With the ceiling height of the Living area at 10', it is not worth reducing it further.
If you raise the living area floor, what about the entrance level? They are all tied up.
The split level is there for a reason. The land could be on a slight slope. The drop serves to demarcate the living from the dining area.

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Added on February 12, 2012, 11:42 pmIt is not a problem of underground pipes. You have to hack through the reinforced concrete ground beams just below the floor slab which is part of the building structure!


This post has been edited by tehtmc: Feb 12 2012, 11:42 PM

As I said above, there is such a thing called 'concrete ground beams' along the edges of the floor slab.
It is part of the structure and cannot be removed.

Guys

Between the two, which would you choose ?

A - a 10ft high ceiling at the Living area with a split level to the Dining (as existing)

B - a 9ft high ceiling at the Living area without a split level to the Dining + having to spend cost of renovation

Of course the lst floor level is the same, with only a 1ft split at the ground floor.

There is a big difference when you experience a room with 10ft ceiling ht and another with a 9ft ceiling height.
10 ft is just about the minimum I would accept for the ceiling height of a Living Room. Mind you, 10 ft does not include the beams which are lower.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Feb 14 2012, 02:32 PM

Did TS say the height of the Dining area is 10 ft? Or is it the Living area?

Not only that, you'll have a change of floor finish on the same level from Living to Dining. Ugly.

The height is ok for the Living to be raised.

As precautions for toddlers, the split level is only part of it. You have the staircase to consider.

Sumore, toddlers are toddlers only a few years.