I don't really like climbing down ladders. The biggest argument I could come up with against having a loft was that you typically need to climb a ladder to access it. Going up might be OK, but coming back down would be more of a problem. I didn't really fancy having to negotiate a ladder half-asleep in the dark at 3am if I need to go downstairs to pee. But I've seen some very clever stair designs in tiny houses, which double as storage spaces, so that immediately felt like the right solution for me.