My company specialises in renewing and upgrading existing stairs as well as designing and making new ones. Here's a project that we completed at the end of 2016, the first pictures are how the stairs looked when we first visited and the last ones with the glass are how we changed it. Here's the review from our client who was very pleased http://bit.ly/2oYjRFi . All our work is designed and made in house so you don't have to bother with taking templates to a local glazier. As you have seen from the number of replies the range of options are unlimited. Most things can be achieved with the right client and good budget but to avoid spending too much on something you don't need it is important to gain an understanding of how you want the whole house to look; I always request that my clients show me images of things they like, furniture, interiors so that a design can be developed that not only complements the design/ concept of a home but enhances. Depending on your budget, you could make a saving by just renewing the stairs in a design that incorporates a glazed banister and fixes the issues that you are concerned about. Site installation work is far more expensive than just making something from scratch in our workshop. I don't believe you have any problems offering B&B with the stairs as they are as far as Building Regs go. What you should probably take account of though is providing a staircase for the guests that they are comfortable with and feel safe using, if you are certain that all the guests will be fully mobile adults then in the strict reading of the regs your stairs will comply anyway. Building Regs approved document K requires gaps in staircase risers and banisters to be 100 mm or less to provide adequate safety for children. Following this, but also keeping open risers means adding a small downstand underneath the tread to reduce the open riser height. It will also pose problems adding glass to the side of your existing flight because you will have difficulty because there are not convenient points to fix the glass, nor have the carriages - the beams supporting the treads underneath - been designed to carry the additional load from the glass or stair users pressing on it, so additional structure must be added to the carriage to carry the glass, everything is possible but most people have a budget so I must ask you - What is yours? Robert

Excellent job! Well done in transforming the space and thank you for sharing this with us. It really shows the difference!

Quick update: The three bedrooms and landing were spray painted. Not entirely convinced it saved labour and have to factor in purchase of spray painter and used double the amount of emulsion. Plus felt guilty not using my regular decorator :( We have now started work downstairs. At the rear of the house (see plan posted previously) was a bedroom and dining room. Decided to take out the wall between the two to make the two rooms into open plan kitchen/ diner. Unfortunately the ceiling came down when the wall was taken out so additional work required to rebuild and plaster. When renovating always expect the unexpected! Although it cost several extra days in labour to make good, there was a saving in electricians time as he didn't have to scrabble around in the roof void to fit the new wiring! Ceiling and all walls in new room have been plastered and kitchen units fitted. Really pleased with the Dove Grey Shaker units with copper handles from Howdens. Had the cupboard handles fitted horizontally so they can line up with the handle on the integrated dishwasher (still to be installed) as well as the drawer handles. Dithered about a gas hob as I think people prefer (?) but went for an induction hob in the end as sits level with the worktop also thought safer as hob had to be sited into the breakfast bar. A lovely wooden beam (over hob) had been boxed in so we have pulled off the old plaster- it will be sanded down eventually. Next job; stripping out the old kitchen at the front of the house......

For my front light, which wasn’t an intruder type, my electrician wired it up to a PIR sensor within my porch. Its range isn’t too far, so people walking past do not activate it. I would have thought sellers of PIR lights would state the distance? Here is my light and separate PIR sensor tucked in the porch. Just noticed how rusty my light is getting! 😂