Buying a home is often one of the most rewarding experiences that you can have. Additionally, it’s also a great way to drastically improve your net worth.
However, not everybody understands whether they should buy a one-story house or a two-story house. Let’s take a brief look at how you can make the decision that’s best for you.
A One-Story House
This is by far the most common type of home. It comes with its share of pros and cons, however. Listed below are some of the most notable.
The Pros
As you might guess, one of the largest benefits of purchasing a one-story home is the fact that you will have a smaller area to clean. This is particularly beneficial for those who have children or pets, as dirt, dust, and grime can easily spread across the entire home.
The same can be said when it comes to maintenance. In fact, the maintenance that you are required to perform in a one-story home is often exponentially less than that of larger properties.
Interestingly, many people tend to overlook how easy one-story homes are to navigate. This means that children or elderly relatives can find their way through the home without needing to overcome safety hazards.
To clarify, accidents involving stairs can easily result in severe injury. So, keep this in mind when making your decision.
Finally, you’ll find that one-story homes are much easier to evacuate than larger properties. If you live in a region that is prone to experiencing tornadoes or hurricanes, you’ll have a much easier time getting out of your home in an emergency.
This also applies to floods, which are notorious for occurring within a short period of time.
The Cons
The major drawback of a one-story house is the lack of space. This directly translates to less privacy in many cases. If you’re someone who needs to have plenty of alone time on a regular basis, this type of home may not be conducive to your lifestyle.
This is particularly true if you are closely surrounded by neighbors.
Over time, many people choose to make additions to their homes. Although this can allow you to customize your living space, it comes at a price.
In many scenarios, the price you pay will be hefty. This is due to the fact that you need to consider costs like plumbing, wiring, etc.
A Two-Story House
Although two-story houses are often much larger than one-story homes, they also come with benefits and drawbacks. Keeping these in mind is crucial when it comes to making a decision.
Let’s dive into the ones you need to know about.
The Pros
Unlike a one-story house, a two-story home offers plenty of opportunity for privacy. Not only will you be sufficiently separated from your neighbors while on the top floor, but you can also physically distance yourself from other people in your home.
For those who worry about their safety while sleeping at night, a two-story home is also much safer. Unfortunately, criminals often use windows on ground floors in order to gain entrance to a house.
If they aren’t aware of the layout of the home, they may end up crawling into a bedroom while someone is sleeping. This is a complete nonissue with a two-story home since it’s impractical for a thief to scale the side of the house to enter a window on the second floor.
Quality of life is also something that you should consider. A two-story home often comes with a spectacular view that you simply can’t achieve otherwise.
This becomes even more significant if your house is situated upon a hill or elevated piece of land. In fact, the major selling point of homes in certain areas is the fact that they overlook an entire city.
Finally, having more space means having more room for interior design. There’s something to be said about adding personal touches to your home, and a two-story house gives you plenty of opportunities to do so.
The Cons
As previously mentioned, stairs are a hazard that many people fall victim to each year. So, a two-story house apparently has a greater risk of accidents.
Additionally, it is impractical in most cases for a family member or resident with disabilities to make it to the second floor without installing an expensive lift.
Utility cost is also something to keep in mind. During the warmer months, the upstairs bedrooms will become far hotter than the rest of the house. If you wish to keep this area at a tolerable temperature, you’ll end up paying more than you would in a one-story home.
Depending on how the house is designed, you might also find that it is far noisier than a conventional house that only has a single floor. Older houses, for example, are often notoriously creaky and loud when people move about.
Depending on how many people live in your home, your sleeping schedules, etc., this could easily become frustrating as time goes on. Keep this in mind before you begin looking for a new house or sell your current home.
Deciding Between a One or Two-Story House Can Seem Difficult
However, it’s not quite as complicated as you might expect. The above information will ensure that the decision you make regarding a one-story house or two-story house is the one that is best for you.
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