Appeal of a 1st floor master bedroom? (Raleigh, Cary: mobile home, purchase)

[MikeJaquish]

Originally Posted by NCInMyMind

I'm the OP. I forgot to add in my original post that I came across some threads from 2007 about the same topic. Being pretty new to the area, I wasn't sure if buyer preferences and builder options had changed much in two years. So, sorry if this thread is redundant for many.

It is really starting to sound like if you have little kids, one mostly prefers to be on the same level.

But, if you have teens you want to be as far away from them as possible. Great...hoping to stave off the teenage years as long as possible. Yikes!

Yep. I see it all the time...

[annesg]

Well, we bought a house with 3 stories and a 1st floor MB. BUT the 2nd floor has 3 more bedrooms and one of them is HUGE with a sitting area, walk-in closet, and private bath. So when we moved in and spent a few months in our lovely first floor master and had the kids running up and down the stairs and, most of all, being "scared" going upstairs at night, we moved our bedroom to the big 2nd floor "master" and moved the office down to the original master. I never wanted a 1st floor MB, but hubby did and I guess he won out. But it didn't take long to realize that we really need to be upstairs with the kids. The 3rd floor now houses a guest room and a play room.

We lived in FL for 8 years, all of it in 1-story homes, and I just hated it. I hated the way toys and belongings migrated all over. I love now that the 1st floor is TV/kitchen/living room/office space; the 2nd floor is sleeping; and the 3rd is for toys. And some day when we're sick of being on the same floor as the kids, we'll move back downstairs

[capt chill]

For us it has nothing to do with the stairs, its about cooling. A downstairs master is so much cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It is tucked in the back corner of the house up near the woods in the back. Fantastic.

[NRaleigh Mom]

I love our 1st floor master and could never buy a home with a 2nd story master again. It is much more convenient to laundry room, kitchen and backyard and I like being separated from the room upstairs. We have a little curved hall with double doors that lead to a foyer in our master so no one even knows it's there.

[jmflu]

Originally Posted by NRaleigh Mom

I love our 1st floor master and could never buy a home with a 2nd story master again. It is much more convenient to laundry room, kitchen and backyard and I like being separated from the room upstairs. We have a little curved hall with double doors that lead to a foyer in our master so no one even knows it's there.

That sounds very cool! Would love it if you posted a pic!

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by NCInMyMind

A recent thread on C-D got me thinking about master bedrooms. We recently bought a home and one of our requirements was an upstairs master bedroom. It seemed like most new construction was about 50/50 or 60/40 in favor of a 1st floor master.

We wanted an upstairs MB for a few reasons: (1) not having the kids running around over us (2) ability to be near the kids at night (3) and for keeping "the private areas of the home" private when guests come over (especially if you "forget" to make the bed ). We also liked the floor plan "flow" and the amount of light that can come in a home by not having a closed-off bedroom.

I totally understand the appeal for a first floor MB in regards to mobility issues. Also, if you don't have kids or they have left home, you only have to clean one floor for the most part. My retired parents who plan to stay in their current home built it to accommodate their needs as they age, including a first floor MB. It works out great for them. Except when they have the grandkids.....pitter patter, pitter patter very early in the morning.

We are in our 30's and this house isn't our "forever house" so if we remain healthy, the stair issue is not a problem for us.

What am I not getting about the appeal of a 1st floor MB, especially for those of you who are under retirement age? We still would have purchased our home with the upstairs MB, but obviously a downstairs MB appears to be desirable to many.

Am I just old fashioned?

You are not old fashioned, you are just at a different place in your life than other buyers. Once you have teens it can be very nice to have them on one floor and you on the other - for their privacy and yours! In addition, they usually have to come past your downstairs room when they come in at night - makes it easier to be the "gatekeeper" so to speak

I have lived in a ranch the last 8 years and will never live in a two story again. I'm only late 40's but most accidents happen in the home, and a lot of times those accidents have to do with the stairs. I don't plan on having any accidents muck up my body at this stage of the game!

[BayVillage]

We would LOVE to have a 1st floor master, but when we were transferred up here we couldn't find one! Had one for 12 years in Wilmington and it will be a deal breaker in our next home purchase... MUST have a 1st fl master!

[CAKD]

Now that my kids are a bit older I would love to have a first floor master. If the home is layed out right the master can be in its own section of the downstairs. That said when my husband is traveling.......I feel safer upstairs with my kids. I know it is a false sense of security but the idea of my bedroom windows being up where no one can reach them is reassuring to me

[dtittus]

We were indifferent to the 1st floor master when we moved to NC. We rented a home that had one and we loved it. It had a cathedral ceiling so we didn't have to worry about noises above us. The 1st floor MB isn't a requirement for us (we bought a home with all bedrooms upstairs) but it is definitely a plus that we like.

[frankpc]

I have to admit that lots of folks like the 1st flr master bedroom. I've lived with both and actually prefer the upstairs master bedroom but I honestly can't articulate "why"

Frank