When it comes to the design of a home, is a one or two story better? Find out the positives and negatives of each in this article!
One-Story Pros
Maintenance: Everything is on one level and you don’t have to drag a vacuum or laundry up or down stairs.
Simple Design: If you’re thinking about building, a one story is less expensive to design and create than a two story.
Navigation: When you have children or elderly family members living with you, there is less of a chance of an accident or a fall.
Evacuation: In case of an emergency, a one-story home is easier to get out of and is one of the safest structures in an earthquake situation.
One-Story Cons
Add-Ons: When you’re wanting to add onto your home, it can become costly with system extensions and the cost of land.
Flooding: Southern Alabama is known for receiving a lot of rain and having storms. If you’re living an area near a lake, ocean, or bay you are more likely to have a flood issue.
Privacy: A single story home has more of a chance that the mail carrier could pass by your bedroom window. A second story can provide a little more privacy for you and your loved ones.
Two-Story Pros
Privacy: A two story home provides ample privacy and it separates public and private spaces in your house.
Burglary: This structure of a home could lead to a lower risk of being robbed. A burglar is less likely to shimmy up your drain pipe to get into an open window than if it was on a first floor.
Design Options: You have more opportunity to create a floor plan you love. You can play around with the home design until you get it just right.
The Views: If you live in a picturesque area, you’ll be able to look out your window to a beautiful view or even have a second story deck to really soak in the sunrises and sunsets.
Two-Story Cons
Accidents: With a two story, it will have to have stairs of some form or fashion. This means that your children, a family member, or yourself are more at risk at falling or harming themselves.
Heating & Cooling: In general, the system it takes to run heating and cooling will be larger than one in a single-story home and will cost more because you’ll have to adjust the temperature in the home for both levels.
Noise Level: If the home isn’t designed well, noise will travel. If you’re downstairs in the living room, you could hear family members walking upstairs or the plumbing in the home.
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