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Growing up I've always had the impression that the South is mostly one storey homes and the North is two storey homes. I grew up in Miami and most houses down there, in Florida in general, are one storey. Even some of the more expensive homes. Two storey houses seem rare and are often very pricey. DFW area I find a mixed bag. I think most are one storey, especially since there's so many ranch homes, but it's not hard to find two storey houses either. You also got all those McMansion villages which are multi-storey. Meanwhile in the Twin Cities it seems to be the opposite of Miami and two storey homes are predominant and one storey homes are less common.
The Portland and Salem areas in Oregon also to my surprise, seemed to have more one storey homes than two storeys.
Which metro areas do you feel lean more to one side in terms of housing? I haven't been to the Northeast but by all the movies and shows set there, it seems like in the Midwest, most houses are two storey. Though movies and shows aren't always the best representation of reality.
Louisville, KY has a dominant "shotgun" style architecture in many areas, kind of like New Orleans does. Louisville also has one of the largest Victorian neighborhoods as well. But overall, I'd say ranch & shotgun take the majority
I think it has a lot to do with geography, as northern cities will often necessitate a pitched roof, making any one story bungalow/ranch two-story viable.
I think it has a lot to do with geography, as northern cities will often necessitate a pitched roof, making any one story bungalow/ranch two-story viable.
Yes that's another thing; lots of flat roofs in Miami. Those roofs would cave in with snow up north.
I think it depends on the age of the city and city core as well, and how many subdivisions spring up, the cost of land, etc. For instance, in most mid size metro areas I've lived in in the South (many of them, by the way - in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas - and Maryland if you want to include that in your version of "south"), the lot size of most suburban homes allows for spacious one story homes, and those seem to be preferred over two story homes. In fact, in the mid size Texas metro I live in currently, if your master bedroom is upstairs (or God forbid, ALL bedrooms are upstairs) that's nearly the kiss of death for resale. You can get away with a couple of kids' rooms or guest rooms upstairs but that master bedroom with an attached bathroom better be downstairs - along with one or two living areas, an office, and a spacious kitchen with plenty of dining space.
I think it depends on the age of the city and city core as well, and how many subdivisions spring up, the cost of land, etc. For instance, in most mid size metro areas I've lived in in the South (many of them, by the way - in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas - and Maryland if you want to include that in your version of "south"), the lot size of most suburban homes allows for spacious one story homes, and those seem to be preferred over two story homes. In fact, in the mid size Texas metro I live in currently, if your master bedroom is upstairs (or God forbid, ALL bedrooms are upstairs) that's nearly the kiss of death for resale. You can get away with a couple of kids' rooms or guest rooms upstairs but that master bedroom with an attached bathroom better be downstairs - along with one or two living areas, an office, and a spacious kitchen with plenty of dining space.
Hmm, I'm the opposite, I'd honestly rather have my bedroom upstairs! I do notice that compared to the South, the North seems to have a lot less yard space than the South. Maybe because so many houses are built up they're allowed to be closer together?
I think it depends on the age of the city and city core as well, and how many subdivisions spring up, the cost of land, etc. For instance, in most mid size metro areas I've lived in in the South (many of them, by the way - in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas - and Maryland if you want to include that in your version of "south"), the lot size of most suburban homes allows for spacious one story homes, and those seem to be preferred over two story homes. In fact, in the mid size Texas metro I live in currently, if your master bedroom is upstairs (or God forbid, ALL bedrooms are upstairs) that's nearly the kiss of death for resale. You can get away with a couple of kids' rooms or guest rooms upstairs but that master bedroom with an attached bathroom better be downstairs - along with one or two living areas, an office, and a spacious kitchen with plenty of dining space.
Is that because of the heat?
I hate the idea of having the master bedroom on an opposite floor as the other rooms.
In my subdivision even there is a mix of both 1 level and 2 levels and bi-level homes.
I've lived in NY, Pa, Md, and NC. While stationed and/or vacationing in Va and Fl., I've had the opportunity of visiting homes that were also one level and 2 storied. My family home in NY was considered a split level. All of the bedrooms were upstairs. The neighbors up and down the street had definite 2 story homes with all the bedrooms up a longer flight of stairs than our home. There was maybe 1 or 2 homes out of over 20 on our street that passed as a ranch or one level.
The subdivision we lived while in Pa was also a mix of single floor and bi-level, as well as full-fledged 2 stories.
I hate the idea of having the master bedroom on an opposite floor as the other rooms.
I don't think it's because of heat. I've never once heard that even mentioned when it comes to floor plans, other than people often not wanting big swaths of windows on the side of the house that gets lots of afternoon sun.
I think it's because many people prefer not to have to deal with unnecessary stairs. All on one level. Bedrooms, or at the very least at least ONE bedroom and full bath downstairs, works better for older folks, guests, people who may have a mobility issue, etc.
Around here, the split floorplan (master on one end, other bedrooms on other end) is popular with people who either have no kids, or have older kids, or who have a mother in law or college aged kid living with them. More privacy. People who have smaller kids often want homes with all bedrooms on one wing or hall.
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