Master BR upstairs/downstairs? (Columbia, Greenville: loft, house, construction)

[ranger17]

As we are looking at all the variables in a move south, one is where a home may have it's master BR laid out when it is a 2 story. We are used to 20+ years of ranch style living, so cooling one level is "simple enough" during our summers. Most 2-story homes we've visited can really struggle to cool off the upper floor, even with zoned heating/cooling.
So with the summer heat lasting much longer in SC, are there any preferences amongst those of you with 2-story homes on where it's the most comfortable for the master BR to be located? How difficult is it to keep an upper level reasonably cool on those hot nights? I understand there are many variables ( shade, square footage, etc ) so this is a more general thread. I'll assume that we would be looking at newer construction so any home would be more energy effecient.
I'll note that we are empty nesters, so other br's would most likely be used for office space, etc so 'privacy' from children isn't a concern in picking the spot for the master.
thanks for any info, it's always appreciated.

[grannynancy]

Getting older and going up and down stairs all the time notwithstanding, it is a lot nicer to have the washer/dryer on the same floor as the bedroom.

We had a two story home and never had any real issues with the cooling in the summer.

The current requirements are still pretty minimal - and most tract homes are built to satisfy the minimum requirement - I have not noticed newer homes to wow me in efficiency.

[waccamatt]

I have lived in both ranches and 2 story homes and I've found that a ranch is easier to cool here in South Carolina, especially if you have a ridge vent in your roof. There is no shortage of one-story ranches in the area if you decide to go that route.

[Brandon Hoffman]

Cooling/heating isn't a big issue if the home has split or zoned AC. You can balance the house by setting the thermostats about 2-3 degrees apart up and down and it's a bit more efficient. Other factors include construction (brick is great for insulation), and some of the other things you mentioned. Ridge vents do help keep the attic from getting too hot which can create rafter issues and shorten the life of the shingles.

That being said, the master down is easier on the knees. I got tired of going upstairs to the BR and prefer a 1 or 1.5 story personally.

[ranger17]

we would be hopeful to be able to stay in a ranch; one thing we'd need to keep in the back of our minds is with the potential loss of a lower level ( which we have finished here ) that pulls a lot of usable area out of a home. Not like we have some large parade home, we maybe have 2400 finished with a bit more possible. Our initial "online" looking at homes show there are ranches to be had, though many are in the 16-1800 range. Of course, with us as only 2, we can get by with lesser amounts of footage; though as we may both be working at home any spare br's become offices and would be used anyways. All of this above would come into play once we determine the Columbia area is our location to head to, then we can go over those details with whomever we'd set up as a realtor.
So for now, knowing that we do have some good options either way comfort wise, that knowledge is helpful.
thanks again all; now hopefully any tropical storms clear out well by the 30th and we get a week of sunny skies when we fly down!.

[Brandon Hoffman]

You may want to look at a 1.5 story home. Everything will be main level like a traditional ranch, but with the finished room over garage (FROG) it will give you some additional space. A FROG is the southern version of a basement essentially.

As far as the HVAC goes, split means there are 2 separate units for up/down to help the home be more efficient. Zoned means there are separate thermostats for up/down but they run off the same unit. Either will work for you if you go 2 story.

[coralsand2]

Originally Posted by Brandon Hoffman

Cooling/heating isn't a big issue if the home has split or zoned AC. You can balance the house by setting the thermostats about 2-3 degrees apart up and down and it's a bit more efficient. Other factors include construction (brick is great for insulation), and some of the other things you mentioned. Ridge vents do help keep the attic from getting too hot which can create rafter issues and shorten the life of the shingles.

That being said, the master down is easier on the knees. I got tired of going upstairs to the BR and prefer a 1 or 1.5 story personally.

Are the homes with split or zoned A/C only found in newly constructed homes and what area would you find those in Columbia & Charlotte. Is a 1.5 story the same as a Loft or just a room over the garage. Is this typical for this area . Excuse my ignorance but I am confused. Don't you have to climb stairs in both instances??? How do you heat a room over the garage, is that a separate heating/cooling system??? Thanks

[grannynancy]

Some other considerations - I know in Greenville county, homes built after Jan 1, 2006 have to have high efficiency a/c. Homes built after 1997 have to have radon mitigation built into the house. There is probably similar information wherever you are looking. It is possible to find ranch homes with basement walkouts in the upstate but not so much in the lowcountry. -- they are not as common though.

There are maps showing radon zones, earthquake zones, and potential hurricane zones for the area.

I think anything is technically considered 1.5 sotry if it has the 2nd floor build on the "floor" created by the roof trusses It is the least expensive way to build.

[ranger17]

i like the idea of at minimum a good sized 'frog' while still a ranch home to help make up for losing ( potentially ) our finished lower space we have now. Not nearly the same in sizing, but as we'd adjust for the move anyway it would be helpful.
thx for all the advice

[Captain Worley]

You might want to look for a house with a full basement. That solves a lot of storage issues.