Master Bedroom Downstairs (Austin: new home, buying, construction)

[CLQ]

I noticed that many homes in Austin have the master bedroom downstairs which the majority of homeowners prefer. I actually prefer the master bedroom upstairs.

How important is this feature to homeowners? Do I need to buy a home with the MB downstairs if I want to sell my house in the future? I would hate to limit buyers just because the MB is upstairs.

[audrey2]

I'm not a realtor, but I know many people like to have the master downstairs just in case they don't move again the rest of their lives and eventually are not able to use the stairs. Others actually like the privacy of being away from their children when they sleep. Others like for not necessarily the master to be downstairs but A bedroom to be, in the event that they might end up having to care for and house elderly parents. One of the selling points of some homes in Austin is that they have a "mother-in-law suite" downstairs so that the guest quarters are separate and private from the children's bedrooms. The latter seems to be a great find in Austin homes but relatively uncommon.

You'd need to ask a realtor or realtors, but I don't think that purchasing a home with a master up will hinder you in the resale. The most important thing, in my opinion, is that its position will suit your needs while you're there. I think that there are always plenty of buyers looking for a master down AND plenty looking for a master up, too. You are right that master downstairs can be an added plus--but only for some. Others prefer to sleep near their kids, especially if they have very youngs kids...or even teenagers who could sneak out! I think it's all about personal preference. Good luck!

[GANKS]

This was a surprise as well. I heard lots of reasons for it, from the elderly issue, to it being cooler, to it being easier to provide access to outoor living areas, to "some Texas sized folks don't like walkin' up and down dem stairs".

Our realtor flat out disqualified for us any home with a master up before even meeting with us. We also went with a mother in law down stairs. Our criteria besides schools was resale.

[mrsengle]

We like the idea of a master bedroom up, to be close to toddlers and babies. Several homes/floorplans we looked at with the MB upstairs had the benefit of separating the MB from other bedrooms with a gameroom - so we could be close if we needed, with some built-in privacy.

[Derek ATX]

Go with what you want. Just keep in mind it will limit your search some what. especially with new homes. Home style and construction changes yearly. What might be trendy now might not be tomorrow. Just look at homes that were built ten years ago and you will see a drastic change in floorplans.

[musicforme]

My wife and I may be in the Austin house market in the near future if a job offer is made in the next couple of weeks. We had this very conversation about the location of the master bedroom.

We currently have a four month old child and plan on trying to get prego again in the next year. For these reasons, we'd want our bedroom closer to the babies rooms versus downstairs from them. The nursery we're currently using is attached to our masterbedroom via a pair of swinging doors and love how easy it is to get to her crib at 4am.

[Trainwreck20]

We have a 4 bdrm house with the MB downstairs, pretty much because that is what was available in 2000 when we bought. Several other factors were more important to us than the upstairs/downstairs issue (price, location most prominently). We now have a small child (7 mos now). We ended up with her in our MB for the first couple of months, but then moved her to the nursery upstairs. It is a bit of a walk, but it has not been a problem. We actually are getting some good exercise going up the stairs to change diapers - we initially grumbled about it occasionally, but it really has turned out to be a hidden blessing. Now we hardly notice it, it is more of a perceived issue than an actual issue for us.

...or even teenagers who could sneak out!

Heh, we thought about that...but did you know it is against building code to build stairs that don't creak?

[austin-steve]

How important is this feature to homeowners? Do I need to buy a home with the MB downstairs if I want to sell my house in the future? I would hate to limit buyers just because the MB is upstairs.

If it doesn't matter to you, and all other things being equal, stick with homes with the master bedroom down. Better yet, a single story home.

The main exception I hear of is from couples with small kids who like to be on the same floor as the kids when they're young. Also, some people from Northeast that I've dealt with like all the bedrooms up, but they can't articulate why it's beneficial other than to say "that's what we're use to".

We personally lived in a home with all bedrooms up and small kids in 1997/1998. The laundry situation alone has forever excluded the possiblity of that ever happening again. It was a royal pain lugging laundry up and down each week. My 18 month old fell down the entire flight of stairs also, and luckily didn't get hurt. I'll personally never live in another home that doesn't have at least the 3 main bedrooms downstairs.

Steve

[mrsengle]

Kids falling down the stairs and hauling laundry were considerations for us, also. We found a DR Horton plan that fit the bill. It was a two-story, but it had the option of having a banister or having the majority of banister 'area' walled off. We liked the latter, even though it wasn't as attractive (the fear of 'sliding banister' kiddos was the motivation for that one). The laundry area was also upstairs. The big issue we had about that one was fear of a water leak. We were just looking at a new development near us - not interested in buying - so we didn't seek any further information about that.

The home I mentioned in my previous post was in the Blackhawk development (Blackhawk Park?). I think more builders are jumping on the 'MB upstairs' bandwagon to accomodate more people with young children.

[AustinGuy]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

The main exception I hear of is from couples with small kids who like to be on the same floor as the kids when they're young. Also, some people from Northeast that I've dealt with like all the bedrooms up, but they can't articulate why it's beneficial other than to say "that's what we're use to".

Call me crazy, but I feel safer sleeping at night with the master bedroom upstairs. Could be because I'm just generally paranoid, but I'd like to have a few seconds to react if the first level of the house is broken into.