My ranch house refurb... the back has a patio door with a 3' patio-size window on each end making the view from the living room 12 wide'. (I already put up a 16' ledger board but that will change from my original plan to do a 16' x 12' deck.)

I got my back yard drainage project done so now I can put something on the back, but it's my retirement home and want safe, easy maintenance and construction. The door is 42" above ground level, so I figure I'll need 5 steps.

My current idea is to have 6' wide stairs with railing, with a top step/landing 3' deep for ease of entering/exiting the doorway. This goes to a stone patio 10' x 10' for my grill and a couple of chairs. Between the bugs, heat and cold we really don't plan to use it much as a relaxation area, mostly to grill when I can.

Q: Is the 3' top step/landing a good idea? I didn't see any like that when searching.
Should I build stairs the entire 12' width or is 6' OK? If I go wide, I cover up the basement windows.
Any other ideas?

 

Yes and in most places it is code to have a landing outside an exterior door. I think some places make an exception for sliding doors but IMO it's always a good idea. Think about the handrail and that will help you decide if your stairs should be 6 or 12'.