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Most standard seem to be that stairs are off the living room. I'm not happy to walk in front of visitors through the living room to go to the 2nd fl.
What are your thoughts if the stairs start off from the kitchen? The kitchen is not visible from the living room. Would this effect negatively when selling?
My previous house had the stairway in the foyer. I could access it through the living room or the dining room, so I could easily avoid any gathering. But now, I'm in a single story home, so no stairs.
I don't think it's a big deal as long as it's not extremely awkward. Some may have pet peeves or superstitious/feng shui beliefs, but usually not the norm. I know a lot of asian buyers will not purchase a home with the stairs leading directly to the front door, no matter how great the house is. Some places like the Bay Area, CA could reduce potential buyers in the future if your home had that feature.
My parents' home has two staircases. One is by the front door, and the other is off the kitchen, but on the side closest to the living area and is "open" (read: visible from that whole side of the house). The one used the most is the one by the kitchen, since it is in the central part of the house.
buy what you want. Don't worry about resale. It will be hard to find a home with the stairs in the kitchen unless it's a second set. In Florida most homes are one level. Where I grew up in the northeast my grandparents house had the staircase in the walk in hall but with an open view to the living room. The home i grew up in had the staircase in the dining room, but it was closed off and looked like a closet door.
Anyone who spends time in the kitchen, ie; the "cook", the grocery shopper, the house cleaner, etc., will be unhappy about anyone wanting to pass through while they are working. I would be such a person. The kitchen is not typically considered a "common" area, it is not a thoroughfare and should never be used as one. If a secondary, or optional stairway were to lead to a kitchen I do not see that as an issue, but as a primary passage, I would view that very negatively.
In my open floor plan, the stairs are at the back of the house, although with an open plan and open staircase, they overlook the living area with an open rail to the loft.
Some of the other floor plans had them at the front of the house, near the front door. I preferred them at the back but I think it's just that - a personal preference. I don't think a different location would have prevented me from buying a house that otherwise fit us as well as this one did, but since I was building new, I had the choice to pick the floor plan with the stairs at the back.
I do think it's unusual for stairs to not be visible at all from the living area. I guess it really depends on the specific layout of an individual home.
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