Your front door needs a sill plate at the base. I don't think you can lower the front door.

I can see how it would improve functionality by removing that interior landing. I'm not saying not to do it, but it could be pricy because of all the things that would need adjustment. On the exterior, it's likely that you would need to remove both steps and then re-pour a single new one. Then the trim flanking the step will have to be re-done. As far as the entry door, there will of course be re-framing to lower the opening and more re-working of the exterior trim. Whoever does the project will probably suggest that new jambs will be less work than ripping out and re-working the existing jambs (as patching and re-doing the existing ones would be labor intensive and might look bad). They may also try to talk you into replacing the door as buying a door with fitted jambs would make life easier for them. As for the interior landing, the ease of doing this will depend on whether there is simply framing under there or if you have a slab that needs to be taken out. If there is a slab under the existing flooring, hopefully there is no plumbing embedded in the concrete. Lowering the closet door will result in the same type of issues as the entry door.

Overall, none of this is rocket science, but there are many annoying tasks in this re-work that could add up.

Have you done any exploratory holes to see if there is anything under that interior landing?

What is your foundation, slab, crawlspace, basement or a combination?

What is that vent outside under the front window? A crawlspace vent?

Yes, that is a crawlspace vent. It’s sounding like we might need to just beautify the landing, but keep it. Maybe we can reduce it’s footprint, remove the railing?? Thank you all for your input!

Has someone gone into the crawlspace and looked at what is under the landing? That would be the first thing I would do ... not literally ... I would send someone else into the crawlspace to go look!

Removing it makes a lot of sense. You just need to do all your homework upfront and know what you are dealing with, so there are no surprises.

Before we moved in, we removed 2 steps going into our house and the raised entry platform which spanned the length annd width of the concrete in the first picture necessitating that you to go up and down 2 stairs whenever you walked through the house.

Here's the finished product:

We have had this zero level entry for almost 8 years and love it. But it was a lot of work. You can see all the things that had to change. My husband and friend took out the "platform" built in the entry (first pic taken after it was gone), we had to fix the walls, get a new door (although we chose to eliminate the sidelights also choosing a diiferent style door), new flooring, and there was also the concrete work outside to remove the 2 steps. Now we have no steps inside our house, no tripping, and it feels more open.

Your entry does not impede pathways inside your house like ours did so it may not be worth it.

I would get rid of the railing and get a huge tall open see-through bookcase and put it on the living room floor. it would definitely widen your entry. They used to call that a shadowbox. You could change the shape of the step to rounded or angle it into the room.

Shasta: Your doorway is gorgeous now!

Paul: I'm thinking about maybe removing the railing, and either adding a pony wall with see-though bookcase, or bookcase. That would at least define the space, and give it more character.

Chispa: as far as I know (based on crawlspace inspection recently) the subfloor is complete under the landing and level with the rest.

Thank you everyone!

I would also change that closet door to a flush door with a push to click latch so you can lose the knob.… After you bring in a tall shelving unit.

That is such an ugly arrangement now one suspects it was a p.o. "improvement".

Add to kudzu9's list, new siding above the entry door or perhaps a transom lite.

The ponywall might be a sufficient improvement. Shasta's impressive makeover had the luxury of space that yours lacks.

Yes, i had thought of using a transcom light above the door also. Thanks

I am glad there is someone who actually did this change to show you it is possible.

My only thought is that there might be an issue with water if it ever, even slightly, it pools by the door.

My advance apologies if I'm having a blonde moment.. but why does it look to me like the front door is different in each of the OP's photos, a half-glass door on the exterior and a solid door with top curved window on the interior? Are these photos not showing the same entry from exterior/interior?

IMO, it would be penny wise, pound foolish to invest in hardwood floors without removing that very obvious fault.

The landing is unnecessary; it is a bit of a safety hazard and the railing congests getting in & out the door. That and the aesthetics aren't good. The expected wall space above the entry door & closet door is absent & is at odds with the space over the window.

It looks like a tripping hazard to me. I would be removing it, and changing out the door and the closet door, before I put money into floors. Besides being a tripping hazard, it really isnt very attractive either. If the floors had to wait a while, to replenish the money for the floors, I would still do it. It will be so worth it in the end.

I would absolutely remove that. Whatever it costs now would wind up helping you if you ever sell because I'm sure most people would consider that landing a HUGE negative. It absolutely does not look original to the house based on how the two doors are practically hitting the ceiling.

I'm sure most people would consider that landing a HUGE negative.

A huge First Impression negative at that, setting the tone for how a prospective home buyer will look at the rest of the house.

It is solvable. Maybe with a pony wall that a pop-up TV comes out of??

Paul F: I really like your second suggestion to extend thd wall to ’end’ the landing! thank you

I highly recommend the shadow boxes in that wall for display. Its keeps it looking light and preserves line of sight. I've done this many times on remodels.

Be careful that you don't spend almost as much trying to disguise the problem as it would cost to fix it.

I think it can be removed. The step inside and the closet floor is probably "overbuilt" (meaning all the floor joists are at the height of the living room floor and the elevated landing and closet floor was built over those joists with 2x8's or similar).

That's the easy part. Then outside the entire concrete stoop is jackhammered out and repoured, the top being at the desired lower height. Looks like you'll have one step now to the front door in lieu of the two you have now.

Patchoulie, I'm guessing the gray door we see from the front is a storm door. We can see the white entry door through the storm door window.