. This will help you clarify what you want, and then you'll find it much easier to make these design decisions. https://www.i-architect.co.uk/dyhvchecklist.html Best wishes with your home designs! Jane award winning chartered architect eco-home and conservation area specialist www.i-architect.co.uk