How do you finish stairs that look like this??

Whoever built these stairs intended them to be covered with carpet. You could try filling (with wood - for the big gaps - and wood filler), sanding, and painting them, otherwise, you'll need to install new treads and risers. That would be expensive. The painting option wouldn't be as expensive, but labor-intensive. The easiest alternative would be cover them again with carpet, which I know you don't want to do.

Good luck, I hope you find a solution that works for you and please share the project with us when it's done. I'd love to see it!

It looks like your stairs are just plywood that was made to always be covered with carpet. You need to cover the steps with wood treads. Here’s how to do that: https://www.frugalfamilytimes.com/2020/02/stair-makeover-how-to-install-wood-treads-over-plywood-steps/

Wow! Ann is right on track with her thoughts and advice. I hope you find a solution that you like. If you plan to stay in the home long-term, it might be worth it to you to redo the staircase with nice hardwood treads, though labor intensive. Good luck to you.

Those definitely look like basic builder's stairs, which are meant as a base for a covering like carpet. You could patch what needs to be patched, and fill what needs to be filled, and then prime and paint. That would take some time and a lot of elbow grease, but may be doable depending on what the rest of the stairs look like and whether you think you'd be happy with the outcome. I would try fixing up one stair and see what you think, and then decide from there.

you could buy wood to make new stairs or get someone like a handyman to do them for you- looks like a lot of repairs and the person who built those stairs was hiding the flaws with carpet...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOcPPO4LRfI

We have the same issue. Ugh. I want to finish them, but it's basically a do-over. We have carpet now and looks like we'll be recovering them with carpet again. I was thinking about adding some molding to pretty ours up and then paint them, but it's a lot of work. However, with a little creativity and some power tools it could be done. Good luck!

I would uncover all the stairs and see what there is that you have to deal with, all the way to the top. From there make a decision to re-carpet or not. The treads and risers are the problem as you've seen, uneven and rough. You could spend a lot of time patching, sanding and then painting ultimately being unhappy with the results. Cheap carpet as a runner might be a temporary solution until you can get the hardwood. What happened to the drywall on the side? Just curious.

Hello. It looks like they are designed to be carpeted. Do you want to install hardwood? Moor information could be helpful on the final look that you wish to achieve. As it looks now —-it looks like they need to be re-carpeted.

Construction grade lumber meant to be carpeted.

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/staircases/stunning-stairs-make-over-35327344

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/rooms/stairs-renovation-15035155

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/staircases/how-i-made-my-basement-steps-look-like-a-million-bucks-44419848

Not sure but this might be a big help.

How to install new treads and risers on your old stairs. Beginners DIY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-2gRuoNdM

Thank you for the advice! I'm going to finish taking the carpet out and talk to the flooring people who are fixing the rest of the house before making the final decision. I think taking the risers off, cutting them to make it flush with wall, and adding decorative trim to cover the holes before painting might work. It is going to be a lot of work so I don't know yet. I'll give an update after I decide.

I think those stairs need to be replaced. They can be dangerous if you try to piece meal them together. Here is a web site that will give you the instructions. Good luckhttps://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/skills-and-know-how/carpentry-and-woodworking/how-to-replace-staircase-treads

Clad the side of the stairs with timber panelling or use faux brick or other designs in board form.

I would replace the runners and possible the risers. To save money, you may be able to remove, trim, and re-install correctly. This seems a bit unsafe to me. You could paint the boards with a floor paint for cost savings as well.

Hi Emily, I would start by using a handsaw (or jigsaw if it fits in that space) to trim the boards neatly. Once that's done and depending on your budget, perhaps you can cut some hardboard or MDF for the sides to hide the big gaps. Use wallpaper or paint to disguise the MDF

We decided to put down carpet to avoid fussing with it too much because we need to replace the railing which is way more expensive than we thought it was going to be. Plus, carpet will be a little safer with kids.

They were built to be covered with carpet, in that I mean, the builder didn't bother finessing any part, because it would be covered anyway.

In order for them to look good bare, you should look at replacing the treads and also the risers. You can buy premade treads if your staircase is not a custom width.

Check at Home Depot and they can help you.

Hi Emily, hope this helps you out,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOcPPO4LRfI