I live in South Carolina. It doesn't really snow here. Very rare.

It doesn't snow where I live. Ever. But I still wouldn't want ten stairs to get into the house. And our guests, most of whom are well into the "golden years," appreciate the fact that they don't have to clamber up stairs to reach the front door. Having an accessible guest suite is nice, of course, but it doesn't address the basic question: can they get into the house itself?

A bit more information about the neighborhood, the house, its elevations, would be helpful.

So we got one question answered - region.

Now the next major is foundation type. Here in NC, we are mostly crawl. With a crawl, you are talking higher walls and more foundation covering - ie usually brick. 3500 sq on one floor? Brick surround? Brick steps?

I am building 3800 on a raised slab (not sure if that is correct term but we will have 2 steps up) in NC. It does not have full coverage of a second floor so just about 2100 on first floor. Brick covering foundation. It saved $15k to avoid the crawl which would of added 2 feet in our case. That number did not count brick. $2000 a foot for the brick is a ballpark. That number does not count steps at every entrance.

So a big question is where you planning a slab or crawl? My understanding is SC is usually slab when flat but obviously there is foothills and coast and everywhere in between.

My ballpark for 6 feet up on crawl vs slab with brick is $40k. (Partly based on a lot that had a slope and I was going to have a 6 foot crawl for part) This is based on a 2 story house - 50% more if 3500 on a single floor.

If your land is flat, does she realize that garage will have to have similar steps? Those steps eat into garage square footage. So arguably you should increase size of garage to compensate which costs money. You could raise the garage floor but on a flat lot that will get expensive and funny looking at some point.

Pros here never want to estimate costs because they know that it really really depends. So take my ballpark as just that. At 6 feet up, many would go ahead and do a basement even if just for storage. Add another $20k.

I know it would be difficult for elderly people, but that wouldn't really be an issue based on the design. There would be a much lower attached guest house on the side.

So what you're saying is that your elderly or handicapped guests can use the attached guest house, but they won't be able to get into the main house?

So you have a holiday party, or invite family over and they're not invited?

Or your child breaks a leg or you wind up needing hip or knee surgery which is just a temporary handicap. Guess you and/or you're child are then relegated to the guest house?

And how quickly will lugging bags of groceries up 10-11 stairs seem like a good idea?

Of course you could always design the house with an elevator too. That will only add about $20,000-$30,000 to the build cost.

Where is your architect in this , that is the person to ask all of these questions we cannot give you prices and without seeing the house your are building can’t even make a comment . I will tell you nobody wants a hike to get to your front door IMO

To add an extra course of block (8") to a foundation on a 3,000 SF house is about 3k, to add 6' which is 9 courses of block you looking at about 27k give or take, and that will depend on the house, local labor, and material costs, foundation type, porch finished materials, etc. I'm sure you would want large windows, and all that other good stuff so plan on spending at least 40k in extras and again, all depending on the house size, I have seen the cost run up to 100k on some homes with custom foundations.

Good luck

If you really want to stand out, you can go all the way up, as builders are required to do in new homes in coastal flood zones.

That comes under the category of design a different house. You want an above ground basement, something g like an Acadian style. Or something sitting on very tall pier and beams. Which is done sometimes in coastal style homes because of flooding risks. But it needs to be a simple, simple, almost rectangular style house. Or the foundation gets to be very expensive, very quickly.

In Florida we have to bring in enough dirt to get us to the grade that the county wants. This becomes very expense, as a builder most lots cost 15,000. to 20,000. to fill with dirt. Dirt isn't cheap LOL

Note there is typically a practical reason for raised entrances in homes, whether it is because land is limited and a raised basement provides a more desirable living space or to limit damage during inevitable flooding or the lot is vertiginous or of limited size.

Where are you in SC? I know basements aren't common in most parts of SC. If you are going to add 6 feet, you might as well add a full floor.

I've seen many houses in SC with a fake first floor (mostly for flood concerns) that is used as a garage and storage. Then there are gracious steps in the front that go up to the "real" house. And if you are worried about later mobility, it is easy to add space for an elevator shaft if you need one at a later time.

It can be done in any house, and the extra floor doesn't need to be added to accomplish that. Just ask the builder or talk to an architect to put the footing at the frost level to meet local requirements and come up with the basement from the top of the footing.

So if in my region the min footing depth must be 36" deep and if I make a top of the footing at 36" and start foundation from that point you end up with 4 courses of the block buried and 9 courses of the block will be above the ground level, that's your 6' for the porch and that will give you an 8'4 ceiling in the basement, if you want to bump it up to an extra course and you will have 9' ceilings down there.

You might even save builder some money and get a break on excavation and on trucking if any excess dirt must be hauled from the property LOL

I did that on a house a while back but for different reasons... and this is the same result you looking for and in this situation, it wouldn't cost you anything extra.

Good luck

"My wife wants this to happen purely for looks. The land itself is
pretty flat but she wants a large set of brick steps at the front."

There's no need to go up when you can go wide.

If she wants LARGE and BRICK, how about an impressive wide entry terrace with columns and a pergola and pillars for lighting?

Most of the houses here in FL being build in the flood zone that have to be raised, have an elevator to compensate. Here in FL those directly on the water need to be 13' above BFE so an elevator is almost a necessity.

If you want to pursue the raised home idea, seriously consider adding the elevator too.

Sounds like your describing a raised ranch, a style from the sixties. The lower floor is slightly below grade, top floor with main living space. You enter midway between the two levels and go up or down, similar to a split level, only two levels, not three. Early versions of The Deck Houses ( now Acorn Deck Houses) were built like this.

I disagree with Alison because in Florida where the home is raised is very common (my son has one) and it is a great selling point as so many retired people move to Florida and our knees do not like so many stairs.

I’m all about walk out entries. So lovely and convenient.

However I’m always surprised that almost every post asking for advice leads to comments on the best way to design your house/rooms to accommodate the elderly. Back off old people, it’s not all about you. Lol

Maybe I’m in denial but I’m 50 and I’m still not ready to think about those things. And my 54 year old DH is still strong enough to help the older folks that visit us up our nine front stairs. Lol

And I also laugh at all the suggestions to plan for an elevator. Like the previous poster I don’t know a single person who has an elevator in their home in real life.

Yet somehow all the elderly and seniors seem to manage visiting us and our friends and our porches with stairs.

Someone recently posted here with questions about a space on their property that they built for her parents when they visit. Well, the parents rarely visit, the space isn't being used and she would like to modify some things to turn it into an air bnb.

Best laid plans and all that.

Edited to add - I lived in an area where houses are built up because of flood concerns, and elevators are common, even in mid priced properties. They aren't that expensive when added to a new build and are very popular for resale.

Maybe I’m in denial but I’m 50 and I’m still not ready to think about those things.

I will repeat the story about my parents who moved from a house with stairs (a colonial that was my mother's favorite style) to a ranch when my mother was 53 years old. Like you, she was the picture of health. Went to the gym 5x a week, walked everywhere and either took a long walk or used the treadmill when she couldn't get to the gym, ate healthy. Never smoked, drank very moderately, etc.

Then at age 72, she got Parkinson's disease. If she had still lived in the colonial house she loved, she would have had to move out because of the stairs. However because she planned at the young age of 53 by finding a beautiful ranch on 2 acres, she was able to stay in the house until the last 6 months of her life at age 84.

Hopefully you are not in denial, but life has a way of creeping up on us.

And what happens if you suddenly do need knee surgery or develop arthritis or?

We have a friend. Very active. Developed throat cancer. For 3 months because of treatments he was barely able to climb a single step. Thankfully he's doing great now and is able to get back to his exercise, etc.

And my 54 year old DH is still strong enough to help the older folks that visit us up our nine front stairs. Lol

My MIL had two strong men helping her up the stairs and she still managed to fall and get a hairline crack in her hip.

Yet somehow all the elderly and seniors seem to manage visiting us and our friends and our porches with stairs.

There difference becomes greater between someone in their 60's-70's and someone in their 80's. Here in FL we call the 60's-early 70's the go-go years and the 80's the no-go years. Are there exceptions? Absolutely, but unfortunately we can't always count on it and sticking your head in the sand won't help IF you ever need the space, elevator, door handles instead of knobs, or anything else.

@edenchild. You may live in my city but not my neighbourhood if you have an elevator. Lol. I have seen this nowhere in local RE listings except expensive high rise suites, the British properties and Shaugnessy. I’m talking houses for us regular folk in my posts not houses that cost $5 million and up. That’s not in my sphere or most folks I know.

We have a walk out basement in our new house just like in our old house. We live in the "land of finished basements". In order to achieve ceiling heights of over 8 ft we had 10ft poured walls. They could only go so deep so we will have several steps into our house just like our last house.

My sil is disabled and we used a portable ramp in our last house for her. We will do the same thing in the new house. If one of us ever becomes disabled we will have a wc lift installed in the garage. You do have to plan ahead and use a different sill for the garage entry door or you will have a bump to roll over.

We also do not have a step from the front porch into the house.

houses around here are not built on slabs, very few on crawlspaces, and most houses have steps at the entry.

https://www.discountramps.com/portable-aluminum-ramps/p/TWR-WC-RAMPS-V2/?CID=PSC-PLA-Google-TWR-V2-7-portable-wheelchair-ramps&st-t=google-portable-wheelchair-ramps&vt-pti=80514052342&vt-k=&vt-m=&CAWELAID=820562990000013580&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=23077696582&CATCI=pla-80514052342&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7K_s_4yr2gIVkLrACh07HQRXEAQYByABEgLG6PD_BwE&ppcsclkid=Rx6V1tO0UuZe&ppcstrkid=1069721600&ppcsu=xhg7f5djqlusist

Not taking sides as these threads always seem to devolve into one camp vs the other. Just offering information.

I wonder why this poster has been singled for negative feedback? Most of the houses and house plans posted here do not accommodate people who use a wheelchair or even a walker. I don't recall anyone mentioning this when discussing a house with a sunken living room, for example. Or a house with a small bathroom. Or a house like my son's which has no bathroom on the main floor, only on the second floor and basement. Or any split level.

My other son uses a wheelchair so I'm not saying that it is unimportant. But why is this coming out with this poster?

How many new homes have you seen with a sunken anything? This isn’t 1969. And where have you been on BAH comments? There have been plenty of comments on many small homes that don’t have downstairs full baths, or master baths that no walker would fit it. Or toilet closets with in swinging doors. Or narrow hallways. Or all kinds of universal living issues. These are not isolated comments at all.

David, see what raising a house a few feet can turn into... I wish I had some popcorn right about now because this is only getting better LOL.

Oh..the sunken living room threads are golden.

Kaillean, dont make assumptions. I am neither in those neighbourhoods nor in that price range. I have a custom built home, yes, but in the suburbs. Elevators, while not the norm, are also not that unusual in new build homes these days. They are no longer only for the rich.

BTW, my husband already has both knee and back issues. We consider the $20K for the elevator to be a small price to pay to "future proof" our house so that we can stay in it longer. We also made many of the doorways wider to accommodate a possible wheelchair.

Like Sophie, I see the issue of accessibility raised frequently in various threads. The more often it is brought up, the more likely it will be to start sinking into our collective subconscious and be something that many people automatically accommodate. In a new build I see no reason why a person wouldn't want to make the home as open and friendly as possible to as wide a range of people as possible.

The OP of course has the right to value that perspective or not but simply bringing the idea into the conversation isn't an attack.

Growing older isn't a what if. It is an absolute fact, the only alternative being death. Carrying groceries into a house is an absolute fact.

Planning for predictable needs and being adaptable to unforeseen circumstances are not mutually exclusive.

OMG. I never meant to start such a heated debate... I know any cost or difficulty advice anyone would give is purely personal. I also know region and builder can make a lot of that difference. I was simply asking f anyone had any experience with this.

I never mentioned elderly or disabled people... I still think of myself as pretty young, and yeah.... I'll get older. Yeah... maybe I might break a foot or get a guest with a sprained ankle. But I also bought a car, even thought I might have an accident on the freeway.

This was just a simple question about personal experience....

@David, In here you don't have to mention anything, the longer the discussion, the sooner you will realize that your house is not suitable to entertain Queen Elizabeth. LMAO

You may think the question is simple, but the answer is far from simple. Too much depends on unknown facts that you haven’t shared. From the shape of your house, to the foundation type, to the ability of your budget to pay for the 50-200K out of your own pocket. All of that factors in to it.

What won’t change is that it will be an added cost that no future buyer would ever want to pay for you adding. It wouldn’t raise the value of the home one bit. Meaning the bank is not going to loan you the money to add whatever it costs into your build. And you’ll already have enough cost over runs on the typical build that I’d bet it would be the first thing cut.

@David, welcome to Houzz, a typical internet site, warts and all. Just take the best and ignore the rest.

Good thing you didn't mention anything about children, or you'd get free advice on raising them too LOL. Those threads get really long and hairy!

So here we have full basements, almost always. The way many builders here deal with someone wanting “height” is making the basement level have higher ceilings, and instead of digging deeper, they frame higher. But 6’ off ground is considerable and I don’t see that working in this case!

Best thing to do is to talk to contractors in your area to find out what is doable or not, and how it is done. As has been posted, in some areas such houses are built normally much higher off ground due to flood concerns, slopes, or just the style of the home (ie those old brownstones/townhomes).

And it is okay to not build your house to be wheelchair accessible. As you can see, it raises many hackles here, because it seems there is an idea that everyone who ages ends up wheelchair bound or walker using 24/7 (not the experience in my own family) and if you don’t accomodate them or plan for yourself you are destined for failure, or is trapped if they break a leg (a young friend of mine living in a split level entry is dealing with a broken leg now in the same - her issue has not been moving about house and navigating stairs, but not being able to drive since she broke her “gas/braking leg”). My mum was able to take the stairs through chemo, surgery recovery, etc and later during palliative care right until a month or two before she died at 59 (she did need some assistance for a month or so before that after a pelvic fracture caused by the chemo) but then she was completely bedridden so stairs were a non issue anyway.

My neighbor’s three houses down live in a four level back split.. They must have around 15 concrete stairs from street - I will count them tonight when I go home - to their “first level”. Not counting all the stairs inside between levels! They are in their 80s and still take those stairs and still live in that split. They still shovel the snow off those stairs. This to me very normal; around here even the “elderly” navigate stairs as stairs are in every home somewhere, even if just to the basement! I have a colleague who is building. a home for his disabled daughter and even their house will have *some* stairs. Aging in place takes many different forms. And aging in place can often quickly become impossible no matter how universally designed your home is.

Multi floor homes are very popular here but elevators rare. I see elevators show up sometimes in the skinny multi level infills from the lower level garage up, but as said they are rare, even for very expensive homes. I have scoped out a place in my new home where a retrofit pneumatic vacuum elevator or through floor lift can fit if ever needed down road, but I am not getting an elevator now that needs annual servicing etc and would be rarely used on chance I need it in 5, 10, 20, 30+ years, and that I am still in this house when I do.

Someone above mentioned garage steps to house. A while back there was a Houzz post about a garage that was not planned with room for steps in mind and a two car garage ended up being a one car garage.

Something worth considering other than a basement. There are two story homes with a door literally in the middle of the front exterior wall -- vertically and horizontally -- that require six or eight steps to get to the front stoop. Then, once inside, your entry is usually a balcony overlooking the downstairs and with an upstairs balcony overlooking the entry, with two sets of steps (one on each side/end) off that entry -- one set of steps going up and one set of steps going down. The only one I've actually been in had the two children's bedrooms (boys & girls) , each with their own private bath -- the two baths were side by side in the middle in between the two children's bedrooms and, together, were about the same width as the entry and two sets of steps. the upstairs walls were directly over downstairs walls, with the downstairs being divided between a master bedroom suite on one side and a living/dining on the other side, with the kitchen in the middle directly beneath the two full baths upstairs.

I've been told it costs less when the upstairs is within the roof/attic rather than a straight vertical exterior two story wall. If you're considering a two-story house anyway, this might be worthwhile.

Hope this helps. Pic of example:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/427701295835319225/

Different strokes, as they say. I'm okay with stairs where they make sense due to topography or the design of the house. And I don't think people necessarily need to design their homes for universal accessibility unless they actually have handicapped family members. My parents managed quite well in an ordinary apartment until they were in their nineties. Their only concession was to put grab bars in the bathroom. (That said, my dad couldn't manage stairs at all in the last few years of his life). I'm in my 60s and my own home, a fairly new build, wasn't designed to ADA standards: it has wide hallways and no stairs, but that's about it. So I agree that one doesn't have to build a house that meets every possible eventuality.

On the other hand, I do think that deliberately making access more difficult, simply for aesthetic reasons, is questionable. Especially if it's going to cost a fair bit of money. And I wonder whether the addition of that extra height and those stairs will in fact achieve an aesthetic goal anyway.

Your home should relate to the surroundings. Taking a flat lot and raising a home 6-7 feet when flooding is not at issue is simply going to look odd and out of place. And more odd and more out of place relative to how close you are to your neighbors. If you can see multiple houses, you'll look like you missed a memo, or that you want to lord over your neighbors.

6 feet above grade would mean at least 9 steps, probably 10-12 steps. You could raise the house only a few feet and still have a grand entry with a lot fewer steps.

Yes, 6' is 9 steps+the landing.

Just...say...no! Save that money or put it into something more usable.