Bedroom location

[hoddys2]

We have a new 2 story home with master above the garage. We have 2 AC units and haven't had a problem with maintaining the temp upstairs. The energy bill also has to do with how the house is structured. We have a 3000 sq. foot home and our bill runs around 200 during the hottest months, we keep the upstairs 73 degrees at night and 75 during the day, downstairs is kept at 75 all the time. Our house is kind of shaped like a box though so I think that this makes the energy usage a bit more efficient...some of our friends with 4000 sq. foot homes have energy bills running 400+ a month.

The one story vs. two story really has to do with where you are in life. If you're planning on retiring in the home then definitely get a one story, if you plan on having kids get a one story, if you have older children get a two story with the master downstairs and the kids upstairs with a game room.

[majormadmax]

We have a 2-yr-old 3400 sq ft home built by DR Horton with a downstairs master. To be honest, I hate it. Our realtor told me I would love it after a year, but I still don't. For one, despite there being a closet and bathroom between it and the garage, we still get a lot of heat from the latter. Our house faces the southwest, so the garage gets direct sunlight in the evenings. The other thing I don't like about the downstairs master is that it is on the other side of the living room, and of course the TV is on the adjoining wall. As I have to get up at 4:30am on weekdays, I have to be in bed around 9:30pm at the latest. That means no one can really watch TV or even be in the living room after that, as it is too loud. I know the wooden floors attribute to that; but I would much rather be upstairs and away from it all. If I could swap out two of the four upstairs bedrooms (one is a guestroom, the other my office) for one large upstairs master cheaply I would do it; but I doubt it could be done inexpensively.

Also, as others have stated I would prefer to be upstairs where my two boys are in case of an emergency. In a fire I would have to get up the stairs to get to them, and if someone were to break in and get upstairs before I did, I would have to fight my way up to protect my children. Much easier defending yourself in the other direction.

By the way, having two HVACs definitely helps keep the house comfortable. It is just a shame that the warmest room in the house is the master bedroom! And maybe one day when I get old, not having to climb the stairs may be beneficial; but for now I could use the exercise. Lastly, days will go by without my having to go upstairs (I do go up every morning to kiss my boys goodbye before I leave for work), and some days it feels like we live in a one-story house!

Cheers! M2

[Latinocowboy]

Originally Posted by turnerfamily

I'm looking at various houses in the S.A.area to relocate and wanted input about the advantages of a single level home vs a multi level home and the energy benefits.And also is it best to have the bedrooms downstairs for cooler temps when sleeping at night or does it even make a difference.I have a hard time if it's to warm when sleeping and trying to cool the upstairs could be costly.

It all starts with how homes are constructed, whether it's a fast tract or luxury home. I've seen lots of homes where brick or stone went right up over greenboard that had poorly taped seams and holes all over the place. They wouldn't bother sealing things up. I've also seen where the builder would skimp on insulating with the proper rating. Let's not even go into under-rated units or poor duct work. This all translates into a home that will not be very energy efficient.

I hired my own home inspector and he made sure that my home was built pretty air-tight. We had all penetrations sealed the right way and made sure that the proper insulation was used throughout the home before drywall went up. Windows were properly sealed too; something builders don't usually take the time to do. During the mechanical inspections, he checked everything to make sure it was done right. "An ounce of prevention..."

Since I work from home, my AC pretty much runs 24/7 at a very comfortable 79-degrees F. Sometimes I'll drop it down to 78... 77 gets pretty frigid. FYI, I'm the one who dislikes heat and always cranks the air conditioner. I have two AC units in our 2-story, 3300 square feet home (5 br, 3 bth). So far, my electric/gas bill has been under $95 this summer, and we don't even have the double-hung energy efficient windows.

To top it all off, I installed two Honeywell VisionPro 'stats. These will save you money and will pay themselves off in a few months (YMMV).
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r103/latinocowboy/ac/honeywellVisionProlarge.jpg (broken link)

[valleygalbabs]

Heat rises and if you have a two story and only one a/c there is going to be a issue on too cold down ...... 2 a/c for sure

We have a lot of tile in the downstairs and it definately makes it cooler. Tile in the bath upstairs makes that room so much cooler.

[joe123456]

I personally wouldn't buy a new home that wasn't rated as energy star compliant. Two major trac builders that build energy star compliant homes are Pulte and KB. Being energy star compliant means they pay for an independent inspection done by a Home Energy Rating Inspector to verify the home is closed up tight, low e windows, energy star appliances, minimum 14 SEER HVAC, and is blower tested prior to passing inspection.

[Latinocowboy]

D.R. Horton has an Energy Star program as well.

I know lots of folks that have "Energy Star" homes who are paying way too much in utilities. Builders know how to market their products well. Investing in a competent home inspector is one way to ensure your home is actually efficient in the real world, and not just on paper.