One-Story vs. Two-Story Home: Which Style is Right For You?

One-Story home or Two-Story home? One could debate for hours on which is better, but it all comes down to your personal preference. Your knees may sway you to say a one-story makes more sense, while your need for a little privacy and alone time may lead you to a two-story layout that allows you to separate your living space and resting space. We’ll help you settle the debate once and for all. Here are a few things to consider before choosing a one-story or two-story home.

One-Story Home

• Maintenance: A home that has one level allows for easier maintenance. No dragging a vacuum cleaner up and down stairs or hauling a laundry basket from an upstairs bedroom to a downstairs laundry room. Maybe you want to paint or pressure wash the exterior of the home. With a one-story home there is no need to fuss with a high reach to get the job done.
• Bathrooms: Since you don’t have two levels for people to live on, one-story homes need fewer bathrooms.
• Safety: A one-story home can be ideal if you have young children. The fear of your child falling down a flight of stairs is one less thing you have to worry about as a parent. Even if you don’t have kids, stairs can be cumbersome as you get older. A one-story home is great for those looking to age in place.
• Emergencies: Ranch-style homes can also be great for managing emergencies. If you have to evacuate quickly from a bedroom, it’s easier to escape from a ground floor window than a second floor window. However, in the unfortunate situation where you might leave a window open, it’s easier for burglars to climb through a ground floor window than a second floor bedroom window that has been left open.
• Privacy: A one-story home can present more opportunities for less privacy. With bedrooms on ground levels, it can be easier to see your neighbors in your private spaces or even be exposed to strangers passing by on the street.

Two-Story Home

• Views: Two-story homes are great for views. Imagine having a balcony on a sloping lot and having the best view of your neighborhood.
• Distinct Separation: With two-story homes, you have a distinct separation between your bedrooms and other living spaces. This can be great when it comes to cleaning, entertaining, and working from home.
• Safety: In a two-story home you stand a better chance of shifty characters not entering a second floor window that has been accidentally left open.
• Heating and Cooling: Heat rises and cool air drops. This can mean your heating and cooling will need to be adjusted depending on where you are in the home. With more house to heat and cool this can cause you to have to double your heating and cooling costs compared to a one-story.
• Lot Size: Are you conscious about shrinking your housing footprint? If you want more house but you’re very specific about your lot size, a two-story would be great for you. Even with more square footage, a two-story home can take up equal or even less space on a lot.
• Outdoor space: If you value having a great space to entertain outside, a two-story home may be right for you. You’re taking up less land space so you’ll have more yard to utilize.

Still unsure of what’s right for you? Connect with one of more than 9,000 agents today to help you make an informed decision. Ready to buy but not sure what you can afford? Check out the mortgage calculator to help estimate possible monthly payments. Download theREIN.com app and put the power of fresh and accurate listing data in the palm of your hand. The app is available free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. For local listings you can trust, start withREIN.com.

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