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We have a first floor master. I have to say when we were looking at houses I wasn't all that keen on having a first floor master for many of the same reasons...sick kids,etc. Well, we just had our first "sick child" experience with us being on the first floor and I had no problem hearing my son call me. Funny thing is in our old house, all the rooms were close together on the same floor and sometimes I slept through a waking child (maybe it was selective hearing and my husband would tell me the next morning how "so and so" got him up last night crying.....I swear I never heard a thing. Well, just this week I DID hear a "thing" and my husband slept right through it. I think those mothers ears work when they need to.
As far as kids coming down the stairs in the middle of the night. Just ask my 7 and 9 year old. They mastered that the first night we were in the house and have yet to fall down the stairs or get lost in the dark while finding the first floor master. I am reassured every morning when I wake up and their sleeping bodies are snuggled next to me in the bed.
So, now that I have a first floor master, I have to say that I do like it. Privacy is definetely better
Obviously this adds to the cost....For me, the ideal would be two master bedrooms. One upstairs, one downstairs, with the larger of the two upstairs. The downstairs master would allow for visiting parents, someone unable to climb stairs, or when my wife is mad at me.
Oh, like that has never happened to anyone else....
I agree, that a bedroom and bathroom upstairs and down would be great for parents and/or guest and/or office. I don't think the room has to be terrible big, just have long closets.
I LOVE the house we're in, but unfortunately we're relocating, but I hope to find something similar (it's for sale, hint, hint!!)
When we bought it, I thought, oh...OK. It has worked out phenomenal. There are three beds down, split. The master with it's own bath (and two walk in closets) is generous, and by itself (YEAH!!). There are two bedrooms on the other side of the house, sharing their own bathroom. Upstairs, there is another bedroom, and another bath.
Currently, we have a 2 year old and 4 year old, both downstairs. We leave our bedroom door open at night, and easily hear them. If we had stayed, our plan was to move the older one upstairs, and then everyone gets their own "wing".....own bed, own bath, own privacy.
We have our Master/Bath/Walk in closets on the first floor on one side of the house. On the other side are 2 bedrooms with a full bath in between. We put our younger child in her choice of rooms and we are using the other as a guest room. Our teen is upstairs with his own large room (I think it was supposed to be the actual guest room) with full bath jsut outside his room. The bonus room is also up there so he has a pretty nice setup I must say. Now if it only came with maid...
1. Fires. Slim chance, BUT if there is a fire, I want to be able to get to my kids. Fast.
2. Security. When weather is nice, I want to sleep with the windows open. Can't do this safely in this day and age on the ground floor.
3. More distance between kids/parents. First, long ago, everyone slept in the same room. Then when people got money, they got big houses and nannies. The nannies slept in the kids' rooms. Then the middle class came along, and liked the idea of still not sleeping w/the kids, but not enough money for nannies, so the kids got trundled to their own room (over and over in most cases) til they understood they were to be by themselves. Now...let's move the parents all the way downstairs, so when they hear a creak or think there is a monster in their closet they can either a. walk downstairs (or you walk up) which can be dangerous for a kid 1/2 asleep or b. lie there scared, knowing you are nowhere near them.
OK, reason number three is no doubt contraversial. But even if we stick with reasons 1 and 2, it's still a no-go for me...
I prefer a rancher or rambler with at least 3 bedrooms on the main floor. It seems more practical for young families and baby boomers. Young families for obvious reasons and for most baby boomers that may find themselves as I did with one or more aging parents to care for. The same concerns apply for young children as they would for an aging parent in need of help in the middle of the night. A first floor master has a smaller market of buyers I would think since it's only suited for the seniors or couples with no addiitional considerations. Just my thoughts based on practical experience.
I prefer bedrooms all on the same floor whether it be a ranch or a 2 story. A 2 story home is my preference. I think the worst floor plan ever for us was a bungalow. Large master upstairs, two bedrooms on the main floor. My husband and I bought the house before we had our son. After his arrival we had him in the room with us in a cradle. After that we ended up moving everything to the first floor bedrooms. The large master bedroom upstairs ended up being a waste of space or extremely large room for my computer. I think basically whatever someone preference is, depends on what is going on in their lives at the time.
4 year old post brought back to life! I guess some topics just don't change.
When we last moved, we bought a house with a master on the main, and two bedrooms upstairs. Our daughter was in the 1st grade. I don't think we made but a few trips upstairs during the night. So either she didn't have any problems sleeping upstairs, or 1st graders are past the middle of the night problems.
Now that we have been in the house over 15 years, I am very happy we didn't have our bedroom on the 2nd floor.
I like the master on the second floor. I prefer to keep our bedroom/bathroom area private and not on the same level where we have frequent parties. If we had small children, I would definitely have to have a bedroom on the same level where the children's room was. When we reach an age where climbing the stairs is difficult, we will downsize to a one-story condo or small ranch style house.
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and my husband would tell me the next morning how "so and so" got him up last night crying.....I swear I never heard a thing. Well, just this week I DID hear a "thing" and my husband slept right through it. I think those mothers ears work when they need to.
down is great!
