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I'm then not using the correct term for this style of house. From what I read regarding the definition of split level, it seemed to meet the criteria. Hopefully someone will be able to tell me what style it is or if the lower level is considered a basement or not. The bottom level has all the bedrooms and was designed that way. It's almost like a reverse two story house.
Around here a split level is a home where you enter on one level where there is usually a kitchen, dining room and formal living room, you can go down about 5-6 steps to a lower level that generally has a family room, a half or full bath, maybe a bedroom and/or utility room. Go back to the main level and go up 5-6 steps to the bedroom level where there are 2-3 bedrooms and one to two baths.
We also have split foyers, where you walk in and there are stairs immediately going up and down, up is usually the formal living area, kitchen and dining and maybe a half bath. Down is generally the bedrooms and one to two bathrooms. Sometimes there is also a family room.
What you are describing (from my knowledge) is a single story home with a full daylight basement.
All of this depends on where in the country you are living, though. Different terms for the same floorplan apply.
Split level is usually defined as floors that are “half way” between a full floor. So generally speaking a full floor is about 8 feet so a split would be a floor change in elevation of approximately 4 feet.
There are a lot of them around here. We looked at plenty before we purchased our ranch style home several years ago.
Now we live in a Cape Cod.
Edited to add, this house is similar to what marino760 is describing, but I wouldn't call this a full daylight basement. But it's single story from the front and two story from the back.
Around here a split level is a home where you enter on one level where there is usually a kitchen, dining room and formal living room, you can go down about 5-6 steps to a lower level that generally has a family room, a half or full bath, maybe a bedroom and/or utility room. Go back to the main level and go up 5-6 steps to the bedroom level where there are 2-3 bedrooms and one to two baths.
We also have split foyers, where you walk in and there are stairs immediately going up and down, up is usually the formal living area, kitchen and dining and maybe a half bath. Down is generally the bedrooms and one to two bathrooms. Sometimes there is also a family room.
What you are describing (from my knowledge) is a single story home with a full daylight basement.
All of this depends on where in the country you are living, though. Different terms for the same floorplan apply.
Thanks for the clarification. The house I'm referring to looks nothing like the examples you gave. Anyone looking at it from the front would have no idea half the house with bedrooms including another fire place, bath room, storage room, and utility room are on another complete level with full size windows and a door going to the back covered porch. Architecture is so interesting....
There are a lot of them around here. We looked at plenty before we purchased our ranch style home several years ago.
Now we live in a Cape Cod.
Edited to add, this house is similar to what marino760 is describing, but I wouldn't call this a full daylight basement. But it's single story from the front and two story from the back.
Hah..... that's because the "agent" is Opendoor who couldn't market a property correctly if their life depended on it (which it does; hence their struggles).
Split levels in the Triangle just denote "old" and not in the cool/hip way that pre-WWII homes in central neighborhoods do...they just give an outdated vibe even if they have been nicely updated (which a shockinly high proportion of those I've shown ...haven't been) . I think the "oldness" of the layout hurts their value more so than the actual layout itself...if that makes sense?
Hah..... that's because the "agent" is Opendoor who couldn't market a property correctly if their life depended on it (which it does; hence their struggles).
Split levels in the Triangle just denote "old" and not in the cool/hip way that pre-WWII homes in central neighborhoods do...they just give an outdated vibe even if they have been nicely updated (which a shockinly high proportion of those I've shown ...haven't been) . I think the "oldness" of the layout hurts their value more so than the actual layout itself...if that makes sense?
I suppose it won't hurt to show a pic of the house. It's next to the historic district. There are no homes that I'm aware of in the neighborhood built after 1920 and many are far older going back to pre civil war.
I actually like the layout with the bedrooms and a bath downstairs without feeling like you're in a basement.
Last edited by marino760; 10-02-2019 at 04:41 PM..
I suppose it won't hurt to show a pic of the house. It's next to the historic district. There are no homes that I'm aware of in the neighborhood built after 1920 and many are far older going back to pre civil war.
I actually like the layout with the bedrooms and a bath downstairs without feeling like you're in a basement.
Yeah that definitely doesn't give off any sort of "split level" vibe IMO. Definitely a charmer. Congrats!
No. As the population ages, people are migrating to Ranch homes. No one wants to have t climb stairs, especially unnecessary stairs. two stories still do OK for families that need more space and are young enough the stairs cause little or no pain. Split levels offer none of the benefits of multi story and all of the downside.
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