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We live in a 4 level (lowest level is a garden level) contemporary with a huge 25 foot soaring window wall. A unique home with nothing similar within 50 miles. To be able to use it, my wife and I have 3 chair lifts to take us between floors. We have someone that wants to buy our home for appraised value when we decide to sell (daughter and family of our across the lane neighbor). We are trying to find the right lot (almost impossible) to build a little smaller 1 story home. We had always owned 1 story homes, and sure miss the convenience of a 1 story home, which is better for the elderly.
We live in a 4 level (lowest level is a garden level) contemporary with a huge 25 foot soaring window wall. A unique home with nothing similar within 50 miles. To be able to use it, my wife and I have 3 chair lifts to take us between floors. We have someone that wants to buy our home for appraised value when we decide to sell (daughter and family of our across the lane neighbor). We are trying to find the right lot (almost impossible) to build a little smaller 1 story home. We had always owned 1 story homes, and sure miss the convenience of a 1 story home, which is better for the elderly.
More commonly called (except in realtor-speak) a basement, even if it has a couple of windows and a door.
I love single story homes on large lots. The problem is that due to the square footage of the floor plan (the size I would like), they cost a fortune in the best areas of the San Francisco Bay Area.
My second favorite style is a two story home that is essentially a single story home with at least two bedrooms and a den plus two bathrooms (or three bedrooms and two bathrooms) downstairs with "whatever" extra rooms upstairs. Every bathroom must have windows. The master bedroom must be on the lower floor.
I also strongly prefer a home that from the street view is wider than it is tall. So if there is a second story, the house needs to be of sufficient size or the second floor needs to be offset so it doesn't look like a square.
Oh, and I hate, hate, hate "OPEN FLOOR PLANS" and "GREAT ROOMS" where you can see practically everything in the house and don't have wall space for hanging paintings.
That is a texas thing. In most areas ranches with no basements are near impossible to sell and are the least desirable of any home style.
The OP is living in Texas.
And the soil composition and frost lines are the reason why there aren't many basements in Texas. But what we lack in basements we make up in bonus rooms.
i have personally always lived in 2 story houses my entire life. the separation is great. however, now as i am looking to buy a new house in a new area, 80%+ (if you think about that stat it's really high) of the houses are 1 story. i have no idea why the % is so large. i've been looking for for 4 months now.
what are everyone's thoughts? how is the space/noise separation on just 1 floor? anyone hate it?
//EDIT: quick background - i am a young adult. i have no health problems. i am in texas. i am looking for a house to raise a family
Well -- in a lot of places where it's hot single levels rule, because heat rises and that second level costs a ton to cool...and often doesn't cool much at all.
Single stories aren't just for old age. A lot of people with very young children also prefer them.
I am not old but wish my home was single story simply because cleaning stairs is a big pain!
Location: Subconscious Syncope, USA (Northeastern US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unknown00
i have personally always lived in 2 story houses my entire life. the separation is great. however, now as i am looking to buy a new house in a new area, 80%+ (if you think about that stat it's really high) of the houses are 1 story. i have no idea why the % is so large. i've been looking for for 4 months now.
what are everyone's thoughts? how is the space/noise separation on just 1 floor? anyone hate it?
//EDIT: quick background - i am a young adult. i have no health problems. i am in texas. i am looking for a house to raise a family
I once lived in an 'L'-shaped rancher. It was nice. Its safer with children and the elderly, and even with pets - no stairs to have to safe guard. If injured or have surgery - you arent relegated to the couch until you are well enough to climb the stairs. Back then, the bedrooms were on one side and the noiser areas of the house were on the other. Its also much easier to escape from safely if there is a fire or other disaster.
Less damage if a pipe breaks. There are no overhead pipes in a ranch house, unless the house has a basement.
I look forward to living in one story again some day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linerin
Single stories aren't just for old age. A lot of people with very young children also prefer them.
I am not old but wish my home was single story simply because cleaning stairs is a big pain!
Totally agree - especially if they are carpeted!
Last edited by ConeyGirl52; 03-28-2015 at 05:32 AM..
And the soil composition and frost lines are the reason why there aren't many basements in Texas. But what we lack in basements we make up in bonus rooms.
No basements is a common thing in the south. It has to do with frost lines/depth.
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