Are you open to either? Do you feel like the right home will ldquo;speakrdquo; to you regardless of the number of floors? Letrsquo;s take a look at some of the realities of living of both, with a few things you may not have thought of.
A one-story home may seem more expensive if itrsquo;s priced against a larger two-story home, but you have to take the price-per-square-footage into account to see the value. They typically ldquo;cost less per square foot to build,rdquo; said Bensonwood. ldquo;Thatrsquo;s because the most expensive elements of home-buildingmdash;excavation/foundation and rafters/roof installationmdash;are being built on a smaller footprint. Plus, yoursquo;ll have less roof area to maintain.rdquo;
Kids may be more likely to keep their mess contained to the second level, where guests wonrsquo;t see it. When their rooms are on the main level, their stuff has a way of migrating into main living areas.
Yes, people do fall down the stairs. In fact, the National Safety Council ranks stairway falls ldquo;second only to motor vehicle accidents as a leading cause of accidental injury,rdquo; according to USClaims. Injuries can include bruises, sprains, and bone breaks, as well as more serious traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis.
If the potential for injury is of concern, especially with young children, there are precautions you can take to make stairs safer, including carpeting the surface and making sure the area is well-lit.
Stairs give you a built-in butt workout, but theyrsquo;re actually good for the whole body. ldquo;Climbing stairs is a great form of cardio exercise,rdquo; said Truweight. ldquo;While climbing stairs, you work against gravity lifting your entire body. This activity strengthens your leg muscles making it a rather strenuous exercise.rdquo; It can also ldquo;improve your heart rate and healthrdquo; as well as strengthen joints and muscles.
If you have a one-story home, you likely keep the windows locked up tight, especially at night. But therersquo;s a sense of security that comes from being upstairs. And, as Shayan Jalali, a sales associate for Keller Williams in Boston, said on Realtor.com, ldquo;A thief is unlikely to shimmy up your drain pipe just to check out your goods, and far less likely to shimmy down it with your flat-screen TV.rdquo;
You should have an evacuation plan for everyone in the household to follow regardless of what type of home you live in. But, some buyers prefer to have a single-story because it can be easier to evacuate in an emergency.
ldquo;Unfortunately, natural disastersmdash;and some manmade disasters such as firesmdash;do happen,rdquo; said The Balance. ldquo;This can be a primary consideration depending on your location. You might have to think about the possibility of tornadoes in the Midwest, tidal flooding on the Eastern seaboard, or earthquakes in California. In any case, youll want to be able to evacuate your home quickly and efficiently under the worst circumstances, maybe even while youre still half asleep. This tends to be easier in a one-story dwelling.rdquo;
Bedrooms upstairs, gathering spaces downstairs. Thats the way it should be, right? Thatrsquo;s what many families lean towardmdash;hence the enduring popularity of these plans.
Young families arenrsquo;t the only ones who prefer single-story homes. If yoursquo;re approaching retirement age, you may be thinking about whether or not itrsquo;s smart to buy a home with stairs. The truth is mobility issues may be many years away or they may never affect you at all. There are also ways you can adapt a two-story home, like adding a chairlift or elevator. Or, you can choose a single story for your forever home and forgo the hassle or expensive renovations.
