2 story house vs. single story (new build) (Buckeye: houses, utilities)

[Carlanavarrete1]

Hi Everyone,

You all are have a ton of great advise and this site is the best. I am pretty close to deciding on Verrado in Buckeye. But I'm struggling with the 2 story vs. single story. I need the room that a 2 story offers. But it seems everyone I speak to lives in a single story. Is it because of the expense of living in a 2 story as far as AC cost? I don't want to make the wrong decision and not be able to afford my electric bill in the summer because I chose a 2 story. The folks that I have met and talked to have never lived in a 2 story because they say it is way way to expensive to cool down. But they don't live in a 2 story, so I wanted to get opinions from folks who DO live in a 2 story in the west valley.

I would be looking at a new build, about 2000 Sq ft. I also heard if you have a 2 story you have to make sure you have 2 ac units. Wouldn't having 2 ac units be more expensive to run?

I've never lived in AZ, I will be coming from NC, but I lived in San Diego for 20 years until 3 years ago when moving to NC.

Thanks in advance

[MalteseJane]

Why would you want a 2 story with only 2000 sq ft ? Our 1 story is 1960 sq ft. We had the option to do a casita in the detached garage but we don't need it.
I would not have bought a 2 story house, main reasons are the stairs and the cooling. The a/c in a 2 story will always be more expensive in electricity and maintenance too if you have 2 units. The bigger the house, the more expensive the utilities.
When you are young the stairs might not bother you unless you end up one day with a broken leg or sprained ankle and have to move up and down on your butt.

[observer53]

You don't run the upstairs unit all the time if you have two; a unit that does only the upstairs will cool it faster, and keep it cooler, than a single unit trying to cool the whole house.


If you're only wanting 2000 square feet, you can't get that size in a single story house there? That's really not that big.

[observer53]

Agree with MalteseJane. My one story is 2100. You can't get a single story at Verrado with 2000?


A unit that cools only the upstairs will do it more quickly than a single unit cooling the whole house (lived in one like that years ago) You don't run both units all the time every day. That said, I would be looking for a one story in the size you are looking for. Stairs aren't always your friend, either.

[KurtAZ]

Okay....let's stop this...it is "advice" not "advise". I have been seeing this all over the place and it is starting to drive me nuts. Sorry.

/big breath

As far as the 2-story vs. 1-story debate:

1) The 1-story is going to have a bigger footprint on the lot, leaving you with less yard (depending on house and lot size) than a comparable 2-story
2) The 2-story is going to be more expensive as far as utilities are concerned. Most new-builds are going to be energy rated, i.e. tested for leaks and SOMETIMES come with an estimate of energy usage. I know Lennar used to advertise that a home would only use $x.xx per month. I would take that into consideration.
3) Stairs or no stairs...personal preference

Personally, I prefer a single story but my wife wanted a 2-story. We have a 2-story.

[phx1205]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Okay....let's stop this...it is "advice" not "advise". I have been seeing this all over the place and it is starting to drive me nuts. Sorry.

/big breath

While we are at it, why do so many people put the $ after the number when typing? I see that all the time and it drives me nuts!

Back on topic. A two story 2,000 square foot house seems really small. Maybe the lots are really small so they have to do that so you can have some space for a pool?

I didn’t want a two story, mainly because I am too lazy and don’t want to be running up and down the stairs all the time.

[vfrpilot]

We bought a single story home and it is much easier to heat and cool than a multi level home. We have 2 a/c units, so it seems to be more efficient because we can better regulate the temps for the bedrooms vs the living/kitchen areas. Our highest a/c bill so far has been 360, which is quite reasonable for a 2700 sq ft home with old a/c units.
There are a bunch of other reasons we are happy to be in a single story again. Cleaning and maintenance is easier. Hanging Christmas lights is not as dangerous. Moving furniture is definitely easier. Not sure how old or healthy you are, but the lack of stairs is much better on my knees. These things are minor, but after living in a multi story home for years, I really appreciate living on the ground floor.

[Hal Roach]

Only do the two story where land is expensive and/or you would get a good view. Advice is a noun, advise a verb. Usually, the grammar police make quite a few errors of their own.

[hikernut]

I think one-story at that size will be more marketable. The downsides are smaller backyard, and a bit more cost per square foot as compared to a two story. Depending on the size of the house, you might get by with a single a/c unit, which is nice when it comes time to replace ($$).

With respect to cost of cooling, there are a lot of considerations beyond just one-story vs two-story. One thing you really want to avoid here are big windows that take in morning and (especially) afternoon sunlight. Windows on the first floor tend to be easier to deal with, as they could be under a patio, and windows on the sides of the house might get shaded by neighboring houses. The only remedy for some upstairs windows is to install those really dark screens that block most of the sunlight.

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by Hal Roach

Only do the two story where land is expensive and/or you would get a good view. Advice is a noun, advise a verb. Usually, the grammar police make quite a few errors of their own.

Oh I am sure I do...just noticing this a lot lately, not only on CD but other media as well.