Master Bedroom Downstairs (Austin, Plano, Howe: house, buyer, camper)

[mark311]

Those all sound like good reasons to have the master bedroom downstairs. My parents are in their early sixties and would only purchase a one story house. They ended up with a 2500 square foot one story in Georgetown.

My wife didn't want the master bedroom downstairs because she didn't want to hear the noise of the kids bouncing around on the second floor coming through the ceiling. She always hated hearing people stomp on the floor above us in past apartments that we lived in.

We ended up getting a home with the master bedroom upstairs and the laundry room upstairs as well. So far it has worked out well, but I guess the stairs could be a problem in 35 years or so when we're older. I'm sure that a lot of younger families don't think that far ahead.

I agree with the others that a laundry room on a different floor than the bedrooms would be inconvenient.

[changeofpace]

We built a ramber/ranch 11 years ago. We put our house on the market and had 10 people look at it the first 2 days and sold it the 2nd day. In our suburb of 64,000 people, there were only 4 rambler/ranch homes on the market and 49 2 story homes on the market. That was 30 days ago. Today all 4 rambler/ranch homes sold the first week, only 3 of the 2 story homes have sold. Realtors told me the boomers are beginning to sell their 2 story homes and there are no buyers for them and the problem will be magnified many times over in the next 20 years. Not haveing a bedroom the main level is a big problem for resale. Boomers are aging and their parents may need to move in with them, so all bedrooms upstairs is not feasible or desired.

[Derek ATX]

Originally Posted by changeofpace

We built a ramber/ranch 11 years ago. We put our house on the market and had 10 people look at it the first 2 days and sold it the 2nd day. In our suburb of 64,000 people, there were only 4 rambler/ranch homes on the market and 49 2 story homes on the market. That was 30 days ago. Today all 4 rambler/ranch homes sold the first week, only 3 of the 2 story homes have sold. Realtors told me the boomers are beginning to sell their 2 story homes and there are no buyers for them and the problem will be magnified many times over in the next 20 years. Not haveing a bedroom the main level is a big problem for resale. Boomers are aging and their parents may need to move in with them, so all bedrooms upstairs is not feasible or desired.

This is a good point. I have a family moving here from NY and they said one of the imperative criteria is that both homes they buy (one for the family and one for aging mother) have downstairs masters for easy of access.

[mimimomx3]

Personally, and I think this is a totally personal decision, I like my bedroom upstairs. I had a bedroom downstairs that always smelled like the kitchen, which was on the same level. My BR is upstairs now and I like the privacy. I'm reasonably confident that there is someone else out there who will agree and want to buy my house! Not every house buyer is an aging baby boomer, you know!

[changeofpace]

Beginning in 2017, just 10 years from now, 80% of all home buyers AND sellers will be aging and retiring baby boomers, therefore, 80% of homes going on the mareket will be larger homes and the vast majority will not have a bedroom on the first floor (thats why it will be on the market). Any home with at least 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom on the first floor and all homes with all living on the first floor will be top dollar and sell quickly. The 2 story and all bedrooms on the 2nd floor homes will be worth far less and with so many of those homes on the market it will be a rude awakening for the sellers. Home values are supply and demand driven pricing. This is a future home market fact, not opinion. It is just something toseriously consider if you will be selling your home ANYTIME after 2017.

[mimimomx3]

The 2 story and all bedrooms on the 2nd floor homes will be worth far less and with so many of those homes on the market it will be a rude awakening for the sellers.

Depends on the house, the location, the condition, the price and plain personal preference. I'm not about to compromise on the what I like and what's most comfortable for my family by thinking of what's going to happen in 2017.

[love roses]

amen to that. I don't think we have to worry about it anyway, as we've lived in a two story house, and decided we like one stories better, and that's what we're in now.

[Trainwreck20]

On a bit of a side issue, houses in the Edwards Aquifer area can only have so much impervious cover (by percent). If you want a large house, you may not be able to build it as a one-story on a regular lot. Also, if you want to add a pool, that counts as impervious cover and will further squeeze the allowable footprint.

[mimimomx3]

On a bit of a side issue, houses in the Edwards Aquifer area can only have so much impervious cover (by percent). If you want a large house, you may not be able to build it as a one-story on a regular lot. Also, if you want to add a pool, that counts as impervious cover and will further squeeze the allowable footprint.

An even more sideline issue is that our City Council has ruled that houses in the central city are limited in size so as not to loom large over exisitng, smaller houses.

[love roses]

A yay to that too. They don't do it in Houston, and aesthetically, it's just terrible to look at.